2009 ANZ Championship season
| 2009 ANZ Championship season | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| League | ANZ Championship |
| Sport | Netball |
| Duration | 4 April 2009 - 26 July 2009 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| TV partner(s) |
One HD (Australia, all games) Network Ten (Australia, one live game a week) SKY Sports (New Zealand, live) TVNZ (New Zealand, delayed) |
| Champions | Melbourne Vixens |
| Runners-up | Adelaide Thunderbirds |
| Minor premiers | Melbourne Vixens |
| Season MVP | Romelda Aiken (Firebirds) |
The 2009 ANZ Championship season was the second season of the ANZ Championship, commencing on 4 April 2009. The 2009 season comprised 69 matches played over 17 weeks. The format of the competition was unchanged from last year, starting with a 14-week round robin followed by a three-week finals series. After a very hectic transfer season, teams were confirmed and the competition began.
The top four teams from the round-robin stage progressed to the finals stage. The Melbourne Vixens finished the round robin as minor premiers, followed by the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, Adelaide Thunderbirds and Southern Steel.
The grand final was played on Sunday 26 July at Hisense Arena in Melbourne, contested between the Vixens and Thunderbirds. The Melbourne Vixens emerged as champions for the 2009 season after defeating the Thunderbirds by 54–46.
The format of the 2009 season is identical to that of the 2008 season. During the round-robin stage, played over 14 weeks, each team played every other team once, and played teams from their home country a second time, with one bye somewhere between Rounds 5–9. The top four teams from the round-robin stage progressed to the finals stage, played over three weeks in a Page-McIntyre System.
Round 1 matchups in 2008 were identical to the round 14 matchups in 2009. In addition, in trans-Tasman matches the home and away teams are switched around from 2008 to ensure that the teams get to play home and away games over two years: e.g., the Swifts hosted the Magic in round 3 in 2008, but the same game in 2009 will be hosted by the Magic. The 2009 season featured a "Rivalry Round" in Week 13, in which all matches were contested between teams from Australia and New Zealand. Round 4 matchups in 2008 were identical to the matchups in "Rivalry Round". The goals scored by each country were accumulated, with Australia winning the inaugural Rivalry Round Trophy.
See the 2009 Transfer Season
...
Wikipedia