The West Coast Fever are the only undefeated team after four rounds of the Super Netball, but NSW Swifts coach Briony Akle insists “they are beatable”.
The Swifts came out firing against the Fever on Easter Monday and led by five goals in the second quarter, but the Fever rallied in the second half to claim a 78-67 win.
It was a physical contest with neither team willing to give an inch as they went into halftime tied 35-35.
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When the Fever got out to a four-goal lead in the third quarter, Akle called a tactical time-out to rev up her troops and urged the Swifts to withstand the Fever’s physicality.
“Listen, their number one thing is to try to bash the sh*t out of you,” Akle told the Swifts players in audio captured by Fox Netball broadcast.
“So what do we do about that? Have two options. Get off the body, change direction. Just play smart, do not play into their hands. Just play our game.”
Earlier in the game, Akle told the Swifts: “He starts screaming like that, we just go calm”, in a dig at Fever coach Dan Ryan.
The Fever might have five-time Super Netball MVP Jhaniele Fowler as goal shooter, but they’ve proved they far from a one-trick pony in recent times.
Sasha Glasgow shot 7/8 Super Shot attempts against the Swifts, while Alice Teague-Neeld, Jess Anstiss and new recruit Kim Jenner were superb in the midcourt in defence.
The Fever won thrilling clashes over the Melbourne Vixens and Giants by just one point in the first two rounds, and Akle believes the well-oiled green machine can be beaten.
“They’re reigning premiers and have the confidence to go with it,” said the Swifts coach, who also steered Australia to victory at the Fast5 tournament last year.
“We can get there, I think they are beatable … they’ve proven that … they haven’t had massive wins, so teams are slowly getting there.
“I was really proud in that first half. I thought we had them rattled (but) small little things (in the second half) … we throw a bad pass and it’s near two-point time, and the Fever punish you, and you cannot do that in this league.
“It’s a hard position, to (try to) go back-to-back, and Fever at the moment are doing a good job. But we’re coming … we’re coming for them.”
“So far this season the Fever are looking the best in terms of consistency, being able to win games,” Fox Netball’s Cath Cox told news.com.au recently.
“They’ve had two one-point games that they’ve won. In the past they would have lost those because they didn’t know how to win. I think after the premiership last year they’ve put those issues to rest.”
In other results, the Melbourne Vixens and Collingwood ensured the Victorian teams got bragging rights over the Queensland rivals with wins over the Lightning and Firebirds.
And after losing the first three games of the season, the Giants finally got on the board with an impressive 59-54 over the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Super Netball Round 4 results
Melbourne Vixens 60 defeated Sunshine Coast Lightning 56
Collingwood Magpies 69 defeated Queensland Firebirds 61
Giants 59 defeated Adelaide Thunderbirds 54
West Coast Fever 78 defeated NSW Swifts 67
