2012 ANZ Championship season
| 2012 ANZ Championship season | |
|---|---|
| League | ANZ Championship |
| Sport | Netball |
| Duration | 31 March 2012 – 22 July 2012 |
| Number of teams | 10 |
| TV partner(s) |
One (Australia) Network Ten (Australia) SKY Sports (New Zealand) TVNZ (New Zealand) |
| 2012 ANZ Championship season | |
| Champions | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic |
| Runners-up | Melbourne Vixens |
| Minor premiers | Melbourne Vixens |
The 2012 ANZ Championship season is the fifth season of the ANZ Championship Netball competition in Australasia, commencing on 31 March. After two seasons of early starts to accommodate international competitions, the ANZ Championship returned to its usual format in 2012. The 2012 season comprised 69 matches played over 17 weeks, including an initial 14-week round-robin stage, followed by a three-week finals stage. The competition concluded with the grand final, held on July 22.
During the initial round-robin stage, played over 14 weeks, each team plays every other team once, and teams from their home country a second time, with one bye somewhere between Rounds 5–12 inclusive. Teams are awarded 2 points for each win, and 0 points for a loss. Tournament rules do not allow draws; matches that are tied at the end of regular time will extend into extra time until a winner emerges. In 2012, round 6 will be the designated Rivalry Round. At the end of the round-robin stage, the four teams with the highest points will progress to the finals stage. If two or more teams have the same number of points, they are sorted by goal percentage.
The top four teams from the round-robin stage progress to the finals stage, played over three weeks in a Page-McIntyre System. The 1st-ranked team (who receive the minor premiership) will play the 2nd-ranked team in the major semi-final, while 3rd plays 4th in the minor semi-final. The winner of the major semi-final advances to the grand final; the losing team progresses to the preliminary final, and will host the winner of the minor semi-final. The grand final will be contested in late July, between the winners of the major semi-final and the preliminary final.
Players became available for transfer talks one week after the conclusion of the 2011 season. Teams had to submit their final rosters for the 2012 season by 1 November 2011. The Canterbury Tactix were granted special dispensation to include two imports in their lineup due to difficulties following the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. The Adelaide Thunderbirds submitted 11 players by the November deadline, and were given extensions until 23 March to name their 12th player, pending approval of Australian citizenship for Thunderbirds shooter Carla Borrego. If Borrego's citizenship application is successful, then fellow Jamaican shooter Jhaniele Fowler will reportedly be signed as the Thunderbirds' import player; if the application is unsuccessful, then an Australian player will be chosen instead. The beleaguered Central Pulse have notably acquired several New Zealand international players to bolster their 2012 lineup.
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