NSW Swifts co-captain Maddy Proud will sit out another round of Suncorp Super Netball after falling just short in her race to face the Collingwood Magpies on Sunday.
The star midcourter is recovering from a foot injury but started running this week and is expected to be fit for the first NSW Derby of the season against the Giants next weekend.
Training partner Emily Burgess, who has already played elite netball for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Northern Mystics in New Zealand, will come into the Swifts' game-day squad for the Round 5 clash at Ken Rosewall Arena (3pm AET).
The game doubles as Indigenous Round for the Swifts with the team to wear a specially designed dress by Tarsha Hawley, a proud Aboriginal woman of the Wongiabon people who is also a current member of the QBE Swifts Academy which underpins the senior team.
The Swifts are looking to bounce back after being pipped at the post in an end-to-end thriller against the Sunshine Coast Lighting in Queensland last weekend. Having had the game in their grasp the closing minutes, big defensive plays from the Lightning saw them edge the Swifts leaving the six-time Premiers with two wins and two losses from the opening four rounds.
Head coach Briony Akle says the Swifts have been working on a lot of scenario drills this week after they failed to execute their game plan at the death against Lightning.
"We have had a lot of honest conversations over the past week and done a huge amount of analysis to explore how we let that game slip," she said.
"The margins are so fine at this level. Had the game gone the other way we'd be sitting just behind the Giants at the top with a 3-1 record, instead we are 2-2 and doing some soul searching.
"We have no-one to blame but ourselves as the Lightning took their opportunity last week and we didn't.
"This weekend the Magpies will come to Sydney high on confidence after two good wins and there aren't many better defenders in the world than Geva Mentor so our feeding and ball control, especially in the goal circle, has to be spot on - nothing less than that.
"In my book we've left points behind us in Perth and Sunshine Coast this season having been level with just minutes remaining and we need to reward the possession our defence has been winning.
"The last time we played at Ken Rosewall Arena we had a good win against the Vixens and I know the team are happy to be back home having been on the road for three of the first four rounds."
The Magpies flew into Sydney yesterday before Melbourne entered its seven-day COVID-19 lockdown. As of now Sunday's game is set to go ahead as per normal.
The game will be broadcast live on Telstra TV and Telstra's Netball Live App.
Match Notes
- When the teams last met in Round 9 last season the Swifts won 69-54 in Brisbane.
- The Swifts' 69-goals when they last met in Round 9 last season is the highest score in their eight previous Super Netball meetings.
- The Swifts lead head to head with four wins, three losses and a draw.
- The Swifts have won three of the past four meetings between the teams.
- The Magpies are coming off a 68-65 win over the Firebirds in Launceston and sit in fourth place with two wins and two losses.
- The Swifts are coming off a 54-58 loss to the Lightning in Round 4 and sit in third place with two wins and two losses in 2021.
- The Swifts are one of three teams with the Giants and Lightning to have sat inside the Super Netball top four after each round in 2021.
- The Magpies could equal their longest Super Netball winning run if they beat the Swifts in Round 5. They have won three matches in a row on three previous occasions.'
- Swifts coach Briony Akle coached the team for the 50th time against the Lightning in Round 4 and has a record of 28 wins, 19 losses and three draws for a 56% win record.
- The Swifts are the most accurate team after four rounds shooting at 90.3% while the Magpies have the second best shooting accuracy at 87.5%.
- The Magpies have the fourth best attacking record after four rounds scoring 59.5 goals per match while the Swifts are ranked sixth scoring 57.5 goals per match.
