South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) graduates were part of the victorious Adelaide Thunderbirds, who took home the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final on Saturday.

The Adelaide Thunderbirds won the exhilarating Grand Final against the Sydney Swifts 60 to 59. The match had gone into extra-time after both teams couldn’t be separated at the end of the fourth quarter.

The Thunderbirds' victory will be honoured with a State reception at a future date, with players soon departing to represent Australia at the upcoming Netball World Cup.

Eight South Australians, and SASI participants, took to the court in Saturday night’s Grand Final – Maddy Proud, Maddy Turner and Sarah Klau from the Swifts, and Hannah Petty, Maisie Nankivell, Georgie Horjus, Tayla Williams and Lucy Austin from the Thunderbirds.

Although it was a nail-biting watch for all netball fans, it was particularly exciting for those who have worked with the players.

SASI Netball Head Coach Jacqui Illman said it was thrilling to see SASI graduates in the major battle.

“SASI is incredibly proud of the fantastic performances of its graduates this season and the contribution that SASI and the Netball SA pathway have made in helping them to perform at this level,” Ms Illman said.

“This successful transition highlights the strong alignment between SASI and the Suncorp Super Netball teams, as well as the entire Netball SA High Performance Pathway.

“SASI provides its athletes with an exceptional daily training environment and service providers, giving them a solid foundation to flourish in the future.”

The Saturday night match was the first Grand Final victory for Adelaide since 2013 and their fifth in total since they were founded in 1997.

Article written in conjunction with WE ARE.SA