The 2012 ANZ Championship season was the fifth season of the ANZ Championship. The 2012 season began on 31 March and concluded on 22 July. With a team coached by Noeline Taurua, captained by Laura Langman and featuring Leana de Bruin, Irene van Dyk, Julianna Naoupu and Casey Williams, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic eventually won the premiership. They became fifth team in as many seasons to win the title. Melbourne Vixens won the minor premiership after winning 10 of their 13 matches. Meanwhile, Magic lost their first four matches. However, they subsequently won 12 matches in a row to finish third during the regular season and champions overall. In the minor semi-final they defeated Adelaide Thunderbirds and in the preliminary final they defeated Northern Mystics after extra time. In the grand final they defeated Vixens 41–38. As a result, they became the first, and only, New Zealand team to win the Championship. They were also the first and only team to start the season with four defeats and win the title and the first and only team to finish third in the regular season and win the title.
Transfers Player 2011 team 2012 team Rebecca BulleyNew South Wales SwiftsAdelaide Thunderbirds Renae HallinanMelbourne VixensAdelaide Thunderbirds Ashlee HowardWest Coast FeverMelbourne Vixens Karyn HowarthVictorian FuryMelbourne Vixens Kara RichardsAdelaide ThunderbirdsMelbourne Vixens Paige HadleyNNSW Waratahs/AISNew South Wales Swifts April LettonNNSW WaratahsNew South Wales Swifts Samantha MayNNSW WaratahsNew South Wales Swifts Gabi Simpson NNSW Blues/AISNew South Wales Swifts Joanna SuttonAdelaide ThunderbirdsNew South Wales Swifts Shannon Eagland Victorian FuryQueensland Firebirds Ashleigh BrazillNew South Wales SwiftsWest Coast Fever Eboni Beckford-ChambersTeam BathWest Coast Fever Catherine CoxNew South Wales SwiftsWest Coast Fever Verity SimmonsNNSW WaratahsWest Coast Fever Sophia FenwickSouthern SteelCanterbury Tactix Elizabeth ManuCentral PulseCanterbury Tactix Joanne HartenLoughborough LightningCanterbury Tactix Stacey FrancisTeam BathCanterbury Tactix Joline HenryNorthern MysticsCentral Pulse Paula GriffinSouthern SteelCentral Pulse Jamilah GupwellWaikato Bay of Plenty MagicCentral Pulse Te Huinga Reo Selby-RickitSouthern SteelCentral Pulse Jade Clarke ? Northern Mystics Charlotte KightCanterbury TactixNorthern Mystics Courtney TairiNew South Wales SwiftsSouthern Steel Donna WilkinsCanterbury TactixSouthern Steel Leana de BruinSouthern SteelWaikato Bay of Plenty Magic Khao WattsSouthern ForceWaikato Bay of Plenty Magic Ama AgbezeWest Coast FeverWest Coast Falcons
Head coaches Team Head coach Queensland Firebirds Roselee Jencke New South Wales Swifts Lisa Beehag Melbourne Vixens Julie Hoornweg Adelaide Thunderbirds Jane Woodlands-Thompson West Coast Fever Norma Plummer Northern Mystics Debbie Fuller Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic Noeline Taurua Central Pulse Robyn Broughton Canterbury Tactix Leigh Gibbs Southern Steel Natalie Avellino Janine Southby
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. The other teams also played in a series of playoffs to decide final placings. The tournament was won by Queensland Firebirds who defeated Melbourne Vixens 50–30 in the final.
9th/10th place playoff
7th/8th place play-off
5th/6th place play-off
3rd/4th place play-off
Final
Regular season Melbourne Vixens finished the regular season as minor premiers. After winning their first six matches, they lost to New South Wales Swifts in Round 7. They then lost three successive matches, another to Swifts and one to Northern Mystics. On 20 May in Round 8, against Mystics, Vixens were undone by Mystics defender Anna Harrison and her Harrison Hoist. Harrison made several vital blocks while being hoisted rugby union lineout-style by her defensive partners, helping Mystics secure a 49–45 win. However, Vixens successively claimed the minor premiership with three wins in the final three rounds.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
BYES: New South Wales Swifts and Southern Steel
Round 6: Rivalry Round Round 6 featured five Australia verses New Zealand matches. Goals scored by Australian and New Zealand teams were added together and the country with the most goals won the Rivalry Round Trophy.
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
BYES: Adelaide Thunderbirds and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
Round 10
BYES: West Coast Fever and Northern Mystics
Round 11
BYES: Melbourne Vixens and Canterbury Tactix
Round 12
BYES: Queensland Firebirds and Central Pulse
Round 13
Round 14
Final table
Finals
Major semi-final
Minor semi-final
Preliminary final
Grand final
Season statistics Top 5 Goals scored Pos. Player Team 1 Irene van Dyk Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 501 527 95.1 2 Carla Borrego Adelaide Thunderbirds 447 510 87.6 3 Romelda Aiken Queensland Firebirds 426 511 83.4 4 Caitlin Bassett West Coast Fever 417 472 88.3 5 Caitlin Thwaites Central Pulse 402 469 85.7 Top 5 Goal assists Pos. Player Team G/A 1 Madison Browne Melbourne Vixens 258 2 Laura Langman Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 238 3 Temepara George Northern Mystics 186 4 Emily Beaton Adelaide Thunderbirds 168 5 Jodi Brown Southern Steel 128 Top 5 Rebounds Pos. Player Team Reb. 1 Romelda Aiken Queensland Firebirds 48 2 Leana de Bruin Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 43 3 Irene van Dyk Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 41 4 Carla Borrego Adelaide Thunderbirds 39 5 Laura Geitz Queensland Firebirds 37 Top 5 Centre-pass receives Pos. Player Team CPR 1 Madison Browne Melbourne Vixens 301 2 Julianna Naoupu Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 298 3 Khao Watts Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 261 4 Natalie Medhurst Queensland Firebirds 226 5 Catherine Cox West Coast Fever 223 Top 5 Intercepts Pos. Player Team Int. 1 Geva Mentor Melbourne Vixens 38 2 Sharni Layton Adelaide Thunderbirds 35 3= Anna Harrison Northern Mystics 32 3= Katrina Grant Central Pulse 32 5 Leana de Bruin Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 30 Top 5 Deflections Pos. Player Team Defl. 1 Geva Mentor Melbourne Vixens 108 2 Leana de Bruin Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 80 3 Sharni Layton Adelaide Thunderbirds 72 4 Casey Williams Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 62 5= Demelza McCloud Southern Steel 60 5= Anna Harrison Northern Mystics 60 Top 5 Penalties Pos. Player Team Pen. 1 Geva Mentor Melbourne Vixens 237 2 Laura Geitz Queensland Firebirds 228 3 Sharni Layton Adelaide Thunderbirds 223 4 Elizabeth Manu Central Pulse 209 5 Leana De Bruin Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 207 Top 5 Turnovers Pos. Player Team Turn. 1 Carla Borrego Adelaide Thunderbirds 72 2 Cathrine Latu Northern Mystics 59 3 Catherine Cox West Coast Fever 53 4= Emily Beaton Adelaide Thunderbirds 51 4= Maria Tutaia Northern Mystics 51 4= Romelda Aiken Queensland Firebirds 51
Award winners
ANZ Championship awards Award Winner TeamANZ Championship Most Valuable Player Temepara George Northern MysticsANZ Championship Most Valuable Player Laura Langman Waikato Bay of Plenty MagicANZ Championship Grand Final MVP Leana de BruinWaikato Bay of Plenty MagicBest Young Player Julianna Naoupu Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
Notes Temepara George and Laura Langman shared the MVP Award
All Star Team Position Player Team GS Irene van Dyk Waikato Bay of Plenty MagicGA Maria Tutaia Northern MysticsWA Madison BrowneMelbourne VixensC Laura LangmanWaikato Bay of Plenty MagicWD Julie CorlettoMelbourne VixensGD Casey WilliamsWaikato Bay of Plenty MagicGK Geva MentorMelbourne VixensCoach Noeline TauruaWaikato Bay of Plenty Magic
Australian Netball Awards Award Winner TeamAustralian ANZ Championship Player of the Year Madison BrowneMelbourne VixensLiz Ellis Diamond Madison BrowneMelbourne VixensAustralian ANZ Championship Coach of the Year Julie HoornwegMelbourne Vixens
Media coverage A cumulative television audience of over 10.6 million across Australia and New Zealand watched the 2012 ANZ Championship on Network 10 and Sky Sport (New Zealand), representing a 45% increase on 2011 (7.2million).
References