Adelaide Thunderbirds
Encyclopedia
The Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australia
n netball
team based in Adelaide
that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship
. The Thunderbirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy
(CBT), previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was contested from 1997–2007. After the retirement of the CBT, the Thunderbirds were one of five Australian franchises included in the new ANZ Championship. To date, the Thunderbirds have won two CBT titles (1998, 1999) and one ANZ Championship title (2010); in addition, they have finished in the top three placings throughout their competitive history.
The Thunderbirds are currently coached by Jane Woodlands-Thompson, who was first appointed in 2008 for the inaugural season of the ANZ Championship. The team is captained by veteran midcourter Natalie von Bertouch
. Home games in the ANZ Championship are usually played at ETSA Park
in Adelaide. The team uniform is presently pink with white and black, after a team rebranding in 2010.
's only team in the competition after the axing of the Adelaide Ravens in 2003, and were based out of ETSA Park
in the Adelaide
suburb of Mile End
. Until 2006 The Thunderbirds were coached by Margaret Angove and captained by Peta Scholz
and Laura von Bertouch
. In 2007 the coach was Tanya Obst with a leadership group of comprising captain Laura von Bertouch
, Natalie von Bertouch
, Fiona Pointon and Kristen Hughes
. Their team colours in the CBT
were silver, pink and blue.
The Thunderbirds were one of the strongest teams in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy during that competition's existence, in its early years possibly the strongest, winning the competition twice in that period. While the club slipped to a degree in later years due to increased competition from the Melbourne Phoenix
and Sydney Swifts
, it has still never finished lower than third overall.
2006 saw some sizzling performances from the girls from Adelaide, as their whole forward line of Hughes, Medhurst, and both von Bertouch sisters were developing in the Australian squad. The end of the season was disappointing, perhaps partly explained by the sidelining of Scholz (who was in top form) due to pregnancy, when they first dropped a game to the seventh placed Hunter Jaegers
, and then were decimated by the Sydney Swifts
in the major semifinal and the grand final.
in a sponsorship deal in which the Thunderbirds wear Port Adelaide's colours of Black, White, Teal and Silver. The Thunderbirds recruited former Melbourne Phoenix
coach Lisa Alexander to their coaching staff, plus Australian and former Sydney Swifts
player Mo'onia Gerrard
and English International representative Geva Mentor
to their playing squad.
In the first three years of the ANZ Championship, the Thunderbirds have reached the finals stage. In 2008, they progressed to the preliminary final before being defeated by the Magic in New Zealand. The following year the defeated the Magic to contest the grand final, which the Thunderbirds lost to the Melbourne Vixens. In 2010, the Thunderbirds finished second after the regular season, but defeated minor premiers the New South Wales Swifts
to book themselves a grand final at home. For the 2010 grand final, the Thunderbirds moved to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre
, which had a seating capacity of 10,000. Tickets for the 2010 final sold out in 12 minutes. In front of a crowd of 9,300, the Adelaide Thunderbirds defeated the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic by 52–42 to claim the 2010 title. They are the reigning ANZ Championship titleholders.
in Adelaide, which has a seating capacity of 3,200. Some matches have been played at alternate venues, including Adelaide Arena and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre
, which hosted the grand final of the 2010 season.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
team based in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
. The Thunderbirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball competition in Australia from 1997 to 2007.It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw...
(CBT), previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was contested from 1997–2007. After the retirement of the CBT, the Thunderbirds were one of five Australian franchises included in the new ANZ Championship. To date, the Thunderbirds have won two CBT titles (1998, 1999) and one ANZ Championship title (2010); in addition, they have finished in the top three placings throughout their competitive history.
The Thunderbirds are currently coached by Jane Woodlands-Thompson, who was first appointed in 2008 for the inaugural season of the ANZ Championship. The team is captained by veteran midcourter Natalie von Bertouch
Natalie von Bertouch
Natalie von Bertouch is an Australian netball player. Von Bertouch is a member of the Australian national netball team, and the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the ANZ Championship...
. Home games in the ANZ Championship are usually played at ETSA Park
ETSA Park
ETSA Park is a sporting venue located in Adelaide, South Australia, opposite Santos Stadium, Adelaide's premier athletics stadium. It is a specialist netball facility, hosting matches in both the national ANZ Championship and state Dairy Farmers Cup, as well as some international matches. However,...
in Adelaide. The team uniform is presently pink with white and black, after a team rebranding in 2010.
Commonwealth Bank Trophy era
The Thunderbirds became South AustraliaSouth Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
's only team in the competition after the axing of the Adelaide Ravens in 2003, and were based out of ETSA Park
ETSA Park
ETSA Park is a sporting venue located in Adelaide, South Australia, opposite Santos Stadium, Adelaide's premier athletics stadium. It is a specialist netball facility, hosting matches in both the national ANZ Championship and state Dairy Farmers Cup, as well as some international matches. However,...
in the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
suburb of Mile End
Mile End, South Australia
Mile End is an inner western suburb of Adelaide, located in the City of West Torrens, around 2 kilometres from the Adelaide city centre. It has a census area population of 3,918 people...
. Until 2006 The Thunderbirds were coached by Margaret Angove and captained by Peta Scholz
Peta Scholz
Peta Scholz is an Australian netball player. A prominent wing defence player, Scholz was a member of the Australian national team from 1999–2004, earning 54 caps. She played with the Adelaide Thunderbirds during the entire 11-year run of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, retiring after the 2007 season...
and Laura von Bertouch
Laura von Bertouch
Laura von Bertouch is an Australian netball player. Von Bertouch was a member of the Australian national netball team in 2006–07, and is a current member of the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the ANZ Championships....
. In 2007 the coach was Tanya Obst with a leadership group of comprising captain Laura von Bertouch
Laura von Bertouch
Laura von Bertouch is an Australian netball player. Von Bertouch was a member of the Australian national netball team in 2006–07, and is a current member of the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the ANZ Championships....
, Natalie von Bertouch
Natalie von Bertouch
Natalie von Bertouch is an Australian netball player. Von Bertouch is a member of the Australian national netball team, and the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the ANZ Championship...
, Fiona Pointon and Kristen Hughes
Kristen Hughes
Kristen Hughes is an Australian netball player, who played for the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the ANZ Championship in 2008....
. Their team colours in the CBT
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball competition in Australia from 1997 to 2007.It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw...
were silver, pink and blue.
The Thunderbirds were one of the strongest teams in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy during that competition's existence, in its early years possibly the strongest, winning the competition twice in that period. While the club slipped to a degree in later years due to increased competition from the Melbourne Phoenix
Melbourne Phoenix
The Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
and Sydney Swifts
Sydney Swifts
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...
, it has still never finished lower than third overall.
2006 saw some sizzling performances from the girls from Adelaide, as their whole forward line of Hughes, Medhurst, and both von Bertouch sisters were developing in the Australian squad. The end of the season was disappointing, perhaps partly explained by the sidelining of Scholz (who was in top form) due to pregnancy, when they first dropped a game to the seventh placed Hunter Jaegers
Hunter Jaegers
The Hunter Jaegers were an Australian netball team representing the Hunter Valley of New South Wales in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. The team was initially based out of the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, but merged with the Sydney Swifts in 2008 to create the New South Wales Swifts to...
, and then were decimated by the Sydney Swifts
Sydney Swifts
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...
in the major semifinal and the grand final.
ANZ Championship era
The Thunderbirds are South Australia's representative in the ANZ Championship. The club announced a new sponsor and a new look for the 2008 season, aligning themselves with the Port Adelaide Football ClubPort Adelaide Football Club
The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...
in a sponsorship deal in which the Thunderbirds wear Port Adelaide's colours of Black, White, Teal and Silver. The Thunderbirds recruited former Melbourne Phoenix
Melbourne Phoenix
The Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
coach Lisa Alexander to their coaching staff, plus Australian and former Sydney Swifts
Sydney Swifts
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...
player Mo'onia Gerrard
Mo'onia Gerrard
Mo'onia Gerrard is a Tongan-Australian netball player. Gerrard is a current member of the Australian national team, and from 2011 is playing for the New South Wales Swifts in the ANZ Championship...
and English International representative Geva Mentor
Geva Mentor
Geva Mentor is an English international netball player. Mentor was selected for the England national team in 2000, debuting the following year against New Zealand...
to their playing squad.
In the first three years of the ANZ Championship, the Thunderbirds have reached the finals stage. In 2008, they progressed to the preliminary final before being defeated by the Magic in New Zealand. The following year the defeated the Magic to contest the grand final, which the Thunderbirds lost to the Melbourne Vixens. In 2010, the Thunderbirds finished second after the regular season, but defeated minor premiers the New South Wales Swifts
New South Wales Swifts
The New South Wales Swifts are an Australian netball team based in Sydney that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Swifts were formed in 2007 as an amalgamation of two teams from the Commonwealth Bank Trophy – the Sydney Swifts and the Hunter Jaegers...
to book themselves a grand final at home. For the 2010 grand final, the Thunderbirds moved to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre is an indoor arena located in the South Australian capital of Adelaide, and is used for sporting and entertainment events. It is the principal venue for concerts, events and attractions for audiences between 2,000 and 12,000. It is located on Port Road in the...
, which had a seating capacity of 10,000. Tickets for the 2010 final sold out in 12 minutes. In front of a crowd of 9,300, the Adelaide Thunderbirds defeated the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic by 52–42 to claim the 2010 title. They are the reigning ANZ Championship titleholders.
Competitive history
- 1997: 2nd
- 1998: 1st
- 1999: 1st
- 2000: 2nd
- 2001: 2nd
- 2002: 2nd
- 2003: 3rd
- 2004: 3rd
- 2005: 3rd
- 2006: 2nd
- 2007: 3rd
- 2008: 3rd
- 2009: 2nd
- 2010: 1st
Venues
Home games are usually played at ETSA ParkETSA Park
ETSA Park is a sporting venue located in Adelaide, South Australia, opposite Santos Stadium, Adelaide's premier athletics stadium. It is a specialist netball facility, hosting matches in both the national ANZ Championship and state Dairy Farmers Cup, as well as some international matches. However,...
in Adelaide, which has a seating capacity of 3,200. Some matches have been played at alternate venues, including Adelaide Arena and the Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre is an indoor arena located in the South Australian capital of Adelaide, and is used for sporting and entertainment events. It is the principal venue for concerts, events and attractions for audiences between 2,000 and 12,000. It is located on Port Road in the...
, which hosted the grand final of the 2010 season.