By Henry Alt
The Queensland Firebirds turned up to a passionate home crowd of 4110 for Pride Round and delivered a spirited performance, ultimately falling short to the Melbourne Mavericks 65–54.
Sunday's Suncorp Super Netball game at Nissan Arena was a noteworthy occasion for Abigail Latu-Meafou, who made her first start in Firebirds dress since making her return to the team for the first time in six years earlier this season.
The Mavericks came out firing, putting the first five points on the board before the Firebirds found rhythm.
An early timeout helped the team reset, allowing star shooter Mary Cholhok to get on the scoreboard and settle the team’s nerves.
Vice-captain Lara Dunkley was subbed in midway through the first quarter in an effort to shift the team’s dynamic, but despite the change, the Firebirds struggled to convert their defensive pressure into points - an area that proved costly as the match progressed.
The Firebirds lifted in the second quarter though, showing more control in their transition play and making better use of their turnovers with three consecutive Suncorp Super Shots by Latu-Meafou allowing the Firebirds to win the term 22-14 and close the margin to just three points at the main break.
The third quarter saw the Firebirds move the ball well and continue to apply pressure on the Mavericks’ defence with Cholhok beginning to dominate around the net, but missed opportunities at goal kept the Firebirds from taking full advantage of their momentum and went into the final quarter trailing by eight.
In the fourth quarter, Latu-Meafou continued to shine, netting another two-pointer as well as six from six from one-point range to continue her impressive form since her return to SSN.
Dunkley also put in one of her strongest displays of the season to lead the midcourt effort, finishing the match with 96.5 Nissan Net Points, almost double the next best tally in the Firebirds' lineup despite having started the game on the bench.
The Firebirds will aim to snap their long wait for a win next weekend when they host GIANTS Netball at Nissan Arena from 4pm on Sunday, June 29.
Tickets for all Firebirds home games in 2025 are available now from Ticketek.
