2010 ANZ Championship season
| 2010 ANZ Championship season | |
|---|---|
| League | ANZ Championship |
| Sport | Netball |
| Duration | 20 March 2010 - 11 July 2010 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| TV partner(s) |
One HD (Australia) Network Ten (Australia) SKY Sports (NZ) TVNZ (NZ) |
| Champions | Adelaide Thunderbirds |
| Runners-up | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic |
| Minor premiers | New South Wales Swifts |
| Season MVP | Liana Leota (Steel) |
| Top scorer | Carla Borrego (Thunderbirds) |
The 2010 ANZ Championship season was the third season of the ANZ Championship, commencing on 20 March. The 2010 season started two weeks earlier than in previous years to accommodate the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, in which netball is a core sport. 69 matches were played over 17 weeks, including an initial 14-week round-robin stage, followed by a three-week finals stage. Several rule changes were also implemented in the 2010 season.
After 14 weeks of round-robin competition, the Swifts emerged undefeated as minor premiers, progressing to the finals stage with the Thunderbirds, Magic and Steel. But the Thunderbirds progressed to the grand finale, inflicting the first loss of the season for the Swifts, who lost the preliminary final to the Magic one week later. The grand final was contested on 11 July in Adelaide between the Thunderbirds and Magic. In front of a capacity crowd, the Thunderbirds defeated the Magic by 52–42 to emerge as champions for the 2010 season.
The format of the 2010 season was identical to those of previous seasons. 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. Teams also had one bye somewhere between Rounds 6–10. Week 4 of the round-robin stage was the designated Rivalry Round, in which all games were trans-Tasman match-ups. The top four teams from the round-robin stage progressed to the finals stage, played over three weeks in a Page-McIntyre System.
Round 14 matchups in 2009 were identical to round 14 matchups in 2010, round 4 matchups in 2009 were identical to round 11 matchups in 2010, and round 1 matchups in 2009 were identical to round 3 matchups in 2010. Also, for the Rivalry Round, round 13 matchups in 2009 were identical to round 4 matchups in 2010. In addition, in trans-Tasman matches the home and away teams were switched around from 2009 to ensure that the teams got to play home and away games over two years: e.g., the Thunderbirds hosted the Magic in round 14 in 2009, but the same game in 2010 was hosted by the Magic.
The 2010 season saw the first use of the assistance package for teams that finished in the bottom two placings of the competition ladder for two consecutive seasons. The Central Pulse finished 10th in 2008 and 2009, winning one game in 26 outings, and were granted additional money as well as a second import player.
Matches were played under international test rules, with a few exceptions. Games that had tied scores at the end of regular time continued into extra time until a winner emerged. Starting from 2010, two additional rule changes were also implemented: coaching was permitted during time stoppages, and venue clocks showed the countdown of the final minute of play, rather than turning blank for that time.
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