Super Netball finals are so close, we can taste it! In exactly two weeks, the top four will be locked in and we'll be preparing for finals.
The Melbourne Vixens, Adelaide Thunderbirds and West Coast Fever have all guaranteed themselves a shot at the trophy, but where they finish in the top three needs to be determined.
Meanwhile, the rest of the five teams are desperately fighting over fourth place and this had fans on the edge of their seats in Round 12; where the majority of matches were decided by three goals or less.
If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball Round-Up.
Nail-biting finishes
Only the 1 vs 2 clash became an unexpected blowout in the favour of the Thunderbirds, 71-58.
Most anticipated this game would be a tight affair, considering both teams' red-hot form and that their previous meeting in Round Two went the other way by just a goal, 54-53.
Afterwards, the Vixens conceded they'd paid too much respect to the Thunderbirds defenders, letting their reputation get in their heads and allowing Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Latty Wilson and Matilda Garrett to triple the gains stat in front of the Adelaide crowd (18-6).
Then came our first nail-biting result of the weekend as the round headed to Hobart to watch the Melbourne Mavericks host and win their first game in the Apple Isle, 72-71.
The side stole the lead from the Sunshine Coast Lightning with a Gabi Sinclair super shot within the final 10 seconds, to move into equal fourth with the Lightning on the ladder.
The Lightning had dominated much of the game but failed to convert their final chance at a two-point goal at the hands of their captain Steph Fretwell. It was a similar pattern to the way their previous meeting in Round Four played out, seeing the Mavericks claim that too, 65-64.
Another side that was left feeling bitterly disappointed due to the power of the super shot were the NSW Swifts on Sunday, who fell to their old rivals the Queensland Firebirds, 61-60.
It was the 38th time the pair had clashed over their long-standing history, and it was a cracking contest in Sydney with a see-sawing lead that changed 12 times.
Eventually, the Firebirds pinched it with their 12th super shot of the game and 20 seconds to go. Swifts goal attack Sophie Fawns had two cracks at the long bomb in response but to no avail.
The Firebirds are extremely determined right now as they're in the midst of a mission to win four games in a row under interim Katie Walker.
Since their head coach Bec Bulley departed a few weeks ago, Walker has set them the challenge and they've now gone two from two.
They were even able to pull this one off without their main shooting target Donnell Wallam, who was ruled out due to illness.
To round out the weekend, the bottom of the ladder Giants faced the third-placed Fever. But don't let the huge gulf in those positions fool you, this one was tight.
A hot start from the Giants had them in front at half-time by eight goals.
They couldn't hold the Fever off for much longer though, as the home team felt the support of a 10,000-strong crowd in the third quarter to outscore the visitors 20-9.
Neither team could be split in the final 15 minutes, but the Giants started to fatigue and lose concentration with the damage done in that third quarter.
Still, it was closely fought and the Giants threatened to take control back in the final super shot period.
Ultimately It was an important win for the Fever, 68-65, who have been a bit shaky of late, slipping from first to third over the previous three rounds.
Uneeq Palavi lives up to her name
For a third straight week we need to mention the Tonga Tala shooter, after she stole the spotlight in her second Super Netball game.
Palavi made her debut with the Swifts in Round 11 after originally being signed as a Mavericks training partner and patiently waiting in the wings for a shot at the big league.
Although they've had several injuries in their camp throughout their inaugural season, the Mavericks have turned to other shooters currently out of action to help as temporary replacements.
These former stars haven't even been playing state league games and the move is said to have upset Palavi, especially when the club then expected her to hang back and remain an option for them in their Round Nine, Monday public holiday match on June 10 just in case she was needed, when she already had commitments to her country.
Desperate to find a holding shooter, the Swifts have instead given her a much-deserved opportunity.
Last round, Palavi came off the bench and managed to hold her own on court. This time the Swifts rewarded her with the starting GS bib and she once again lived up to the hype.
Although the Swifts lost the game they showed a lot more fight than previous weeks with Palavi starting up front.
It felt like she came single-handedly close to winning them the game and had she not been taken off court at the end and replaced with a moving circle, the result could have been different.
Palavi spent the first 49 minutes on court in the Swifts yellow and blue heritage themed dress and wowed the crowd with her fancy skills, including a couple of lay-ups.
At 185cm she may not be the tallest target in Super Netball, but she lives up to her name with a unique playing style and a magic hold that is based on pure instinct.
She finished the game with 37 goals at 86 per cent, including two super shots.
There was a nice moment when Palavi was called onto court to begin the game and she shared a hug with Tala captain Hulita Veve on the opposite team. It is believed this was the first time two Tongans have played in a Super Netball game.
Palavi will be back in Tonga this week with the rest of her teammates that lifted the Pacific Aus Sports Netball trophy in June for a fourth straight series.
There, they will receive medals from King Tupou VI of Tonga for their excellence in the sport.
Palavi is still expected to be back in time to be available for selection in Round 13 – should the Swifts opt to pick her over their 11th player Grace Whyte.
Another solid performance could see Palavi in-line for a contract next season and the more game time she gets will help her build fitness to a full 60 minutes.
There have also been rumours circulating that UK Superleague champion and Ugandan She Crane Mary Cholhok might be on a plane to Sydney this week.
As much as we would love to see this, Cholhok herself and her management have confirmed with ABC Sport that this is untrue.
Just a couple of days ago, Cholhok won a third title with the Loughborough Lightning and finished as the competition's leading goal shooter for a fourth time with a whopping 975 goals. At 201cm, Cholhok would become the tallest player in the league if she was signed for 2025.
Signing news for next season
Speaking of signings, we have already seen the first player put pen to paper for 2025.
During the week, the Firebirds announced Veve had signed a one-year extension.
Netball Australia have confirmed that clubs can re-sign their contracted 10 players or nominated athletes at any time.
The only reason this didn't happen last year was because the collective player agreement (CPA) was still being negotiated well after the season.
Now there is a CPA in place for the next three years, this process returns to normal.
The league is still working through exact timings on when the official contracting window will open for everyone else, like free agents or players looking to move to other clubs, but this will happen beyond the grand final held on August 3.
It is also important to remember today's date – July 1. As it is the day that the Firebirds' job advertisement for their next head coach closes.
The players appear to be happy with the current set-up under interim co-coaches Katie Walker and Roselee Jencke.
So, will the club stick with this duo that is delivering results? Will they appoint Walker as their third-straight rookie coach with a different assistant? Or will they look elsewhere entirely?
Former head coach Megan Anderson who finished in June 2022 after two years in the job, threw her support behind Walker this weekend on the Fox Netball broadcast.
"She is a gem of a human and she's a great coach, most of all, she really knows the players well and I think that is something they've been lacking, so for her to come in here and add this motivation and positivity it's exactly what they need right now. It would be great if she got it."
Whichever way they decide to go, the club has repeated another pattern – by signing players before they've locked in the figure at the helm.
They did this for the 2021 and 2023 seasons, before Anderson or Bulley were announced as the coaches to guide those teams.
The other important thing to note on player signings, is that the UK Superleague and New Zealand Premiership are expected to align their contracting windows with ours this year.
Both leagues are on the verge of major changes to their competitions for 2025, as New Zealand reduce their overall games, while the UK reduces its overall teams and contract lists.
These factors could make this upcoming signing period pretty chaotic, with a potential influx of English and Kiwi players in the Super Netball league.
Crowds in Tassie
Lastly, it's important to touch on the crowd in Hobart for the Mavericks and Lightning game.
On broadcast, this turnout came across as pretty lacklustre and there were plenty of comments on social media that echoed this sentiment.
However, Netball Tasmania have confirmed the attendance was 2,786 — not too far off the state's record Super Netball crowd that was set at a sold-out Collingwood game last year.
That final-ever match for the Pies saw 2,990 people through the gates in Launceston that wanted to say goodbye to the side before they were made defunct.
It looked great on TV but it was played at the Silverdome, with a significant smaller capacity than the game hosted by the Mavericks at the Derwent Entertainment Centre.
This would explain why it appeared on the broadcast that there were a lot less people there.
Plus, the configuration of the stadium and the placement of cameras meant most of them were pointing away from the biggest stand, where the majority of fans were sat.
The fact the Mavericks have been able to largely retain the same crowd in their inaugural season that the Pies built over many years is a good sign. The fans we could see were decked out in Mavericks' blue and there was a roar as the team sealed the match-winner in the final minute.
If they weren't already won over before the game, that exciting result should do it.
We also know Netball Tasmania has expressed interest in entering the league at some point, so consistently great Super Netball crowds should help their cause.