Silver Ferns shooter Grace Nweke has parted ways with the New South Wales Swifts. Nweke, who spearheaded the Silver Ferns to Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow, spent two seasons with the Swifts in Super Netball and was named the club’s MVP in 2025. The shooter has been a dominant force in Australia, scoring 718 goals in 2025 and 677 in 2026. Australian media is reporting Nweke could be signing with the Swifts’ cross-town rivals, the Giants, in 2027. The Giants will don a new name next season after Sports Entertainment Network — which also own the Melbourne Mavericks — bought the franchise licence last month. Nweke chose to walk away from international netball to further her game with the Swifts under Netball New Zealand’s initial eligibility rules in 2025, before the national organisation reversed the criteria. It led to nine Kiwis playing across the Ditch — and there are reports of up to 15 New Zealanders heading to Australia in 2027 amid the uncertain future for domestic netball in New Zealand. Nweke is the second Silver Ferns link to leave the Swifts. Silver Ferns assistant coach Briony Akle’s contract as the Swifts head coach was not renewed and she will be replaced by former assistant Dylan Nexhip. Akle coached the Swifts for 137 games and led the Swifts to two titles in nine years.
