Mid Season Update from our Coaches
On Saturday, we reached the half way mark of the 2018 winter season. Already this year, we have seen our teams bond, grow and improve, so we're very excited to see what the second half of the year has in store for our wonderful group of ladies.
To mark the middle of the season, we asked our coaches to give us the run down on how our teams are travelling and what they see on the horizon for the remaining rounds.
Before we get into it, we want to wish our teams the best of luck for the remainder of the season! It's time to put in the hard yards and work on furthering our skills and team work. Let's give ourselves the best chance of playing finals and hopefully snap up a couple of premierships! Go Blacks!!
B1
By coach Sue Jones
The B1 team was very difficult to select, given the number of players in contention but those selected in the team have gelled well, and are proving to be a balanced side.
The team has had 3 wins and 6 losses, however three of those losses were by small margins and it could be suggested that if we had more consistent and predictable line ups, those results might have been different.
I am happy with the players' efforts and intensity when at training sessions and everyone gives their all on court, attempt Club Structures and discuss utilising a variety of tactics to strengthen the side more so. I feel quite confident that, once a consistent line up returns to the side in late July, the players from the B1 Team will finish the second half of the season stronger, more highly skilled and confident that more wins will be achieved.
B3
By coach Dani Johnson
B3’s had a great start to the season posting a couple of wins on the board. Coming up against some hard competition, with results spread across the board, showed us as a group where we needed to focus on our game.
Our team has bonded well on and off the court with good leadership in Hayley, Hannah and Lucy. Charlotte has been solid in the goal circle with some very good shooting accuracy. Hayley creating play and working well with Charlotte has made feeding into the circle getting better and better. Mel has backup her attacking with some strong defence creating some crucial gains. Hannah starting to own the ‘C’ bib has taken relief off Abby and Olivia. Abby and Olivia providing very different styles at WD enabling good match ups against all teams and supporting our attack end of the court all the time. Jasmine able to play both circle defence and out on the wing gives us great flexibility and works well with all defenders. Lucy & Jordan have created a connection in the defence circle and gives us great flexibility with dynamic or holding goalies. Ashleigh coming into the side has provided extra strength in our defence end and maybe allowing Lucy to switch to goals!!!!!!
Sitting 7th on the ladder wouldn’t suggest where we should be as a draw and a loss by 3 goals could have put us higher. We have had some small changes but all in all our team has had minimal disruption which hopefully will create more wins heading towards September. Coach Dani Johnson is thoroughly enjoying this wonderful group of ladies.
B5
By coach Amy Feather
The B5 team is in a great position as we hit the mid way point of the season. We are currently sitting third on the ladder having only lost two games to the top teams right at the start of the season.
Our team is a brilliant blend of experience, skill, personality and athletic ability. Key focus areas for the team has been introducing a zone defence down the court. We recognised early on that the skills of our players suited a zone and this coupled with our loud voices makes it a formidable task for any opposition to get past. Of course the key to our success comes back to teamwork.
Our most recent game against Walkerville was a true delight to coach. Everything we have been working on all year came together, each player had a ripper game but most importantly we played as a team and used our individual skills for combined success. Not bad for a bunch of old ducks and some awesome ducklings! Here’s to the rest of the season. Watch out B5!
B6
By coach Meryl Richards
I started the season with the idea of not worrying about winning or losing but focusing on development of the players skills and team work. Making sure that each player understood the responsibility of the position they are playing and taking responsibility for their own actions. With 10 in the team players have had to be adaptable so that court time can be equitable.
The players took this on board and their attendance at training and matches has been great and now we are seeing the results of our hard work. The team has bonded and we are having some fun as well.
We have had 6 wins to 3 losses and are now sitting in third (on %) with a good run home. We have had some wins by big margins.
If we keep our energy levels up and SMILE we will have a good finish to the season.
C2
By coach Karen Holder
The C2s are currently sitting at 6th on the ladder with a couple of comprehensive wins over the teams below them, the teams above are a little more challenging however we go into the next rounds with optimism and a playing group who are now familiar with each other.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the C2s is the camaraderie and development of friendships for some of the girls who are new to Adelaide and University. This personifies one of the roles of the “Adelaide University Netball Club” to help with the transition to university life .
The integration of a whole club approach to warm up drills and some trainings and the pyjama night for charity also helps to instil the club values and demonstrate a club of amazing women run by amazing women.
C3
By coach Portia Vail
The C3’s are having a great season this year! With a mix of new and previous players, they have all welcomed each other with open arms and pulled together fantastically - truly putting the club values to work! They all consistently participate in trainings and club events with positive, go-getter attitudes that make coaching them a delight!
There have been a few lows including illness, falls and injuries with one player currently on crutches. Despite what gets thrown at them, they always pull through with a smile and a laugh! Their resilience, hard work and dedication speaks for itself as they are currently second on the ladder! With only a couple close losses, I know it’s only a matter of time before they’re in that first position! Go Blacks!
C4 (1)
By coach Maddie Duffield
The C4(1)'s season started strong with comfortable wins in the first four games. However the challenge then came during weeks following regrading, with slow starts in their first quarters the team was forced to play a game of catch up that in spite of their hard work they were unable to do. Being challenged has forced the girls to grow and gel as a team, facing every game with positive attitudes and determination.
I am incredibly proud to see them want to better themselves, and how they put 100% into all games, whether it is a close challenge or they already have a strong lead. There is still lots of work to go to help with on court decision making, and decision making when fatigued and under pressure. But the strong team spirit and bond the girls have started to show, encouraging each other and supporting each other through games will hopefully see them continue to improve and maintain a top 2 spot towards the end of the season.
C4 (2)
By coach Molly McKenzie
The Blacks C4 (2) team is made up of a fantastic group of girls that have been putting their blood, sweat, tears and heart into every single game they’ve played. Our award-winning cast begins with our star shooters; Kirsty McGinlay, a girl with an incredibly positive attitude that never stops trying, Kristy Green who moves and grooves in the circle until she finds the optimal position every time and Emily Marriott who can do it all from dominating the shooting circle to obliterating the midcourt. Down the midcourt we have Rachael Coggan bringing an unmatchable fight for the ball and a dare in her eyes, Monique Pisaniello who’ll zip around your legs before you manage to catch your breath, Danelle Norris who’ll intercept the ball when you least expect it and the nicest girl you’ll ever meet who’ll be sure to apologise after stealing the ball from you time and time again and with her speedy intercepts, Steph Kolaczkios. There’s no getting through the C4 (2)’s defensive end when you’re getting constantly blocked by our incredible defender, Sara Hillock, while Miriam Slattery will barely give you space to breathe with her tight defence no matter what position she’s in and Sophie Caon will bring the height and steal all the rebounds if you get a chance to go for goal as well dallying around in shooter from time to time herself.
The ladder doesn’t do justice to how well these girls have been playing, despite sitting seventh they have beat the two teams above them and only narrowly missed the win against the top two teams, losing by only 2 goals to number 2 on the ladder! This team has already seen mighty improvements in both their teamwork and the score board as they’ve continued to gel together and become a force to be reckoned with, constantly working hard to hone their skills. At the end of round 1 we’ve played two teams twice, the Blacks C4(1) team and Sacred Heart. While the girls didn’t manage to come out on top they managed to narrow the final goal margin against the other Blacks from 19 the first time to only 8 and brought a hell of a fight, making them work for every goal. The 23 goals they lost by to Sacred Heart the first time around was minimised to only a 7-goal difference a couple of weeks ago. This obvious improvement is expected to continue to increase throughout the rest of the season as these girls start to realise their full potential.