The Firebirds are flying high after posting a First Nations round triumph over the Melbourne Vixens last weekend and will be looking to end a Swifts winning run which has now reached eight straight victories after their derby success over Giants Netball.
With the Purple Family cheering them on, Bec Bulley’s team are eager to complete their home fixtures on a high with a win against their old rivals.
LAST TIME WE MET
A fourth-quarter surge by the Swifts was enough for the hosts to take a three-point win at Ken Rosewall Arena when the Firebirds made the trip to Sydney in round three of this season.
Donnell Wallam shot 60 goals including a highlight reel no-look lay-up while falling out of court as the Firebirds held a three-point lead at halftime but were unable to hold of a fast-finishing Swifts.
English import Helen Housby’s six Suncorp Super Shots proved crucial as the Swifts secured a victory in Firebirds’ great Romelda Aiken-George’s 200th national league appearance and first against her former club.
TEAM NEWS
The Firebirds retain the same 10 which defeated the Vixens, including impressive youngster Leesa Mi Mi who has started against Australian internationals Jamie-Lee Price and Liz Watson in the past two matches to make her mark as a temporary replacement player for injured Macy Gardner.
Lili Gorman-Brown and Kelea Iongi will continue to feature for the Swifts in the ongoing injury-enforced absences of Teigan O’Shannassy and Allie Smith.
KEY MATCHUP – Ruby Bakewell-Doran v Helen Housby
All eyes may well be on Romelda Aiken-George on her return to Nissan Arena but it is English goaler Housby whose long-range game will have to be shut down by World Cup hopeful Bakewell-Doran.
The Firebirds goal defender has been in sublime touch in recent weeks, combining brilliantly with Remi Kamo in back-to-back wins over the Giants and Vixens.
A similar shutdown of the dangerous Housby will go a long way to making it three wins in a row for the Firebirds and also press Bakewell-Doran’s claims to be included in Stacey Marinkovich’s Australian squad for South Africa.
KEY STAT
Donnell Wallam was unstoppable in last weekend’s win over the Vixens with her 71 points a record for the most by an individual in a single Suncorp Super Netball match. Firebirds Head Coach Bec Bulley will be eager for a similarly inspired display by Wallam this Sunday.
LAST WORD
“Last time we played Swifts we lost by three goals but we were playing so well, we were up at halftime, it was again just a little patch in that fourth quarter that they just got away from us so we were really disappointed and we know that we can match it with them, we’ve just got to execute a gameplan for the four quarters,” – Firebirds Head Coach Bec Bulley.
HOW TO GET THERE
Sunday’s match is officially sold out. All the information regarding game day is available here. The game is available to watch for free via Kayo Freebies.
