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Super Netball Round 11 is done and with just three weeks left of regular play, there's a real buzz in the air.
The first lot of grand final tickets went on sale and seemed just as hard to secure as a seat at a Taylor Swift concert.
Which is not that surprising really, given the epic crowds we've seen this season – another two games were completely sold-out again on the weekend.
What was surprising, were the efforts of the struggling Queensland Firebirds, who toppled the West Coast Fever, 78-70, with their biggest performance yet.
Playing under their third coaching figure in as many weeks, the team in purple looked like a totally different side and player of the match Donnell Wallam nailed nine super shots.
It was the only upset of the round, as the top four played the bottom four.
The Adelaide Thunderbirds beat the Melbourne Mavericks to leapfrog the Fever into second place, 67-41; the Sunshine Coast Lightning held on against the Giants to remain in finals contention, 71-66; and the Melbourne Vixens pinched the Sargeant-McKinnis Cup back from the NSW Swifts to go two points clear at the top of the ladder, 69-49.
If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up.
Walker gets Firebirds back on track
Even the hardest nuts to crack would have found it difficult to fight back tears, as the wooden-spoon contenders put a tumultuous fortnight behind them to beat a premiership favourite.
After head coach Bec Bulley and her assistant Lauren Brown exited the club midseason, the Firebirds played their absolute heart out in front of their home crowd – that erupted at the final siren.
Interim coach Katie Walker was visibly emotional, hugging her players and crying happy tears.
Walker had been working with the club's reserves side when she was offered the reins while the Firebirds search for a permanent figure and jumped at the chance to try and turn their fortune around.
Originally, Roselee Jencke – a three-time premiership winning coach and the state's current head of elite netball – was also named alongside Walker as a defensive specialist.
Days later, as we got closer to the game, the pair clarified they had instead settled on a co-coaching scenario.
Walker was Jencke's assistant during her 11th and final season as Firebirds coach (2009-2020), so we knew these two could work together, but we did wonder how it would it play out.
Which one of them would lead the huddles? Would there be a power struggle? And was this an opportunity for Jencke to win her old job back?
On the day, it all went smoothly. Walker took charge, delivering a clear game plan and Jencke mostly hung back; respectfully adding to the conversation when needed.
Applications for the Firebirds head coaching role close July 1 and if Walker is thinking of putting her hand up, that game certainly made a great audition.
The only thing she seems to lack is her high-performance accreditation – which was one of the missing pieces behind the club's last two failed appointments.
That being said, if the Firebirds can appoint a more-experienced coach as her assistant, then it will make a massive difference.
Walker already seems to have the players on side, something Bulley did not.
Walker has also insisted she has no idea what went wrong between the athletes and their departed coach. Nor did she know why Brown had also walked after one game as caretaker.
Then in the same breath, Walker stated she and Brown are best friends, making her earlier claims hard to believe.
Fans don't like to feel like they've been taken for fools, but at the end of the day, all that matters is that the players buy-into Walker's spiel.
Buy-in they did and the team went on to register its highest score of the season yet against a rattled Fever.
Walker has set them a hard task of winning all four of their remaining games, which ahead of Round 11 felt virtually impossible.
There's a slim chance they'll make the finals, but a performance like this has proved they're more than capable if they turn up on the day.
Second suspension since rule change
On January 1, World Netball updated its rules around dangerous play, and it's been an ongoing hot topic as we compare the different ways they've been applied across the top leagues.
For instance, New Zealand — seven in 33 games — and the UK — 11 in 92 games — have made a point of cracking down on this, while Australia has only seen two in 44 games.
Cautions and warnings have been ditched now in dangerous play scenarios and umpires have been given a licence to suspend a player for two minutes or send them off completely; depending on the level of intent.
Giants centre Jamie-Lee Price was the first Super Netballer since the rules changed to cop a suspension, after she took out the landing space of Swifts opponent Alli Smith in round six.
Fever goal keeper Kadie-Ann Dehaney has followed to become the second, after she mistimed a jumping swipe at the ball and coat-hangered Firebirds midcourter Macy Gardner mid-air.
Smith rolled over Price's back and landed flat on her front.
Gardner fell hard on her back and knocked her head on the wooden floor.
In both cases, the right call was made. It was especially great to see Super Netball's new concussion protocols also followed in the Gardner incident, as the umpire sent her off too for a precautionary HIA.
But now more than one suspension has taken place, eagle-eyed fans have noticed a key detail in the way Australia is carrying out the penalty.
In the New Zealand Premiership and UK Superleague, a suspended or sent-off player must remain next to the official bench and third umpire while they are serving their time — almost like a naughty schoolkid sitting in the corner.
However, in Super Netball, a player is allowed to return to their team bench and can use that time to chat tactics or plans with their peers and coach.
The league has confirmed the rest of their process is in-line with World Netball rules, including the athlete's return to play.
Once the official bench indicates two minutes is up, they can head back out on court at the next break in play: after a goal, during a stoppage or interval, or when a sanction (free/penalty pass) or action (throw in/possession) is awarded.
The Australian league is known to embrace all kinds of innovations, like rolling subs, timeouts, and a two-point super shot.
It would just be great to know this ahead of the season start, so everyone is on the same page.
Palavi stakes her claim
The Swifts need to find a holding shooter to replace Sam Wallace-Joseph, after the two-time premiership player and Trinidad and Tobago import left the club after eight seasons.
According to the Swifts, Wallace-Joseph's behaviour wasn't up to scratch, and she wasn't meeting team standards, so better to cut ties there and then.
The remaining players that were extremely close with her, like Helen Housby, have been off their game ever since the breakdown in the group.
It's been interesting to watch how the two teams in the headlines have responded very differently on court after undergoing similar circumstances, as key figures exited their clubs with games still left to play.
The Firebirds managed to keep their season alive and jump off the bottom of the ladder into seventh, while the Swifts looked mentally exhausted in their fifth straight loss to narrowly hold onto sixth place.
Both teams are in a three-way tie with the Giants on 12 points and only separated by for and against. They pretty much need to win all three remaining matches to have any kind of shot at reaching the finals.
Either way, it doesn't seem like both Firebirds and Swifts could make it, given they meet in a do-or-die battle against each other in Round 12.
It'll be an intriguing to see who wins that one, given all that's happened off-court. The other question mark hanging over the Swifts right now, is who will take Wallace-Joseph's (193cm) spot?
The team trialled Tongan superstar Uneeq Palavi (185cm) against the Vixens and the Tongan superstar held her own in a red dress of a different kind.
Signed originally as a Mavericks training partner, Palavi finally got a crack at the big league after impressing on the international stage in recent years.
Palavi was named as player of the tournament at this year's Pacific Aus Sports Netball Series in Brisbane and also impressed at the Netball World Cup last year in Cape Town.
It was only a matter of time till she got her shot and judging by the Mavericks original 'congratulations' post, it looks like her old club regrets not including her in their line-up earlier.
Perhaps a case of not knowing what you've got till its gone?
Palavi entered the game in the second quarter for Swifts and lasted 39 minutes to put up 21 goals at 87.5 per cent – including three super shots.
When asked about Palavi's future in the team, Swifts defender Maddy Turner said the team were assessing their options day by day but a half-time interview with coach Briony Akle indicated she was happy.
Co-captain Paige Hadley also said it was nice to have a fresh face around, after a weary couple of weeks where their team culture has been tested.
"I think she brought a fresh energy and vibe, she's been wanting an opportunity to get out there and she did bloody brilliantly today," Hadley said post match.
With other taller options like kiwi Grace Nweke (193cm), Ugandan Mary Chohlok (201cm) and even Firebirds target Donnell Wallam (193cm) likely unavailable for the rest of the regular season – it definitely feels like Palavi is their best option for now.
Palavi's got the next three games to convince Akle to reward her a 2025 contract.