# 2008 New South Wales Swifts season

The 2008 New South Wales Swifts season was the inaugural season for both New South Wales Swifts and the ANZ Championship. Swifts were formed in late 2007 when Netball New South Wales merged its two former Commonwealth Bank Trophy league teams, Sydney Swifts and Hunter Jaegers, in order to enter a single team in the 2008 ANZ Championship. With a team coached by Julie Fitzgerald and captained by Catherine Cox, Swifts won 10 of their 13 matches during the regular season and finished second behind Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Swifts subsequently defeated Magic in both the major semi–final and the grand final to become the inaugural ANZ Championship winners.

## Players
### Player movements

| Gains | Losses |
| Erin Bell (Sydney Swifts) Rebecca Bulley (Melbourne Kestrels) Catherine Cox (Sydney Swifts) Selina Gilsenan (Sydney Swifts) Kimberlee Green (Sydney Swifts) Adelaide Johnson (Sydney Swifts) Emma Koster (Hunter Jaegers) Tiffany Lincoln (Hunter Jaegers) Susan Pratley (Sydney Swifts) Kimberley Purcell (Sydney Swifts) Leah Shoard (AIS Canberra Darters) Vanessa Ware (Sydney Swifts) | Megan Dehn (Southern Steel) |

#### Notes

* ^1 Eight members of the 2008 New South Wales Swifts squad had been members of the 2007 Sydney Swifts squad that had won the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league title.
* ^2 Megan Dehn was originally a member of the 2008 Swifts squad but subsequently withdrew and joined Southern Steel.
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### Roster

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## Regular season

On 7 April, Swifts made their ANZ Championship debut against Southern Steel at the Acer Arena. During the regular season Swifts won 10 of their 13 matches and finished second behind Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.

### Fixtures and results
#### Round 9

New South Wales Swifts received a bye.

#### Round 14

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### Final table

2008 ANZ Championship seasonvte :
| | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | G% | Pts |
| 1 | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 687 | 599 | 114.69 | 20 |
| 2 | New South Wales Swifts | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 727 | 652 | 111.50 | 20 |
| 3 | Adelaide Thunderbirds | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 652 | 577 | 113.00 | 18 |
| 4 | Melbourne Vixens | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 673 | 620 | 108.55 | 18 |
| 5 | Queensland Firebirds | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 693 | 645 | 107.44 | 14 |
| 6 | Southern Steel | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 617 | 616 | 100.16 | 14 |
| 7 | Northern Mystics | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 625 | 637 | 98.12 | 10 |
| 8 | Canterbury Tactix | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 607 | 678 | 89.53 | 10 |
| 9 | West Coast Fever | 13 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 605 | 697 | 86.80 | 5 |
| 10 | Central Pulse | 13 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 471 | 636 | 74.06 | 1 |
| Updated: 17 February 2021 ||||||||||
Qualified for Major semi-final Qualified for Minor semi-final
* Pld = Games played
* W = Win (2 points)
* D = Draw (1 point)
* L = Loss (0 points)
* GF = Goals For (Total goals scored)
* GA = Goals Against (Total goals conceded)
* G% = Goal percentage (= 100 × GF/GA)
* Pts = Points

#### Notes

* ^3 The Round 10 match between West Coast Fever and Central Pulse was called off due to a stadium leak. The match was declared a draw, with each team receiving one point. Fever were leading 33–16 when the match was called off. The goals scored by each team were included in the final table.
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## Playoffs

Swifts defeated Magic in both the major semi–final and the grand final to become the inaugural ANZ Championship winners.

### Major semi-final

| Sunday 13 July 17:30 (UTC+12) | Stats | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | 56–57 | New South Wales Swifts | Mystery Creek Events Centre Umpires: Jacqui Jashari Bronwyn Meek Reserve umpire: Mandy Nottingham | FOXSports SKYSport |
| FOXSports SKYSport |||
| Sunday 13 July 17:30 (UTC+12) | Stats | Irene van Dyk 29/29 (100%) Maria Tutaia 27/34 (79%) | | Catherine Cox 41/48 (85%) Susan Pratley 16/19 (84%) | Mystery Creek Events Centre Umpires: Jacqui Jashari Bronwyn Meek Reserve umpire: Mandy Nottingham | FOXSports SKYSport |
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### Grand final

| Monday 28 July 19:00 (UTC+10) | Stats | New South Wales Swifts | 65–56 | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | Acer Arena Attendance: 12,999 Umpires: Sharon Kelly Bronwyn Meek Reserve umpire: Jacqui Jashari | FOXSports SKYSport |
| FOXSports SKYSport |||
| Monday 28 July 19:00 (UTC+10) | Stats | Catherine Cox 41/46 (89%) Susan Pratley 24/30 (80%) | | Irene van Dyk 45/46 (98%) Maria Tutaia 11/15 (73%) | Acer Arena Attendance: 12,999 Umpires: Sharon Kelly Bronwyn Meek Reserve umpire: Jacqui Jashari | FOXSports SKYSport |
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## Award winners
### ANZ Championship awards

| Award | Winner |
| Grand Final MVP | Catherine Cox |

### Australian Netball Awards

| Award | Winner |
| Australian ANZ Championship Player of the Year | Catherine Cox |
| Australian ANZ Championship Coach of the Year | Julie Fitzgerald |
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### Swifts awards

| Award | Winner |
| QBE NSW Swifts MVP | Catherine Cox |
| NSW Swifts Members' Player of the Year | Catherine Cox |
| NSW Swifts Players' Player of the Year | Emma Koster |
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