Players pumped for netball’s official MSP debut

THE indoor courts at the Mildura Sporting Precinct will be used by SFNL teams for the first time on Saturday, as South Mildura takes on Imperials.

Now that South Mildura has completed its move to the precinct, coach Georgia Chase said the team was excited to finally play there after training on the indoor surface.

“It is just a different atmosphere being indoors,” she said.

Moving from the normal synthetic surface to a glossed wooden one for the round 2 game, Chase said the change in court could provide for a different sort of match.

“I think it will be a different game, I feel it’s just a bit quicker,” she said.

“It is hard to explain but the girls love training on it and it allows for different weather.”

Both Imperials and South Mildura came out on top in their round 1 matches, with Imperials beating Red Cliffs 50-31 and South Mildura beating Irymple 46-38.

Chase said South Mildura hoped to be strong against the tough Imperials team and take home a round 2 win.

“We’ve got the same team as Good Friday, so from what the girls displayed on Good Friday it was a really good game,” she said.

“(We are) pretty even across the court, we have a pretty athletic mid court and down at the attacking end so it’ll be a good game to watch I think.”

Imperials coach Helene Hederics said she thought this weekend’s game would be a good hit out for both teams.

“I think there will be a lot of intensity and high pressure,” she said.

“It’ll really gives us an opportunity to see where we are at.”

Hederics said the team was excited to play indoors at the precinct.

“We actually had the opportunity to train there during our preseason and we are looking forward to the opportunity to see the new precinct and play there,” she said.

“You don’t have those outside elements like the wind and the heat and things like that, so it may vary the game a little, I think it will increase the intensity, but I think overall it will be a great game anyway.”

Hederics confirmed the Imperials team would be the same as in round 1, with only one player out due to work commitments.

She said under 17s player Grace Kelly would take her place, giving her the opportunity to make an A-grade debut.

Other matches on Saturday are Ouyen United v Wentworth at Blackburn Park, Mildura v Merbein at Brian Weightman Oval and Robinvale Euston v Irymple at John James Oval.

All A-grade netball games begin at noon.