Pop-up arena gets one Super appraisal
THE first professional teams to use the Cairns pop-up arena have given the new sporting facility the big tick of approval.
The venue, housed in the old Bunnings Warehouse building on the corner of Fearnley and Spence streets in Portsmith, was used for the first time on the weekend, as the region played host to three Super Netball fixtures.
The West Coast Fever and the Giants were the first sides to play at the newly constructed arena on Saturday.
Fever midcourter Verity Charles said playing at the venue — which was unlike any netball stadium she’d played in before — was an enjoyable experience.
“I loved it — I loved Bunnings,” she said.
“It was exciting to come here. The floor was great, the crowd was great, and the amount of work people have done for this place to happen, it was an awesome opportunity and we’re stoked to be here.”
NSW Swifts coach Briony Akle, whose side played Adelaide Thunderbirds in the second game of Saturday’s double-header, said the popup facility was “fantastic”.
“We thought it was great for a change of scenery from where we’ve been,” Akle said.
“I think the Cairns Regional Council have done a great job preparing the venue, and it looks fantastic, and I thought the girls really enjoyed playing out there as well.”
Housing and Public Works and Sport Minister Mick de Brenni said it was excellent to see all the hard work put into the new arena together on show.
He toured the venue recently with NBL players and local staff before it was first used for a game.
“It was a super-exciting weekend for Cairns, with Super Netball coming to town to christen the pop-up arena,” de Brenni said.
“When I was in Cairns a few weeks ago, I took a tour with Taipans’ Big Nate, Mirko and a few of the QBuild team who helped construct the Taipans’ temporary home.
“What QBuild, with the help of Mayor Bob Manning, has achieved in just one month is phenomenal.
“We invested $2.65m into the pop-up arena, and 100 per cent of that investment has gone to 52 Cairns businesses and their suppliers.”
THE Queensland Firebirds might have to bring games to Cairns more often if they can produce performances like the one they did on Sunday.
The Firebirds were dominant as they clinched a 64-58 upset victory over minor premiers the Melbourne Vixens at the Cairns Pop-Up Arena to close out the competition’s annual Indigenous Round.
After jumping out by 11 goals in the second quarter, the Firebirds surrendered the lead in the second half before regaining the ascendancy and powering home for the confidence-boosting win.
The victory, which was the Firebirds’ fifth of the season and their third in their last four games, handed the Vixens just their second loss in 2020.
Romelda Aiken finished with 45 goals, but it was the defensive efforts of Tara Hinchcliffe and the Townsville-born Kim Jenner that helped secure the Firebirds’ win.
The pair combined for six intercepts, 10 deflections and 11 gains, with Jenner picking up player of the match honours in her North Queensland return.
“We had a lot to play for today so it’s great that we could go out there and do a whole team performance to really take that win,” Jenner said.
“It’s so important that we do finish the year strong and we have that momentum going into next year, and it was so special being able to get the win in front of the North Queensland crowd, but also in our Indigenous dress as well.”
The Townsville-born defender said she hoped to play more games in her home region in the future.
“We’re a Queensland team so it’s great that we can play in front of our fans and our Purple Family up here in the north,” she said. “Hopefully we can come back a lot more.”
Coach Roselee Jencke agreed with her star defender.
“The crowd and the fans were fantastic,” Jencke said. “Everybody’s been really welcoming and I’m hoping that we can get back here again.”
She said the win over the Vixens was an important one.
“It gives us great belief and confidence, knowing that we can beat the top teams,” she said. “To be able to beat the minor premiers is pretty awesome and just to be able to enjoy this moment, I think that that’s really important.
“From where we were last year, to be able to finish off the season positively and hopefully get fifth position would be an awesome way to finish it.”
With the minor premiership locked up, the Vixens allowed star midcourter Liz Watson to sit out the clash with an ankle complaint.
The Firebirds will end their 2020 campaign against the last-placed Collingwood Magpies in Brisbane on Saturday.