The GWS Giants Twist the Knife
Key administrative hires were king when it came down to locking in the new Giants
As the netball world still reeled from the shock of Collingwood’s formation of Voltron, the League Destroyer, the Greater Western Sydney Giants were waiting quietly in the corner to strike.
Today, the club announced their full squad which looks to be a mix of veteran attack with promising and established youth. It’s a very strong looking outfit, but behind all the smiles there a question was screamed by Swifts fans:
What happened under coach Rob Wright? It’s a question I’ll try to answer in the future, but it’s obvious something happened and it wasn’t good.
Moving on, though, conspiracy theorists will love this line: it’s all connected! Yes, coach Julie Fitzgerald was the ace up the Giants sleeve with most of the new Giants sharing professional experience with the former Magic/Swifts coach.
Susan Pettitt and Kim Green, firstly, are the big gets for the club, but a massive contingent of Bay of Plenty Magic players also found themselves at the forefront of the team lineup. Those players being Jo Harten, Jamie-Lee Price and Kristiana Manu’a.
It’s a smart move from the club as it stockpiles a great mix of players. Especially, with the shooting ability of Pettitt, the brutal physicality of Green, and the passing abilities of Harten. It’s fair to say that this team is absolutely stacked on the attacking end.
Pettitt’s ability to cut on the baseline makes her a menace to defend and having Green come across and facilitate that chemistry and bully the defenders at the wing attack is important for this squad. Brice, who had a great few minutes last year with the Thunderbirds, also has a lot of potential with her height and ability to hold the post something that also helps open space up for Pettitt’s sniping.
Further to that attacking prowess, Harten’s ability to juke her defenders with her length and quick body were one of the key factors in the Magic’s rapid ascent to becoming the NZ conference champions in the final season of the ANZ Championship.
Defensively, Manu’a had the privilege of studying under the tutelage of Leana De Bruin, Silver Fern extraordinaire, and has turned into a calm under pressure defender. Diamond’s coach, Lisa Alexander, also gave her a shot in the most recent Quad Series where she displayed a grand defensive performance.
Sam Poolman is another great steal for the Giants, the able-bodied defender comes over from Adelaide to bolster the defense. Poolman’s ability to guard attacking players from the middle of the circle right back to the post was a highlight of the Thunderbird’s season last year.
And the English group doesn’t stop either, with Serena Guthrie coming off a mixed season over at the Mystics. Guthrie, like Kim Green, is another very physical, body-on-the-line defender who excels at international play. She has had injury issues in the past, however, so it’s something to keep an eye on if you’re a Giants fan.
The standout from all of this has to be with Fitzgerald’s rapport with her players. The Giants have formed a well rounded side with a group that love and follow their coach, so the team has the potential to be chemistry central which, in this day and age, is critical to success.
Teamlist: Toni Anderson, Kristina Brice, Taylah Davies, Kim Green, Serena Guthrie, Jo Harten, Kristiana Manu’a, Susan Pettitt, Sam Poolman, Jamie-Lee Price
