Netball's powerful statement on Anzac Day

analysisSuper Netball Round-Up: Netball's powerful all-female statement on Anzac DayBy Brittany CarterTopic:Netball15m ago15 minutes agoTue 28 Apr 2026 at 10:13amSuper Netball showcased an all-female Anzac Day ceremony in Sydney. (Getty: Mark Metcalfe)abc.net.au/news/2026-super-netball-round-up-round7/106617878Link copiedShareShare articleWe're officially halfway through the Super Netball season and teams are desperately trying to up the ante in the race for finals spots. As the league commemorated Anzac Day, it also saw its tightest weekend of the 2026 competition.The NSW Swifts and Giants are just one position different on the ladder, but they were miles apart on the scoreboard by the end of the Sydney derby. The seventh placed Swifts secured their second victory of the season, 72-59, and the eighth placed Giants have now lost seven straight.Loading Twitter contentA top four contest between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning went down to the wire on Saturday night. A couple of mistakes from the Lightning's midcourt in the final quarter were pounced on and converted by the Thunderbirds to steal the win, 61-60.The Melbourne Mavericks then leapfrogged the Lightning into fourth place with a 58-57 win over the Queensland Firebirds on Sunday. This match was so tight, the entire second half was tied.To finish off round seven, the West Coast Fever did manage to become the first team of 2026 to beat the Melbourne Vixens in a fourth quarter. But their error-ridden form in the first three periods really cost them against the undefeated number one side, 50-44.As a female-led sport, netball took the opportunity to make a strong statement on Anzac Day, holding groundbreaking ceremonies that championed servicewoman of the army, air force and navy. We also need to talk about the resignation of Netball Australia chief executive Stacey West.If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball round-up.Commemorating womenAll four games on the weekend held Anzac ceremonies that featured mainly servicewomen.Members of the Australian Defence Force walk into Ken Rosewall Arena. (Getty: Mark Metcalfe)Due to broadcast timing, the ceremonies at the games with earlier time-slots happened right before the centre pass and were shown on Fox Sports. While ceremonies at matches with a later time-slot happened ahead of the team warm-ups for just those in stadium.The Swifts hosted an all-female ceremony run by Women's Veterans Australia (WVA) that aimed to champion the women in military that are often overlooked. To say it left all those who witnessed it with a powerful impression feels like an understatement.Chair of the WVA Llani Kennealy said they had been approached by the club late last year and believed it was a historical first, as they'd never been asked to appear at a sporting event before.Loading Instagram contentKennealy said she appreciated netball had avoided comparing battles in war to sport. Instead, it focused on the strength of its female leadership and a mutual fight for recognition."I did feel like it was a perfect match," Kennealy told ABC Sport."We both struggle for recognition in male-dominated fields as veterans and elite athletes, so from a gender equality point of view, it was a chance to create visibility for women."That shared understanding of challenges helped us connect … The more women's organisations can work together the better."There were so many mothers and daughters in the crowd, it…

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