Swifts so close

The NSW Swifts finished as runners-up in the 2015 ANZ Championship on Sunday afternoon after falling agonisingly short in the final against the Queensland Firebirds.

A fast start and excellent defence from the Swifts saw them lead 14-11 and 30-25 at quarter and half-time respectively, stunning the Firebirds and their sold out crowd of 7000 supporters.

A tense third quarter saw the Swifts hold their lead into the final break, 45-41, but the competition’s benchmark team stormed home in the final quarter to register a narrow 57-56 win.

Despite the tough loss NSW Swifts goalkeeper Sharni Layton was named MVP of the ANZ Championship Finals, with many of the players from yesterday’s final looking to earn an Australian Diamonds berth ahead of the 2015 Netball World Cup in August.