After a few rounds close to home at Carrara, the show hits the road again this week. The Wildcats await our Sapphire and Ruby sides while our M-League boys will look to strike down the Thunder.
Round 8
Sapphire vs Wildcats
6pm Sunday, Nissan Arena
The Opposition
Wildcats are a competitive team that work hard for four quarters and never make life easy. They'll be looking to bounce back against us after our first meeting earlier in the season, and we know they'll come with plenty of intensity from the opening whistle.
The Challenge
Last weekend against Titans was a pleasing response from our team. Our connection returned, we stayed in our bubble and focused on the controllables, and the result reflected that. This week is about building on that performance rather than starting again. We can't afford to drop our standards or lose focus. Every game from here is important, and with a tight competition, our percentage could prove just as valuable as the four competition points.
Shuffling the Magnets
We'll welcome back a near full squad this week, with Amy Williams the only player unavailable as she continues her recovery from an ankle injury. Having continuity across the group gives us another opportunity to build combinations and continue developing our connections across the court.
Ones to Watch
This week isn't about individual match ups. It's about us continuing to play Bull Sharks netball. When we trust our systems, move with purpose and stay connected through the court, we create opportunities at both ends. If we maintain that consistency for four quarters, we'll give ourselves every chance to achieve the outcome we're chasing.
The Focus
Our focus is simple—back up last week's performance. Continue to trust the next pass, value possession, convert our opportunities and maintain relentless defensive pressure. We want to dictate the game through our style of play, remain disciplined regardless of the scoreboard and continue building our percentage whenever opportunities present themselves.
Final Word
This is another important step in our season. Last week reminded us what we're capable of when we trust each other and stay true to our identity. Our challenge now is consistency. We want to build momentum, continue improving each week and put together another complete team performance. If we focus on the process, play with confidence and stay connected, the results will take care of themselves.
Round 12
Ruby vs Wildcats
4pm Sunday, Nissan Arena
The Opposition
The Wildcats sit on top of the table in the Ruby competition and will be a tough competitor for us to overcome. They have some great two-point shooters so containing their access to the ball and putting pressure over the shot will be an important component of our preparation this week in training.
The Challenge
"Do or do not...there is no try." This is our mantra as we enter the back end of our competition. Our on court actions need to match our pregame intentions in a consistent cohesive way.
Shuffling the magnets
The team remains unchanged for this week's game and it is pleasing to see dynamic midcourter Mahlia Henare back doing some restricted training as she continues her comeback from injury.
Ones to watch
Our trio of shooters; Abby Boland, Evie Stower and Bridie Stewart were extremely accurate against the Titans and we will need them to again be on point this weekend as we attempt to control the 1-point period of the game and then press home that advantage during the super shot period. We won a lot of ball against the Titans and it is important that we continue to stay in the contest and pressure the feeders and shooters. Our circle defenders will need to be dynamic, confuse the feeding space and be clean and clinical in taking rebounds.
Final word
We have had three agonisingly close losses in the past 10 days, but we can and will bounce back. Everyone in the team needs to do their job with speed, accuracy, intent and consistency. No excuses. Just step up and play our best.
Round 5
M- League vs Thunder
6pm Sunday, Nissan Arena
The Opposition
This week's round 5 clash verse Thunder is a do or die scenario for both clubs. Both teams have only tasted victory once this season with our win being against the Thunder in Round 1. Our competition has only 5 teams. Only one team misses out on finals. That is why a victory this weekend is so important.
The challenge
Our challenge is once again to run a full game out. We have been so inconsistent this year with expensive turnovers at crucial times that have hurt us every time.
This week's video session showed us the vast difference between our best and our worst. I hope it opened our eyes to both sides of what we have been doing on court, and we learn the lessons of past performances.
Shuffling the magnets
We welcome back Glenn from injury. As our captain I am expecting him to take control of our very young attacking end. Without his experience we have struggled to provide quality ball to our goalers. We still have some niggling injuries to deal with, which makes the rotations interesting from a coaching standpoint.
This week I have tinkered with our starting lineup in the hope of rejuvenating our midcourt. I will be looking for impact off the bench when players are called upon.
Ones to watch
Five players to watch this week. Our youngest squad member Leif Morris is going to play a big part in achieving our team goals. Glenn will be instrumental in the super shot time. Billy White will need to provide a spark we have been lacking, and our defensive duo of Colby and Jaz will need to be at their best to provide a great platform for us to build from.
Final word
I say it every week, we can only control what we output. So once again our focus is us. We need to complete a full 60-minute game with repeated efforts across each player and in each area. It's the little one percenters that will make this difference this week.
I am expecting a close hard-fought game with both teams' seasons on the line. They will be hungry to avenge their first round loss to us, and they are bolstered by the inclusion some players that missed that clash. They also haven't played us at full strength, and we are close to that this week. Looking forward to seeing the Bond supporters coming out to watch an intriguing game of men's netball.