Our Sapphire and Ruby teams fought hard in losing causes last week. They have a chance to make amends on Saturday afternoon against Carina Tigers and Brisbane South Wildcats respectively.
Our men had a Round 1 win, but face a fierce challenge this week.
So, how will it all unfold?
SAPPHIRE
Round 2
Bull Sharks v Carina Tigers
3pm Saturday at Logan Metro
with Head Coach Rebecca Stower
The Opposition
Tigers enter Round 2 full of confidence after a strong opening performance against Jets. The Tigers were well in it, but faded late in the final quarter. They have retained much of their 2025 playing group which has allowed them to continue building consistency, connections and cohesion across the court. They are a well-drilled side that understands their structures and will provide a great test for us this weekend.
The Challenge
Our challenge this week comes in the form of availability. We will have five players unavailable due to the SSN Reserves Finals in Sydney, with Kaylin, Kirra, Sasha and Jayden representing Firebirds, and Sophie Westover competing with Sunshine Coast Lightning Bolts. While we are incredibly proud of their achievements, it does mean we will once again be shuffling the magnets and asking different combinations to step up. The challenge for us will be establishing connections quickly and executing our roles regardless of who is on the court.
Shuffling the Magnets
With several players unavailable, we will welcome Georgia Bodle and Kydan Tuapo into the group again for this this game. We'll also be providing opportunities for some of our Ruby players to step into the Sapphire environment. One of the strengths of our program is the depth we are continuing to build, and this week provides another opportunity for players to embrace increased responsibility and contribute at this level.
Ones to Watch
Teyha Hyssett was outstanding against Cougars and has stamped her authority on the competition early in the season. She has worked exceptionally hard on the key development areas identified at the end of last year, and her growth has been evident both on and off the court. We are excited to see her continue to build on that performance this weekend.
Amy Williams also had an impressive Sapphire debut for Bond. Her strength under the post and shooting accuracy provided a real target for the attack unit, and she showed great composure throughout the game. As the season progresses, we look forward to continuing to add new layers to her game and further expanding her impact.
The Focus
Our focus this week is connection. We have combinations that took the court together for the first time last weekend and, in some cases, had never trained together. Despite those challenges, there were plenty of positives in our Round 1 performance, particularly our ability to create opportunities and compete in key moments of the game.
This week, our focus is on building greater consistency across all four moments of the game and ensuring we execute our fundamentals under pressure. The group continues to develop valuable court connections, and with another week together, we expect to see further growth in our cohesion and decision-making.
Final Word
The SSN Reserves competition wraps up this weekend, meaning we are one step closer to having our full group back together. We are incredibly proud of the players representing their respective programs and the experiences they are gaining at that level. It was fantastic to have Kirra and Jayden back with the group last Sunday, although both were restricted to just 15 minutes of court time due to loading requirements. They are a special group, and everyone at Bond is looking forward to having them back home very soon.
RUBY
Round 6
Darling Downs Panthers v Bull Sharks
1pm Saturday at Logan Metro
with Head Coach Gav Clarke
The opposition
Panthers are coming off two wins and unfortunately, we are coming of the back of a couple of tough losses, so this weekend is time to get back on track. The Panthers play with a lot of spirit and are good clean hard opponents so we will have to be on point and execute our game plan with consistency and precision.
The challenge
We are our own challenge at present. We have played some magnificent netball of late interspersed with some less then spectacular play that has meant we are often chasing the game rather than controlling the tempo. We are confident, however, after a solid week of training and reflection that we will be up for the challenge on Saturday at a new venue in Logan Metro.
Shuffling the magnets
Midcourter Mahlia Henare is still battling a niggling foot injury, but that enabled us to unleash one of our talented training partners in Ellie Weston on the weekend as an impact player. She stepped up beautifully and was Player of the Match. Ellie is in the squad again for the weekend along with Emerald sharpshooter Olivia Davidson. Taylah Kiss, like many of our talented Sapphire players, is on SSNR duties with the Capital Darters, so circle defenders Sienna Hyssett and Amelia Anderson will have to rise to the occasion and make it challenging for the Panthers shooters.
Ones to watch
"The team, the team, the team".... that's who we will all be watching perform this weekend.
The focus
We must execute our game plan with speed and intensity for the entirety of the game this weekend. With Abby Boland and Elka Macaulay both backing up for Sapphire against Tigers our bench gets its opportunity to really shine and lead the way. We have a lot of depth in the Bull Sharks and this weekend is our time to show it.
Final word
We are sitting in a precarious fifth position at the moment at 3-2 and it's time to deliver and get back up to the top of the table where we belong. If we stick to our processes, play with a smile, then the scoreboard will take care of itself.
M-League
Round 2
Bull Sharks vs South Brisbane Wildcats
6pm Friday at Nissan Arena
with Head Coach Davin Hunt
The opposition
This week’s game against Wildcats poses many questions. They are quality side boasting many Queensland Suns players and after a preseason practice match in which they handed us a healthy loss, we are looking to take some ground off that scoreline.
The challenge
Our challenge is to stay the course on what we can control and to implement our game plan.
Shuffling the magnets
We are still shuffling our lineup with a few still on the injured list, but Sunday’s win was a great team effort, with many players stepping up.
Ones to watch
Our players to watch for this game are our leaders as a group.
The focus
Our focus is just on us, if we can treasure the ball and shoot a higher percentage than the preseason match, that should ensure a closer scoreline.
Final word
We will not be favourites to win in most pundits’ eyes. The Wildcats don’t know it yet, but the gap is closing.