Giants hoping to join Swifts in finals

Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald is hoping her team can emulate former club and crosstown rivals NSW Swifts by joining them in the Super Netball finals.

And if they are successful it will be the first time NSW has more than one team in the finals.

The resurgent Swifts are leading the competition with just three rounds left and are the only team to have secured a top four spot.

However, just four points separate the top three teams.

With a potential eight points including four bonus points available for a winning team, the order of the top three could change from week-to-week.

Hence this Saturday looms as a significant day with the top four teams all in action in Sydney.

The Giants (4th, 44 points) meet two-time defending champions Lightning (2nd, 62) in the afternoon game at the Quaycentre.

In the evening game at the same venue Swifts (65, 1st) host the Vixens (61, 3rd).

On Monday, Collingwood (5th, 40) can stay in the finals race with an away win in Perth over the Fever (6th, 27), who have only a slight mathematical chance of making the top four.

Victoria in 2017 and Queensland (2018) have each supplied two semi-finalists, but NSW has yet to do that with the Giants making the top four in both years and the Swifts missing out.

Fitzgerald coached the Swifts from 1997-2011, during which she won each of the two previous major competitions before Super Netball.

"I hope we can hold up our end of the deal," said Fitzgerald, when asked about the chance of both NSW teams making the finals.

"I'm thrilled for the Swifts I think they've had an amazing season and full credit to (coach) Briony Akle for what she's achieved."

Akle steered the Swifts into the top four despite season-ending injuries to captain Maddy Proud, Kate Eddy and Lauren Moore.

England shooter Helen Housby missed last Saturday's game with Lightning with a thigh injury but may be back this week, but Akle was relieved they emerged from the two-goal loss without any more health worries.

"I joked after the game we had survived," Akle said.