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The Australian Netball Diamonds international series today starts in an hour's time when they play Jamaica, the Sunshine Girls, in Melbourne.
Although Jamaica showed a vast improvement in the World Netball Championships last year, the Australian Diamonds are still expected to win this series.
Today is the first of three games in the series, the second game will be played on Wednesday night and a delayed broadcast will be shown at 11pm on channel 10, and the final game will be held next Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately, not all Australians are given the opportunity to watch these matches as there are some parts of Australia where channel 10 doesn't broadcast and the launch of digital tv won't happen until another couple of years time.
With the best competitors in the world getting some all-important match play before the Commonweath Games, which is the ultimate contest for netballers, it is unbelievable that some towns will not have the opportunity to watch such great games.
It's meant to be on free-to-air tv but like everything in Australia you are unfairly treated if you don't live in the capital cities or major centres.
Go the Diamonds! I wish I could watch you!
The Adelaide Thunderbirds this afternoon recorded history as the third Australian team to win an ANZ Championship title.
In three years of the ANZ Championship, three out of the five Australian teams have now won a championship. None of the New Zealand teams have won a grand final despite the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic making the finals series each year and the grand final twice.
In the inaugural year in 2008, the NSW Swifts were victorious and the Melbourne Vixens won the title last year.
Today's grand final was a little disappointing with the Magic after a competitive start had a patch in the first quarter where they lacked intensity and faded out of the match, which ended up deciding the outcome of the game.
The last three quarters were virtually goal-for-goal.
The Adelaide Thunderbirds opted for Erin Bell over Kate Beveridge in the goal attack role, which helped dramatically to get them their first ever ANZ Championship title.
Another major contributer to the win was Geva Mentor's player-of-the-match winning performance in stopping the feeds into shooting sensation Irene van Dyk.
The Thunderbirds lost to the Melbourne Vixens in last year's grand final and weren't about to repeat history.
Inspirational for the Magic was Casey Williams.
With the exception of the last three games where the Magic performed brilliantly, statements must be made about the Kiwis' easier run into the grand final. If the Magic had to play each of the Australian sides twice in the season, like they do other Kiwi sides, then maybe they would have had the form necessary to win a grand final, IF they actually made it that far.
With a 10-goal margin deciding the grand final, it was very disappointing that the game was not a nail-biter like you would expect when the so-called two best teams go head to head in a final.
The final score was Thunderbirds 52 Magic 42. The Thunderbirds' Sharni Layton was announced the winner of the inaugural MARS Red Best Young Player award. Other nominees included Ellen Halpenny (Canterbury Tactix), Amy Steel (Queensland Firebirds), Kayla Cullen (Northern Mystics) and Leah Shoard (West Coast Fever).
ANZ has recently announced their support of the championship for the next three years so look out for the 2011 season!
There's still plenty of netball action left this year with the Australian Netball Diamonds to play Jamaica and New Zealand before the much-anticipated Commonwealth Games.
This Sunday's grand final between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic will see a new champion.
In the inaugural year of the ANZ Championship, the NSW Swifts claimed the title after defeating the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic in the grand final before slumping to ninth place last year. They looked set to win their second championship after being undefeated for the whole 2010 home and away season. But they lost their form in the finals series and ended up finishing in third place.
In 2009, the Melbourne Vixens were the champions. They played the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the grand final.
So for the first time the two most consistent teams will go head to head in the grand final. The Magic and the Thunderbirds are the only two teams to make every finals series.
The Thunderbirds have the home advantage after defeating the Swifts in the major semi-final two weeks ago.
It should be an absolute thriller with either team able to take their first ANZ Championship title.
It's Australians up against the Kiwis and country pride on the line. Who will win? If the Thunderbirds have Kate Beveridge combining with Carla Borrego, I think the Magic will win. If they have Erin Bell with Borrego, the Adelaide side has a huge chance of winning.
The Magic will be hard to beat with arguably the world's best shooter in Irene van Dyk, and highly talented players Casey Williams in defence and Laura Langman in the midcourt. Jodi Brown will need to have a good game for the Magic if they're to win. I think this goal attack position will be the match-up that decides the championship winners.
After being the first team ever in the ANZ Championship to go through the home and away season undefeated, the NSW Swifts have now failed to make the grand final.
After a shock loss to the Adelaide Thunderbirds in last week's semi-final, the Swifts had to beat the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic this afternoon to make their second grand final.
Starting the first quarter goal for goal, it was set for a thrilling match, but then the Magic stepped up their intensity and had a large lead
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After the NSW Swifts shock loss to the Adelaide Thunderbirds last week, they now must beat the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic to proceed to the grand final.
The Swifts had an unbeaten season until last week and would be devastated if they lose to the Magic today.
The Australians have an amazing win record playing in Australia with the Magic being the only team to ever win an ANZ Championship game on Australian soil. That was a year ago against the West Coast Fever
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The Southern Steel's season is now over after they lost in the must-win minor semi-final against the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic tonight in Auckland.
The Steel had a slow start but fought their way back in the second and third quarters with new players on court before the Magic increased their intensity in the final stanza to take the game 50-42. This loss results in Steel finishing in fourth position, the same spot as last year.
Defender Casey Williams was superb for the Magic, taking plenty of intercept ball
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After being undefeated all the 2010 ANZ Championship home and away season, the NSW Swifts were convincingly defeated this afternoon in the Major Semi-Final against the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
The Thunderbirds turned their poor form around from last weekend's loss to the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic.
The NSW Swifts took the early lead but it didn't last long as the Adelaide Thunderbirds settled into the match
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The minor semi-final tomorrow night is the first time in ANZ Championship history that two New Zealand teams will go head-to-head.
The Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic will host the semi-final in Auckland after their surprise defeat of the Adelaide Thunderbirds last week.
But, the Magic will have a tough match, coming up against the Southern Steel who won their last encounter 52-47
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We are only minutes away to the start of the 2010 ANZ Championship major semi-final between the NSW Swifts and the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
The winner will host the grand final and have a week's rest before the big event.
The Thunderbirds have decided to bench goal attack Kate Beveridge, who has struggled this year, deciding to start with Erin Bell, a former Swifts
[ Click here to read more ]
We are only minutes away to the start of the 2010 ANZ Championship major semi-final between the NSW Swifts and the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
The winner will host the grand final and have a week's rest before the big event.
The Thunderbirds have decided to bench goal attack Kate Beveridge, who has struggled this year, deciding to start with Erin Bell, a former Swifts
[ Click here to read more ]
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on Round 9 Result: Swifts remain undefeated
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