Netball: Best of three finals likely to decide champs

Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering. Photo / Dean Purcell

Today's match could be the last one-game ANZ Championship final.

Championship officials say they are looking at change next year - to a five-team playoff series and a best of three finals.

Former Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering says the one-game final is undesirable; possibly even unfair.

"The current scenario is very tough on the Firebirds," says Willering. "They have been brilliant all season but it all comes down to one performance on one day. They can't afford a hiccup whereas the Mystics have already had four losses this season.

"If things were the other way round and a New Zealand team was so clearly on top of the tree, we wouldn't like it either. A series is surely the best way to find out who is the top team; to clearly judge who is the best of the best."

The recent ANBL finals series between the Breakers and Taipans produced great drama. There was also the sense that the best team had prevailed.

It is the same with basketball and baseball in the United States. Their elongated finals fights become compulsive viewing.

Sports like rugby, league (and to a lesser extent football) are too physical for a multi-game series and best suited to a one-match decider, otherwise it becomes an endurance test.

Netball is physically demanding but players have shown the capacity (at world championships and Commonwealth Games) to play on consecutive days and could cope with three games across eight days.

Imagine the interest if today's match in Brisbane was followed by a game on Wednesday in Auckland and then a third clash (if needed) in Brisbane next Sunday.

"The present format works pretty well - we have had three fantastic finals series and grand finals," says ANZ Championship chief executive Anthony Everard.

"But we are open to doing things differently and we will be looking at a top five finals series and a best of three grand final series at our annual post season conference."

Everard, who will meet with the 10 franchise chief executives next month to discuss changes for 2012, says the logistical and financial challenges of such a system were exemplified by the recent ANBL series, where the Breakers faced return trips to Perth and Cairns, and would need to be carefully considered.

Mystics CEO Mark Cameron supports a revamped finals format but says additional teams in the playoffs should be a first priority.

"I'd love to see the finals bigger, better and brighter but we should look at extending the amount of playoff places before we head down the path of a grand final series," says Cameron.

"Ideally we could do both as it would create fantastic interest."

Like Everard, Cameron says that costs would be the major hurdle, especially as flight, accommodation and stadium bookings could only be made at the last minute when the two finalists are known.

"Imagine if one year we had the Fever playing the Steel - there would be significant costs involved in going between Perth and Invercargill within a week."

Finals countdown

ANZ Championship
Four of 10 teams (40 per cent)

NRL
Eight of 16 teams (50 per cent)

Super Rugby
Six of 15 teams (40 per cent) Australian

NBL
Four of nine teams (44 per cent)

A-League
Six of 10 teams (60 per cent)