3 minute read
West Coast Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich believes Super Netball players have the ability to play extra minutes if required to avoid matches ending in draws.
It would be strange if you didn't want extra time when you have had three draws in your past four matches but West Coast Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich believes it should be the next step forward for Super Netball.
The Fever fought back to share the spoils with the Giants on Saturday night after a 62-all draw at RAC Arena.
While the Fever did well to come from behind in home draws with Melbourne Vixens and the Giants, Marinkovich would prefer an outright match winner.
"I think it would be good to play to a result," she said.
"The players have the capacities to keep running it out and that's why you have a bench, to be able to make those rotations.
"But that's what the competition is at the moment and you still have the bonus points to play for, so for us to walk away with four points is lucky in some regards."
The three draws could cost last year's grand final hosts a finals berth given they are 11 points behind the fourth-placed Giants.
But Marinkovich is happy with West Coast's response to losing the first three games with three draws and a win from the past four, including games in Bendigo and Brisbane before Saturday night.
"There's a chance they could end up hurting us but we just have to keep taking the learnings from them and make sure we come out firing," she said.
"We knew that this was a big stint of the competition for us but sometimes until you are actually in it you don't realise how taxing it can be.
"Travel will never be an excuse for us, even though we certainly don't like double-headers on the road given how much more travel we do than any other team."
Fever continue to be penalised heavily for their admittedly physical approach and while Marinkovich likes the way her team plays she knows they need to adjust during games.
"I think we play hard for the contest, we just have to make sure we are in the line of the ball and we have to show the umpires where we're coming from as well," she said.
"We'll have those discussions which is great that we can have between umpires and coaches."
