# 2012 Adelaide Thunderbirds season

The 2012 Adelaide Thunderbirds season saw Adelaide Thunderbirds compete in the 2012 ANZ Championship. After winning nine games doing the regular season, Thunderbirds finished fourth and qualified for the play-offs. However they subsequently lost the minor semi-final 49–48 to the eventual overall champions, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.

## Players
### Jhaniele Fowler

In November 2011, Thunderbirds signed Jhaniele Fowler, the Jamaica international. However the deal depended upon Carla Borrego, a former Jamaica international, successfully becoming an Australian citizen and thus freeing up Thunderbirds' export place for Fowler. This did not happen in time for the start of the season and the deal collapsed.

### Player movements

Gains and losses :
| Gains | Losses |
| Rebecca Bulley (New South Wales Swifts) Renae Hallinan (Melbourne Vixens) Melissa Rowland (Southern Force) Amehlia Schmidt (Southern Force) | Georgia Beaton (Southern Force) Bianca Giteau Kara Richards (Melbourne Vixens) Joanna Sutton (New South Wales Swifts) |
Sources:

### 2012 roster

Source:

#### Notes

* ^1 Cody Lange, Maddy Proud, Melissa Rowland and Kate Shimmin were all members of the 2012 Southern Force squad. With a team that was coached by Tania Obst and also featured other past and future Thunderbirds' players Kelly Altmann, Georgia Beaton and Sheree Wingard, Southern Force finished as 2012 Australian Netball League champions, defeating NNSW Waratahs 50–36 in the grand final.
* ^2 Amehlia Schmidt was also in the 2012 Australian Institute of Sport ANL squad.

## Tauranga Pre-Season Tournament

On 2, 3 and 4 March, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic hosted a pre-season tournament at the TECT Arena in Tauranga. For the first time since 2008, all ten ANZ Championship teams competed at the same tournament. The ten teams were divided into two pools of five. Teams within each pool played each other once and the winners qualified for the final. Thunderbirds finished the tournament in 7th place.

### 7th/8th place play-off

Sources:

## Regular season
### Fixtures and results
#### Round 9

Adelaide Thunderbirds received a bye.

#### Round 14

Sources:

### Final table

2012 ANZ Championship laddervte :
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | GF | GA | GD | G% | Pts |
| 1 | Melbourne Vixens | 13 | 10 | 3 | 645 | 569 | 76 | 113.36 | 20 |
| 2 | Northern Mystics | 13 | 10 | 3 | 667 | 633 | 34 | 105.37 | 20 |
| 3 | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | 13 | 9 | 4 | 699 | 594 | 105 | 117.68 | 18 |
| 4 | Adelaide Thunderbirds | 13 | 9 | 4 | 670 | 589 | 81 | 113.75 | 18 |
| 5 | New South Wales Swifts | 13 | 8 | 5 | 624 | 638 | -14 | 97.81 | 16 |
| 6 | Queensland Firebirds | 13 | 7 | 6 | 686 | 640 | 46 | 107.19 | 14 |
| 7 | Central Pulse | 13 | 5 | 8 | 585 | 626 | -41 | 93.45 | 10 |
| 8 | West Coast Fever | 13 | 3 | 10 | 608 | 673 | -65 | 90.34 | 6 |
| 9 | Southern Steel | 13 | 2 | 11 | 639 | 728 | -89 | 87.77 | 4 |
| 10 | Canterbury Tactix | 13 | 2 | 11 | 634 | 767 | -133 | 82.66 | 4 |
| Updated 28 March 2021 ||||||||||
Qualified for Major semi-final Qualified for Minor semi-final
* Pld = Games played
* W = Win (2 points)
* L = Loss (0 points)
* GF = Goals For
* GA = Goals Against
* GD = Goals Difference (= GF−GA)
* G% = Goal percentage (= 100 × GF/GA)
Pts = Points

## Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | Preliminary final | Grand final | Grand final | Grand final |
| 8 July – Rod Laver Arena | 8 July – Rod Laver Arena | 8 July – Rod Laver Arena | | | | 22 July – Hisense Arena | 22 July – Hisense Arena | 22 July – Hisense Arena |
| Melbourne Vixens | Melbourne Vixens | 56 | | | | Melbourne Vixens | Melbourne Vixens | 38 |
| Northern Mystics | Northern Mystics | 50 | 16 July – Trusts Stadium | 16 July – Trusts Stadium | 16 July – Trusts Stadium | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | 41 |
| | | | Northern Mystics | Northern Mystics | 48 | | | |
| 9 July – Claudelands Arena | 9 July – Claudelands Arena | 9 July – Claudelands Arena | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | 57 | | | |
| Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | 49 | | | | | | |
| Adelaide Thunderbirds | Adelaide Thunderbirds | 48 | | | | | | |

### Minor semi-final

| Monday 9 July 19:20 (UTC+12) | Stats | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | 49–48 | Adelaide Thunderbirds | Claudelands Arena |
| Claudelands Arena |||
| Monday 9 July 19:20 (UTC+12) | Stats | Irene van Dyk 28/28 (100%) Julianna Naoupu 21/23 (91%) | | Erin Bell 26/29 (90%) Carla Borrego 22/30 (73%) | Claudelands Arena |
Sources:

## Award winners
### Thunderbirds awards

| Award | Winner |
| Thunderbirds MVP | Rebecca Bulley |
| The Advertiser Player of the Year | Rebecca Bulley |
| Tanya Denver Medal | Rebecca Bulley |
| Thunderbirds Players Player | Rebecca Bulley |
| Fan Favourite | Kate Shimmin |
Sources: