ROBINVALE Euston coach Maria Falvo says she is mystified by the SFNL’s decision to not play this year’s netball grand final indoors at the new $45 million Mildura Sporting Precinct.
The SFNL board controversially decided last week to stage the league’s grand finals at the rundown Mildura Recreation Reserve (Brian Weightman Oval), after netball representatives reportedly mounted a strong opposition to playing indoors at the MSP.
Sunraysia Daily asked Eagles coach Falvo and Wentworth playing coach Amanda Edwards after their clash on Saturday about whether they felt the league’s grand finals should be played indoors or outdoors.
Falvo pointed out that elite netball was played indoors.
“Netball is a game that is played both outdoors and indoors,” she said.
“Top-level netball plays indoors. And you know what? If we’ve got a new stadium, let’s play in it.
“I would 100 per cent support having this year’s (netball) grand finals at the new precinct.
“I don’t understand the opposition to it. Sure, we had a couple of injuries from when we played there (in round 5), but we’ve all got to toughen up.”
Edwards was more diplomatic in her response, but she did concede “we’d be happy to play indoors”.
“Look, it’s great playing indoors. I’m not going to say it’s not,” said the star shooter, who played in the domestic summer competition at MSP earlier this year.
“It’s a lot quicker on the boards and you don’t have the weather to contend with.
“So, shooting and everything like that changes dramatically when you play indoors.
“But at the end of the day, we’ll support whatever the league decides.”
