Collingwood Magpies vs. Greater Western Sydney Giants: Super Netball season back on track with 11-point win, Geva Mentor’s 200th game

Greater Western Sydney had lost four of their past five games and were forced to grind out a win against a Magpies outfit desperate to celebrate captain Geva Mentor’s 200-game milestone, but held firm to run out 49-58 victors and maintain the health of their finals hopes.

Melissa Hay was the Giants’ protagonist with 42 feeds and 23 assists, combining with Jamie Lee-Price (35 and 16) to lead the visitors to an important win.

Mentor defended admirably in her 200th national league game, and was ably supported by Jodi-Ann Ward, whose 57 deflections and 20 intercepts kept a potent Giants attack at bay.

The Magpies — clearly missing the usual link-up play provided by the classy Kelsey Browne — struggled to find composure early, as the Giants threatened a repeat of their round two clash.

But a pair of Super Shot conversions from Gabby Sinclair kept the home side in contention, and helping the Magpies’ cause was the Giants’ oddly cautious ball movement in the second stanza.

It allowed an organised Magpies defence to stand tall and trim the deficit back to four goals by halftime, before a mostly tight third quarter gave the home crowd a growing sense of belief.

But the Giants skipped away to a seven-goal lead on the cusp of the last-break siren, and ultimately held on for a hard-fought nine-goal victory.

Magpies coach Nicole Richardson said Mentor’s milestone performance was her best of the season.

“She was in the contest, she was moving her feet to the ball, she was getting to balls and creating some turnover for the group,” Richardson said.

“Geva’s someone that, if she doesn’t actually create the turnover herself, she’s setting up plays for others to create off her.”

The Giants remain unlikely to return home for the foreseeable future due to Sydney’s ongoing Covid predicament, but player-of-the-match Melissa Hay said the team was finding ways to adapt.

“Every day we hear about the new Covid cases in Sydney it feels like we’re going to be here even longer, and I’m still learning what the good techniques are to get ready for a game in quarantine,” Hay said.

“But we’re all adapting and using our psych support, and I know for me, I’m just doing puzzles all the time.”

The Giants will be presented the chance to return to their early-season form with a clash against the lowly Vixens next week, while the Magpies face the Firebirds in another must-win match.