Tara Murray
The Western Warriors showed some better signs but it wasn’t enough for a win against the North East Blaze in the Victorian Netball League championship on Wednesday.
The Warriors were disappointed in their round two performance against the Geelong Cougars and had hoped to bounce back against the Blaze.
A slow start proved costly for the Warriors, but they stayed in the game until late when the Blaze blew out the margin, winning 74-54.
Warriors coach Kim Bailey said they still have work to do.
“It was a little bit better,” she said. “There’s still a some work to be be done. We didn’t let them get away until right towards the end, it was pleasing.
“The first quarter was a bit slow and we can’t let teams get clear. We have to be consistent for the full 60 minutes.”
Bailey said the side again made too many unforced errors, with 34 for the game.
The Warriors received a shock when they turned up with South African shooter Rolene Streutker part of the Blaze squad.
Streutker was named as a replacement player for the Melbourne Mavericks Suncorp Super Netball Squad on the same day as the game.
Bailey said they had no idea that Streutker would be playing.
Bailey said despite having a lot of speed in their attacking end, the Blaze was able to close down their attacking options easily.
She said that was something they would work on at training.
There were some positives for the Warriors according to Bailey.
“Ella Shannon, Ruby’s sister, was really good,” she said.” She hasn’t played much VNL before.
“Olivia Ellis was outstanding in wing defence and was our strongest player. Her ability to shut down the wing attack and some timely intercepts.”
Kim Borger finished with 35 goals for the Warriors under some heavy defensive pressure.”
Bailey said they were still looking at different combinations and how to make the defensive end work after losing Ella Ogier to a knee injury.
The Warriors under-23s also suffered a loss to the Blaze, losing 63-40. Ella Closter shot 27 goals for the Warriors.
Bailey said they also had a lot of unforced errors.
“You can’t win games like that,” she said. “We’ll do the work at training with pressure from the get go and work through it and see what strategies they need to employ to handle the pressure.”
The Warriors face the Casey Demons this week, in a match that Bailey said should be a good one.
Bailey said it should be good clash.
Like the Warriors, the Demons have won one of their first three matches.
The Demons have several players who Bailey has either coached or coached against.
