The 2008 ANZ Championship season was the inaugural season of the ANZ Championship. The 2008 season began on 5 April and concluded on 28 July. Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic were minor premiers after finishing top of the table following the regular season. New South Wales Swifts, with a team coached by Julie Fitzgerald and captained by Catherine Cox, won 10 of their 13 matches and finished second behind Magic. Swifts subsequently defeated Magic in both the major semi–final and the grand final to become the inaugural ANZ Championship winners. The grand final was played on 28 July at Acer Arena. Overall, 6792 goals were scored during the season, averaging 98.44 per match. Fox Sports (Australia) and Sky Sport (New Zealand) attracted an average audience per match of 56,581.
Transfers Player 2007 team 2008 team Mo'onia GerrardSydney SwiftsAdelaide Thunderbirds Geva MentorTeam BathAdelaide Thunderbirds Kate BeveridgePerth OriolesAdelaide Thunderbirds Rebecca BulleyMelbourne KestrelsNew South Wales Swifts Romelda AikenJamalcoQueensland Firebirds Tamsin GreenwayTeam BathQueensland Firebirds Janelle LawsonAIS Canberra DartersQueensland Firebirds Joanne Morgan Queensland Firebirds Ama AgbezeLoughborough LightningWest Coast Fever Karen AtkinsonMavericksWest Coast Fever Ingrid DickMelbourne PhoenixWest Coast Fever Jodi BrownOtago RebelsCanterbury Tactix Rachel DunnTeam BathCanterbury Tactix Demelza FellowesOtago RebelsCanterbury Tactix Sonia MkolomaBrunel HurricanesCentral Pulse Frances Solia Central Pulse Cathrine LatuNorthern ForceNorthern Mystics Jenny-May CoffinAuckland DiamondsSouthern Steel Megan DehnSydney Swifts/Northern ForceSouthern Steel Maria TutaiaAuckland DiamondsWaikato Bay of Plenty Magic
Head coaches and captains Team Head coach Captain Adelaide ThunderbirdsJane Woodlands-ThompsonNatalie von Bertouch Melbourne VixensJulie HoornwegSharelle McMahonBianca Chatfield New South Wales Swifts Julie FitzgeraldCatherine Cox Queensland FirebirdsVicki WilsonPeta Stephens West Coast FeverSue GaudionStacey Rosman Canterbury TactixHelen Mahon-StroudJulie Seymour Central PulseKate CarpenterFrances Solia Northern MysticsYvonne WilleringTemepara George Southern SteelRobyn BroughtonJenny-May CoffinMegan Hutton Waikato Bay of Plenty MagicNoeline TauruaAmigene Metcalfe
Regular season During the regular season the Australian teams played each other twice and the New Zealand teams once. The New Zealand teams also played each other twice and each of the Australian teams once. Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
BYES: Adelaide Thunderbirds and Canterbury Tactix
Round 6
BYES: Melbourne Vixens and Central Pulse
Round 7
BYES: Queensland Firebirds and Northern Mystics
Round 8
BYES: West Coast Fever and Southern Steel
Round 9
BYES: New South Wales Swifts and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
Round 10
Round 11
Round 12
Round 13
Round 14
Final table
Playoffs
Major semi-final
Minor semi-final
Preliminary final
Grand final
Award winners ANZ Championship awards Award Winner TeamMost Valuable Player Romelda Aiken Queensland FirebirdsMost Valuable Player Sonia Mkoloma Central PulseGrand Final MVP Catherine CoxNew South Wales Swifts
Notes Romelda Aiken and Sonia Mkoloma shared the MVP Award
Australian Netball Awards Award Winner TeamLiz Ellis Diamond Mo'onia GerrardAdelaide ThunderbirdsAustralian ANZ Championship Player of the Year Catherine CoxNew South Wales SwiftsAustralian ANZ Championship Coach of the Year Julie FitzgeraldNew South Wales Swifts
References