The Queensland Firebirds have pulled off one of the upsets of the Super Netball season, shocking the third-placed Adelaide Thunderbirds 52-42 at Brisbane's Nissan Arena. The Firebirds hit the front in the opening minute on Sunday and were never headed, snapping a five-game losing skid to move off the bottom of the ladder. Queensland's dynamic defensive duo Ruby Bakewell-Doran and Remi Kamo corralled the Thunderbirds' shooters throughout.
"I'm so proud of the girls," Bakewell-Doran said. "It's been a hard slog. Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
"For us to put up a performance like that, I'm just mind-blown. "Our hunger has never left and we did what we know how to do. We did it with confidence and the score shows that.
" With classy attacker Georgie Horjus sidelined - load managed as a precaution to protect a lower leg injury - reigning champions Adelaide looked completely disjointed in their frontcourt. Adelaide coach Tania Obst changed her circle set-up in search for a winning formula, but Bakewell-Doran and Kamo had the answer to every combination thrown at them. The Firebirds led 14-11 at quarter-time, extending that to 28-21 at halfway.
Queensland clinically fashioned a 100 per cent goal-to-gain conversion rate in the opening half, as gun Thunderbirds goalkeeper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey seemed to be waging a lone vigil for the visitors. Spearhead Donnell Wallam went on a roll in the third period, burying 12 shots without.
