Sydney Swifts

Sydney Swifts
Founded 1998
Disbanded 2007
Based in Sydney
Home venues State Sports Centre
Acer Arena
Head coach Julie Fitzgerald
Captain Liz Ellis
League Commonwealth Bank Trophy
2007 placing Champions

Uniform

The Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the city of Sydney. The Swifts were coached by Julie Fitzgerald and captained by Liz Ellis. The team was merged with the Hunter Jaegers at the end of 2007 and renamed New South Wales Swifts to play in the newly created trans-Tasman netball league, ANZ Championship.

Contents

History

In 2006, the Swifts achieved a feat unsurpassed in Australian sport for 47 years - an undefeated season in the national league. Captain Liz Ellis recovered from a knee reconstruction to lead a group of tough athletes, and take out the MVP award for the third time.

The Swifts were among the most perennially successfully teams in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, which they first won in 2001 and subsequently in four out of the eleven years during which the event was held. The Swifts were in losing Grand Finalists on several other occasions and made the finals series every year.

The team were particularly successful the final years of the competition, winning a memorable Grand Final game against the Melbourne Phoenix in 2004 by a single goal. In 2006, they were undefeated in both the home-and-away series and the finals, and trounced the Adelaide Thunderbirds by 29 goals in the Grand Final.

In 2007, the Swifts defeated the minor premiers, the Melbourne Phoenix, by eight goals in 2007 in the Grand Final to take out the last ever Commonwealth Bank Trophy title. But they now wear red not yellow.

2008 NSW Swifts Team

Former players

Final placings

1997: 3rd
1998: 2nd
1999: 3rd
2000: 3rd
2001: 1st
2002: 3rd
2003: 2nd
2004: 1st
2005: 2nd
2006: 1st
2007: 1st

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Melbourne Phoenix
Commonwealth Bank Trophy Champions
2001
2004
Succeeded by
Melbourne Phoenix
Commonwealth Bank Trophy Champions
2006–2007
Replaced by ANZ Championship
First Champions:
New South Wales Swifts