PLAYER disruptions are playing a key role in deciding whether A-grade netball games are won or lost this season, two coaches say.
Heading into Round 6 of the SFNL league, some A-grade teams are beginning to stand out from the pack.
Unbeaten Wentworth are the leading the field, while Robinvale Euston are still finding their feet, unable to take home a win yet.
Irymple, who have only won one game this season, are this weekend set to take on Merbein, who have also only won one game.
Irymple coach Tammie Rowe said it was hard to predict how this weekend’s game, and most other games, would go as every round depended on player availability.
She said most of the teams played at an equal level however players being unavailable had an effect on match-ups.
“I think for the most part there are obviously a couple of standout teams and then everyone else are I think probably level-pegging, it really comes down to match-ups on the day,” she said.
“We have seen that COVID and having players away plays a key part in the team’s wins and losses, so I think aside from the top two or three teams, the rest of the league is really quite even and really comes down to how everyone plays and connects on the day.”
Merbein coach Breigh Hammet said she agreed that player unavailability had a big effect and stated that because of this most games were almost impossible to predict.
“It’s very much on who you have got available on the day and how they match up against each other,” she said.
“I think we had – I mean, last year was hard – a couple of years where each team had the same players, so you know what to expect and who was going to be there, whereas, at the moment, you can’t really compare the outcomes of each game because you don’t know who played against each other.
“You don’t know what each week is going to be like cause you don’t know who you are matching up against.”
Hammet said Merbein were looking forward to a hopefully competitive game against Irymple.
“We have obviously come out and played Mildura, Wentworth and had our bye at the start that means we were playing top of the table, so we have come back after the bye and we hope to have a few competitive games,” she said.
Rowe said Irymple would be suffering the loss of a few players this week, including one key player, and the team would be using their B grade team to fill the side.
“We will have to make some changes around that for Saturday’s game, which is still a bit undecided at the moment, but hopefully those changes are positive and help us come away with a win,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to it be a really tough contest.”
