Tara Murray
A week off did the Western Warriors the world of good as they returned to the winners list in the Victorian Netball League championship on Wednesday night.
After a tough last hit out, the Warriors put out a strong four quarter performance against the Casey Demons, winning 71-56.
Warriors coach Kim Bailey was pretty happy with the performance.
“It was an improved win from the last time we played them,” she said. “I think the margin was 10, we’ve pushed it out to 15.
“I think we most probably look like we’re going to control that game for the get go. It was a bit of a slow first quarter.
“But I think we had Simona [Di Filippo] who had an outstanding game. When Simmy plays well we seem to play well and we get that really fast forward movement and we had that back up from Ruby [Shannon] and Vanessa [Augustini] who we just kept rotating to and had fresh legs the whole time.”
Bailey said they had winners all over the court in the win.
She thought Georgia Berry had a great game on Emma Ryde, doing everything they asked her to do.
At the other end of the court, Bailey said she thought it was the best game that Kim Borger and Julia Woolley had played together. Borger shot 57 goals.
“So we had sort of strength over the court and Liv Ellis, that girl just keeps delivering week after week after week,” Bailey said.
“It’s nice to be back on the winner’s list.”
Bailey said the performance had a bit more of that consistency they had been seeking across four quarters and all players.
“It’s something that we’ve really worked at, worked at our intensity,” she said.
“We’ve worked at that drop of intensity in the third quarter. By creating that sort of environment in training and then translating that out on the court works really well for us.
“We have gone back to what our values are and we have to keep referring back to them. It’s alright to say we have values but you have to live them and we’re starting to live them.”
The Warriors now sit eighth on the ladder with three wins.
It was disappointment for the Warriors under-23s who lost to the Demons, 42-41.
Bailey said they had that game before having vital errors at vital times.
“We have to learn how to win,” she said.
Akira McCormack, who dropped down from championship to get some significant minutes on court, was their best with 28 goals.
The Warriors don’t have a long break between games, with the side back in action on Sunday.
The Warriors make the trek up to Bendigo to face Melbourne University Lightning as part of the Super Sunday round.
