NSW Swifts attacking duo Sam Wallace and Helen Housby will assume coaching roles for the team in their final Suncorp Team Girls pre-season clash with the Giants in Melbourne today.
The late coaching reshuffle comes due to Assistant Coach Bec Bulley being unable to attend the game. Bulley felt unwell this morning and will miss the clash as a precaution.
Head Coach Briony Akle was unable to travel to Melbourne this week after being identified as a close contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
Wallace has not played this weekend as she is rehabbing a knee injury, but remains on track to be ready for the Premiers' Round 1 Suncorp Super Netball clash with the Giants on March 26.
Housby, who played against the Sunshine Coast Lightning and Melbourne Vixens over the past two days, is being rested.
Akle said it had been a crazy week but backed her senior players to step-up at the State Netball & Hockey Centre.
"Our success in recent years has always been about people stepping up to support the wider team and this is a great opportunity for Sam and Helen.
"Bec and the team have been trying some new combinations and playing some great netball in Melbourne and I am really proud of the way the younger players have stepped up.
"We lost some of our wider squad earlier in the week due to COVID, and I have been back in isolation, so it's been a bit of a crazy ride for everyone but that's the world we're living in at the moment.
"The Giants are a top class side and it's good to have our senior players be able to step up for the Club in a different way when they aren't able to take the court."
The Swifts and Giants play at 1pm (AET) today. The game will be broadcast live and free on Kayo Freebies and will also be shown on Fox Sports for Foxtel subscribers.
