The 2013 ANZ Championship season was the sixth season of the ANZ Championship netball competition in Australasia. The 2013 season commenced on 24 March 2013 with the Queensland Firebirds hosting the Central Pulse. Overall, the 2013 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 on 14 July 2013 with the Adelaide Thunderbirds winning their second ANZ Championship trophy by defeating the Queensland Firebirds.
Overview
Format
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 each team having one bye during the season. Bye week are scheduled for rounds 4-6 and 11-12. Matches will generally be played on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. 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. 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 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 mid July, between the winners of the major semi-final and the preliminary final.
Teams
Offseason
Player transfers
Returning players
Oversees contracted players
Under the ANZ Championship's Eligibility Rule, every team is permitted to contract one "citizen ineligible" or oversees player by right, and then apply for a second "oversees ineligible" athlete; or teams may contract one "oversees ineligible" athlete by right. For the 2013 season, the Canterbury Tactix have been granted permission to contract a second ineligible athlete.
Name
Country
2013 Team
Australia
England
England
Australia
England
England
Australia
Pre-season
The Melbourne Vixens Summer Challenge was the main 2013 pre-season tournament. The tournament was contested by eight of the ten ANZ Championship teams at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne from 23–24 February 2013. Each team played a series of four round-robin games across the weekend. Melbourne and Queensland went through the competition undefeated.
