New South Wales Swifts

History

ANZ Championship

Between 2008 and 2016, Swifts played in the ANZ Championship. Swifts were formed in late 2007 when Netball New South Wales merged its two former Commonwealth Bank Trophy league teams, Sydney Swifts and Hunter Jaegers, in order to enter a single team in the 2008 ANZ Championship. During the 2008 regular season Swifts won 10 of their 13 matches and finished second behind Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. With a team coached by Julie Fitzgerald and captained by Catherine Cox, Swifts subsequently defeated Magic in both the major semi–final and the grand final to become the inaugural ANZ Championship winners. Swifts went through the entire 2010 regular season home and away undefeated, winning 13 consecutive matches and finishing as minor premiers. They were the first team in the history of the ANZ Championship to do this. However they subsequently lost both the major semi-final and the preliminary final to Adelaide Thunderbirds and Magic respectively and finished the season in third place.

The 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons proved to be a turbulent time for Swifts. After fifteen seasons as Sydney Swifts/New South Wales Swifts head coach, 2011 was the last season that Julie Fitzgerald served as head coach. Following a controversial "internal review", Fitzgerald was replaced as head coach by Lisa Beehag. The review was conducted during the 2011 season. Catherine Cox and Liz Ellis publicly criticized Netball New South Wales for distracting players with the review and even alleged that it was responsible for Swifts losing the 2011 minor semi-final. Beehag subsequently informed Cox that she would not be needed as a captain or player the following season. Cox subsequently departed for West Coast Fever. Other senior and emerging players including Rebecca Bulley, Courtney Tairi and Ashleigh Brazill also left. It was also alleged that the controversy led to some emerging New South Wales players, including Verity Simmons, Gabi Simpson and Kim Ravaillion, taking up contracts with rival teams. Under the leadership of Fitzgerald and Fox, New South Wales Swifts had been champions in 2008 and had reached the final series/play-offs in 2010 and 2011. Under Beehag's two-year reign, the team failed to make the finals. In 2013, the Swifts finished eighth. At the end of 2013 Beehag's contract was not renewed.

Beehag was subsequently replaced by Rob Wright. Wright guided Swifts to two successive grand finals in 2015 and 2016. However, on both occasions they lost out to Queensland Firebirds.

;Regular season statistics

Super Netball

Since 2017, Swifts have played in Super Netball. In addition to Swifts, the new league featured a second Netball New South Wales team, Giants Netball. Two veteran members of the 2016 Swifts roster, Kimberlee Green and Susan Pettitt, subsequently switched to the Giants, who were coached by former Swifts head coach, Julie Fitzgerald. The 2018 season saw Rob Wright replaced by Briony Akle. In 2019, Akle guided Swifts to their second premiership when they won the Super Netball title. Despite losing their new captain, Maddy Proud, to injury early in the season, Swifts finished the regular season in second place. In the major semi-final, they lost to Sunshine Coast Lightning. However, they then defeated Melbourne Vixens in the preliminary final. In the grand final they faced Lightning again but time defeated them 64–47 to emerge as champions. In 2021 with a team coached by Briony Akle and co-captained by Maddy Proud and Paige Hadley, Swifts won their second Suncorp Super Netball title. In the grand final they defeated Giants Netball 63–59.

;Regular season statistics

Grand finals

;ANZ Championship

;Super Netball

Home venues

Between 2008 and 2019, Swifts played the majority of their home games at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. In 2020, together with Giants Netball, Swifts were due to start to playing their home games at the Ken Rosewall Arena. However these plans were put on hold until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

;Notes

• Also referred to as the State Sports Centre and the QuayCentre.
• Also referred to as the Acer Arena, the Allphones Arena or the Qudos Bank Arena.

Notable players

2026 squad

Internationals

;

;

;

• Jade Clarke
• Natalie Metcalf
• Helen Housby
• Sonia Mkoloma ;
• Kayla Johnson
• Laura Langman
• Katrina Rore
• Courtney Tairi
• Grace Nweke ;
• Samantha Wallace

Source:

Captains

Award winners

;ANZ Championship MVP

;Notes

• Award was shared with Joanne Harten (Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic).

;ANZ Championship Player of the Year

;ANZ Finals Series MVP

;Australian ANZ Championship Player of the Year

;Holden Cruze ANZ Championship Player of the Year

;QBE NSW Swifts Most Valued Player

Source:

;NSW Swifts Members' Player of the Year

Source:

;NSW Swifts Players' Player of the Year

Source:

;NSW Swifts Coaches' Award

Source:

AFLW players

Several Swifts player have also played women's Australian rules football in the AFLW

• Elle Bennetts
• Ashleigh Brazill
• Taylah Davies
• Erin Hoare
• Sharni Layton

Coaches

Head Coaches

Assistant coaches

Main sponsors

Team song

The team song is sung when the team has reason to celebrate, which typically means after a victory. It may bes sung on the court after a win, or in the locker room behind closed doors.

Team song words

Who are who are who are we?

Who are who are who are we?

We’re the mighty Swiftees!

We’re the mighty Swiftees!

We’re fit and fearless filled with pride

We’re fit and fearless filled with pride

The girls in red never say die

The girls in red never say die

Game got longer

We got stronger

Ah ah ah ah

Oop there it is

Oop there it is

Oop there it is

Ahhhhhhhhh Swiftee for me

A Swiftee for me

If you’re not a Swiftee you're no go to me

The Swiftees stand tall

When the toughest would fall

Because the mighty we Swiftees are pride of them all

Source:

NNSW Waratahs

Main article: Netball New South Wales Waratahs

Netball New South Wales Waratahs are the reserve team of New South Wales Swifts. They play in the Australian Netball League. In 2011 Waratahs became the first team other than Victorian Fury to win the ANL title. In the grand final they defeated Fury 55–46.

Premierships

• Super Netball
  • Winners: 2019, 2021
• ANZ Championship
  • Winners: 2008
  • Runners Up: 2015, 2016
  • Minor Premiership: 2010

References

References

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58. (28 July 2008). "No Magic bullet in big final". www.nzherald.co.nz.
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67. (14 November 2019). "Coach challenges Swifts to lift: 'I want us to make a statement'". www.smh.com.au.
68. (19 July 2020). "NSW Swifts off to Queensland for majority of 2020 season". nswswifts.com.au.
69. (29 July 2020). "NSW Swifts & Giants relocating to Queensland immediately". nswswifts.com.au.
70. (16 October 2012). "Check out the full ANZ Championship fixture for 2013". www.perthnow.com.au.
71. (4 December 2007). "Newcastle gets slice of trans-Tasman action". www.newcastleherald.com.au.
72. "NSW Swifts - Honour Roll". nswswifts.com.au.
73. (16 August 2011). "Cox set to leave Swifts after losing captaincy". www.smh.com.au.
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76. (9 July 2020). "Proud puts injury heartache behind to lead Swifts' title charge". www.smh.com.au.
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78. (20 June 2014). "Kimberlee Green, Jo Harten share netball MVP honours". www.smh.com.au.
79. (18 July 2018). "Sharni Layton retires from all forms of netball". diamonds.netball.com.au.
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81. (22 June 2010). "Bulley nets MVP award". www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au.
82. "Green wins 2013 QBE MVP & Members' award". www.nswswifts.com.au.
83. (2 July 2015). "Caitlin Thwaites named NSW Swifts MVP for 2015". www.smh.com.au.
84. (3 July 2015). "NSW Swifts shooter Caitlin Thwaites wins club's most valuable player award". www.dailytelegraph.com.au.
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86. "Wallace named Swifts MVP for 2021 season".
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89. "Sonia Mkoloma is players' pick for 2013". www.nswswifts.com.au.
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100. "NSW Swifts Team Song".