Giants Netball

Giants Netball (stylised as GIANTS Netball) are an Australian professional netball team based in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. The team was formed in 2016 as a joint venture between Netball New South Wales and Greater Western Sydney Giants. Giants have played in two grand finals (2017, 2021) and have won two minor premierships (2018, 2021).

History

New franchise

In May 2016, Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand announced that the ANZ Championship would be discontinued after the 2016 season. In Australia it was replaced by Suncorp Super Netball. The founding members of Suncorp Super Netball included the five former Australian ANZ Championship teams – Adelaide Thunderbirds, Melbourne Vixens, New South Wales Swifts, Queensland Firebirds and West Coast Fever; plus three brand new franchises: Collingwood Magpies, Sunshine Coast Lightning and Giants Netball. Giants were formed as a joint venture or "strategic alliance" between Netball New South Wales and Greater Western Sydney Giants and were officially launched in September 2016.

Julie Fitzgerald era

In August 2016, Julie Fitzgerald was announced as the inaugural head coach of Netball New South Wales's new franchise. Two veteran New South Wales Swifts players, Kimberlee Green and Susan Pettitt, subsequently switched to the Giants. Green was named the inaugural Giants captain. Giants went onto finish the 2017 season as runners-up after losing 65–48 to Sunshine Coast Lightning in the grand final.

In 2018, Fitzgerald guided Giants to the minor premiership. However, in the final series they lost out to both West Coast Fever and Sunshine Coast Lightning. In 2021, Fitzgerald guided Giants to a both a second minor premiership and a second grand final. However, in the grand final they lost out to New South Wales Swifts.

Regular season statistics

  Grand finalists
  Minor Premierships
  Minor Premierships and Grand finalists

Grand finals

Home venues

Giants made their Suncorp Super Netball on 18 February 2017 against New South Wales Swifts at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. Between 2017 and 2019, Giants played their home matches at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre, Qudos Bank Arena and the AIS Arena.

In 2020, together with Swifts, Giants were due to start to playing their home games at the Ken Rosewall Arena. However these plans were put on hold until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.