With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games currently taking place, the world is captivated by the athletes’ achievements.
But right on our doorstep in Australia, one of the most significant women’s sporting events of the year is about to take place – and it deserves just as much attention as the Olympics.
The Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) grand final is set to take place on Saturday 3 August between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Melbourne Vixens.
Netball is the biggest sport for women and girls in Australia, so it’s only fair that we rally around the country’s best players in Saturday’s grand final.
It may not be an Olympic sport, but it is a competitive, technical, challenging and strategic game that deserves our attention.
Ahead of the big game, Now To Love spoke with former Australian diamond and current netball commentator Catherine Cox about the significance of the grand final in the midst of the record-breaking 2024 SSN season, as well as her prediction for who will win and the players to watch.
“I think what we can expect is that we don’t know what to expect,” netball great Cath Cox said of the grand final, which will be held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on 3 August.
The game will mark the conclusion of the record-breaking SSN season in 2024 that saw 331,841 fans attend the regular season matches live, making netball the most attended women’s sport in Australian history.
“Off the back of more superstars being unearthed in our game, and more opportunities to see the superstars on screen in the media is really pushing a lot more people to want to be at the games to see them in the flesh.
“Most games have been sold out every weekend, which has been phenomenal. This grand final sold out in [basically] two seconds and it is great to see those sorts of numbers,” Cath shared.
The SSN is the best netball league in the world, and features both home-grown players as well as international superstars.
These icons of the sport, as well as the general growth in interest in women’s sport in Australia, have helped to draw in these record-breaking audiences.
Not only has this had a positive impact on the elite level, but it has also inspired people to play themselves, strengthening grass roots participation numbers.
The SSN Grand Final will be taking place on Saturday 3 August at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, where another sold-out crowd is set to cheer on the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the Melbourne Vixens.
The Thunderbirds are the reigning premiers from 2023 and also clinched the minor premiership, so the Vixens will be coming out fighting to dethrone them.
As for players to watch out for, Cath Cox said that Thunderbirds’ wing attack Georgie Horjus is the real playmaker and engine room for the Adelaide side, so whoever comes up against her in wing defence will have a tough job trying to shut her down.
You can tune into the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball grand final this Saturday 3 August live and free on Kayo. Subscribe to Kayo from $25/mth, with a 7-day free trial.
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