A bumper weekend of netball starts on Saturday with Ruby and Sapphire teams tackling Sunshine Coast Thunder and our Men up against Redlands at Nissan Arena before a huge home game celebration at Carrara Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday that has Bond's student-only Open EPL side hosting the Wildcats in a curtain-raising Spirit Round clash, our men against Moreton Bay, and our Ruby and Sapphire squads fighting out against Ipswich Jets.
Sapphire
Rounds 5 & 6
Bull Sharks v Thunder (Nissan Arena, Saturday 6pm)
Bull Sharks v Ipswich Jets (Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium, Sunday 6pm)
with Bec Stower
The opposition
It's a massive weekend for us with two important games that could really start to separate a few sides on a congested ladder. At the moment we're locked in equal second with Cougars and Titans, while Jets sit on top of the table.
We open against Thunder, who continue to be one of the benchmark teams in the competition. They have an experienced line-up, with the majority of their squad coming from the Lightning Bolts SSN Reserves program. They're well drilled, physical and always provide a genuine contest.
We'll then back up against ladder leaders Jets in our first home game of the season. Their roster has changed from week to week, with the recent addition of Emily Moore following the Firebirds season adding even more quality to an already talented team.
The challenge
The challenge this weekend isn't just winning two games—it's backing up two quality performances in a short turnaround. Thunder will test us physically and mentally, while Jets will demand consistency for four quarters. We need to stay disciplined, adjust quickly between games and continue building on the standards we've been setting.
Shuffling the magnets
There's very little change for us this weekend. Amy Williams remains our only unavailable player as she continues to recover well from her ankle injury. Sasha-May Flegler returns refreshed after spending the week at home giving us another important piece of the puzzle as we head into a demanding double-header.
Ones to watch
Thunder boast quality across every line and have plenty of experience through their Bolts connections, making every match-up an exciting one.
For Jets, Emily Moore's inclusion adds another dimension, but as always, we'll do our homework across their entire squad rather than focusing on one player.
The focus
Our Round 4 performance against Pulse was exactly the step forward we were looking for. A 29-goal win reflected the consistency, patience and defensive pressure we've been building.
This weekend is about continuing the progression we've built over the past month. We want to consistently deliver our game plan across all four quarters, continue strengthening our connections right across the court, and maintain our composure regardless of the scoreboard. If we can play with confidence, trust each other and execute our roles under pressure, we'll give ourselves every opportunity to come away with two important wins.
Final word
It's a huge weekend in the context of our season. With the ladder so tight, every result matters. We're excited to finally play in front of our home supporters on Sunday and can't wait to hear a loud, vocal crowd behind us.
We've built some really positive momentum over the past month. Now it's about putting our foot down, trusting the work we've done, and producing two performances that reflect where this group is heading.
RUBY
Rounds 8 & 9
Bull Sharks v Thunder (Nissan Arena, Saturday 4pm)
Bull Sharks v Ipswich Jets (Carrara Indoor Sports Centre, Sunday 4pm)
with Gav Clarke
The Opposition
The Sunshine Coast Thunder may currently sit at the bottom of the ladder, but they are a dangerous opponent. With their formidable SSNR players returning to their Sapphire team, there will be a trickle-down effect of talent into their Ruby side, making them a much stronger team than their ladder position suggests.
The Ipswich Jets are a formidable side, nipping at our heels as we enter the back end of the 2026 season. They are well coached, with a strong blend of emerging talent and experienced campaigners, including former Bull Shark Molly Parry. Their shooting combination of Kaylee Acton and Millie Lockwood is particularly dangerous, so we'll need to limit the quality of ball they receive and prevent them from getting into favourable shooting positions.
The Challenge
We recorded a solid win over a tenacious Pulse outfit last weekend, but more importantly, the group communicated effectively, stuck to our processes, and put together some exciting passages of netball in both attack and defence. That's the standard we want to continue building on.
Day two of our double-header weekend sees a host of Bull Sharks netball teams take to the court at our home venue, Carrara, and we're expecting a fantastic home crowd behind us. We pride ourselves on being a difficult team to beat on our home court.
The biggest challenge will be recovering in less than 24 hours after our clash with the Thunder, but the opportunity is significant. A win against the Jets would create some breathing room between us and them on the ladder while moving us another step closer to the competition's top two.
Shuffling the Magnets
The team remains largely unchanged this week as we head into a double-header weekend, ready to take on both the Thunder and the Jets.
We'll assess the squad following Saturday's match against the Thunder at Nissan Arena, but if everyone pulls up well, we expect to take an unchanged line-up into this important clash with the Jets.
Ones to Watch
Emerald player Ellie Weston has done an outstanding job filling in for the injured Mahlia Henare and will once again play an important role through the midcourt. After her Player of the Match performance against the Pulse, combined with our shooters' impressive 89% shooting accuracy, we've developed a formidable combination that we'll be looking to build on again this weekend.
After Saturday afternoon's game against the Thunder, there will undoubtedly be some tired legs, so we'll be looking for every player to embrace the challenge and make the most of the opportunity this game presents. We'll rotate our line-up where required, and a genuine whole-squad effort will be key to getting the job done.
The Focus
This week we've placed a strong emphasis on our ball speed and release speed, and we'll be looking to have the Thunder's defence chasing shadows with quick, decisive ball movement. The Thunder's shooters were particularly dangerous during the Super Shot period against the Eagles last weekend, so we'll be looking to limit their two-point opportunities through disciplined hands-over pressure and strong rebounding.
Playing our game, our way, remains the key to success. We've continued to improve week after week, and that's exactly where our focus lies—playing better netball every time we step on the court. Our goal is to be playing our best netball when finals arrive with a smile on our faces.
Final Word
We're currently sitting in fifth place, level with the Titans on percentage and just one win outside second spot. It's an incredibly tight competition, so our focus remains simple: keep winning and continue improving our goal percentage, knowing it could prove crucial later in the season.
'With and for each other' remains our mantra this week. If we execute our game plan and stay true to our processes, we're confident we can produce another strong performance.
Playing our game, our way, remains the key to success. We've continued to improve week after week, and that's exactly where our focus lies—playing better netball every time we step on the court. Our goal is to be playing our best netball when finals arrive with a smile on our faces.
MEN - M-LEAGUE
Rounds 3 & 4
Bull Sharks v Redlands Coast Eagles (Nissan Arena, 2pm Saturday)
Bull Sharks v Moreton Bay Pulse (Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium, 2pm Sunday)
with Davin Hunt
This weekend presents its own challenges with the Bond men's team playing a double header.
Saturday's game is against a revamped Redlands Coast Eagles team and on Sunday we play last year's M-League champions, Moreton Bay Pulse.
A revamped and improved Eagles team will provide a brand-new challenge. We were able to beat them both times last year, but they will be a lot harder this year with a new line-up boasting returning Suns players.
The Pulse team is virtually unchanged from last year's winning squad. We will need to keep the game close because their 2-point shooters are very good.
We still have players missing due to injury and other commitments so our depth will be tested again, but we do welcome back Billy White.
We have been working hard with our tall shooter Leif Morris and hopefully the last couple of weeks of training has given him the confidence to be a target for us. Brock Stokes has also trained well, and I am looking forward to a big game from him.
Our focus is still squarely on our game and what we can control. Our on-court performance will dictate if we are competitive. In our last game we didn't get into the grind of match play, took too many poor options, and didn't handle the big moments when called upon. Also, we were too inconsistent for long periods.
Both games will be tough as we are still missing our captain, Glenn.
Once again, we will require a full team effort over the course of both days to achieve our objective.
A win from either game will certainly go a long way to restoring faith in what we are trying to achieve collectively.