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NSW Swifts captain Catherine Cox says her team aren’t panicking as they seek answers to get their shaky trans-Tasman netball title defence back on track.
The Swifts are the bottom-placed Australian team in sixth position with a 2-3 record after blowing a seven goal lead with six minutes to go and losing by one goal in extra time to the young, fast-improving West Coast Fever on Monday.
“I think everyone just stopped, we were up and we just stopped pushing forward…we had a comfortable enough lead and people stopped running, people stopped driving for the ball,” said Cox on Wednesday.
Coach Julie Fitzgerald said after the match her team had improved but appeared affected by their recent losses when the pressure came on.
“Confidence is a funny thing and had it been there, we wouldn’t have allowed them back into the game,” said Fitzgerald, who guided the team to the inaugural ANZ Championship title last year.
The Swifts had a similarly rocky start last year and, while the circumstances are different, it’s some cause for comfort.
“Last year we just weren’t expected to win,” said Cox.
“I think this year…people are expecting us to win, and whether or not that is why we stop as well, a fear of losing, I don’t really know.
“We are certainly not panicking, this time last year we had had three losses as well and then we went on the be undefeated for the rest of the season.”
The only major change to the team from last year was the retirement of national team wing defence Selina Gilsenan, known as The Rash for her ability to stick to opponents.
“I think we struggled to get the ball out of defence (against the Fever) and that was an area Selina did control, it is amazing to me that a wing defence, of all defensive positions, can make that much of a difference,” Cox said.
All three of the Swifts’ losses have been to leading teams – the Adelaide Thunderbirds, Waikato Magic and Fever – away from home, but Cox did not think the home court advantage should be an issue.
“Last year we had no issues winning away, the team, minus one player, is exactly the same as it was last year so I don’t see that as being a reason.
“Again though, that is something that we look at in the way we have been preparing and see if there is something we are lacking doing away that we have been doing at home.”
The Swifts now face home games against the Thunderbirds on Sunday and the Queensland Firebirds on May 18
Shooter Cox said that the focus will be keeping up their attack.
“I think the defence team was better than it had been in the first four games and the attacking was probably the worst it had been…so it’s just a matter of getting them both firing at the same time.”