NETBALL - 2016 HIGHLIGHTS, ANZ GRAND FINAL - QUEENSLAND FIREBIRDS vs SYDNEY SWIFTS

ANZ Championship Grand Final: Firebirds vs Swifts in electrifying final After striving goal-for-goal into the final seconds of extra time, then reaching into double extra time, the Queensland Firebirds and NSW Swifts have delivered a tension-filled grand final that had a screaming audience on the edge of their seats. Queensland became the first team ever to win back to back championships after winning by two points in double extra time. The final score was 69-67. At full-time scores were even at 54-54, triggering 14 minutes of extra time in the fiercely-fought ANZ Championship grand final in the dramatic netball championships in Brisbane. Queensland Firebirds skipper Laura Geitz rated the win before around 11,000 people as one of the toughest games of netball she had ever played in. "When you play in a grand final you have always got to have the belief and the faith and trust in the playing group, because if you are in a situation like that, you have to hang in there," she told the crowd at the game's finish. The three-time Australian netball championships winner said the Swifts continual pressure made it an extremely hard game. "We did make it very hard for ourselves - we had opportunities to close out - but as I said, we did it the hard way," she said. She said the Firebirds' win in 2011 had a special place because other teams had - at that time - rated the Firebirds a team that could be beaten. "We were told once that the Queenslanders once were an easy team to beat and I think that struck a bit of a chord with us back in 2011. "And I think around that we have built this culture that we just don't expect anything less than our best." "I think the first win in 2011 was amazing, but the more you go on, the harder it gets," she said. "It just gets tougher and tougher each year." Laura Geitz - who has won titles in 2011, 2015 and 2016 - paid tribute to the Swifts team. "We have had an ongoing battle with these guys (Swifts) and they just push and push and push and they are making a habit of these dying seconds," she said. "And to be honest I have had enough of the dying seconds." The Firebirds' skipper said she would not make a decision about her playing career tonight. "I am just going to enjoy this win and forget about it," she said. "I'll make my decision later. This is a time to enjoy this with the girls and just reflect on what we have done." Immediately following the stunning win, Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk announced a ticker tape parade from noon and a fans tribute in King George Square would honour the victorious Queensland Firebirds next Saturday. "The Queensland Firebirds delivered a fantastic result, trumping the New South Wales Swifts after being equal at the end of extra time and taking out the trans-Tasman netball championship in front of a sell-out crowd," Cr Quirk said. "The Firebirds are a big part of Brisbane's sporting history and have proved this yet again by becoming the first ever team to win back-to-back ANZ Championships." The parade will commence at 12 noon and travel from the top of Queen Street Mall to King George Square, where players will hold a signing session for their fans after a public presentation, he said. The Firebirds were gifted the keys to the city after their 2011 win and were presented with their own Firebirds-themed City Cat after triumphing again last year.