Swifts fly past Magic for grand final
The trans-Tasman netball league final will be an allAustralian affair for the fourth season in a row.
The Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic had been the last New Zealand team standing, but lost 45-64 to the New South Wales Swifts on Monday night in Hamilton.
The result means they will still go down in history as the only New Zealand team to have won the league, having beat the Melbourne Vixens in the 2012 decider.
The Magic’s loss was the first time this season they had been beaten when able to field a firstchoice starting seven.
Returning to her home town, it was Swifts centre - and former Magic player - Laura Langman who got things under way, ushering in a first quarter that was a real slugfest.
A couple of Magic errors allowed the visitors to open up a slender three-goal lead with five minutes.
Sam Sinclair came in at centre for Courtney Tairi for the Magic to begin the second quarter, but that didn’t change things much. Both sides’ shooting slipped, but it was the Magic’s that slipped further.
The margin was 18 at the end of the third quarter, then 19 as the final whistle blew.
Swifts now play Firebirds in the grand final of the championship in Brisbane on Sunday afternoon.