Sting Secure ANL Finals Berth
WAIS Netball Program coach Michelle Wilkins has led the Western Sting to the Australian Netball League finals with a round to spare after WA secured its top four spot with victory over NSW in Sydney.
The Sting split their two matches with the Waratahs, losing the first encounter 60-63 on Saturday before bouncing back on Sunday to book a finals berth with a 59-50 result.
With WA scheduled for the bye in this weekend’s final round they can rest easy knowing that their finals place is secure, an outcome Wilkins had been keen to cement in Sydney.
“It was more about that we had that opportunity to determine our own position in finals and not to rely on somebody else,” Wilkins said.
“That was really one of the key messages; that we really needed to take responsibility of our own destiny across this weekend.”
With that theme central, WA made a bold start to Saturday’s contest at Sydney Olympic Park, earning a six goal lead to quarter time.
The hosts pegged back the arrears over the course of the match to pinch victory in a tight affair, played in front of a healthy crowd, with the match a curtain raiser to the Swifts v West Coast Fever ANZ Championship match.
WAIS scholarship athlete Sophie Garbin scored 14 goals at 100% off the bench for the Sting, whilst Wilkins pleased with the squad’s efforts across the board.
“I thought we showed a lot of improvement in our competitiveness, particularly with the straight ANL group,” Wilkins said.
“To me there was a lot of positives out of it. Yes, we did let the lead fall away but, at the same time, I was pleased at the overall effort of the group.”
The Sting on Sunday ensured history didn’t repeat, when they again raced out to an early eight goal lead, but this time, controlled the contest to secure a nine goal win and a top four spot on the table.
The Western Australian squad has been well travelled over the past month and Wilkins is looking forward to the prospect of recharging her squad ahead of a finals tilt that will again see the Sting in action in Sydney, from June 25-26.
“We’ve been on the road three weeks in a row and obviously a Newcastle-Sydney trip on top of that, it’s an opportunity to refresh and work on a few of the errors that we know we’ve got some capacity to make some improvements to and be ready for finals,” Wilkins said.
WAIS scholarship athletes; Sophie Garbin, Jess Anstiss, Annika Lee-Jones, Nicole Lendich and Natalie Bright featured for the Sting in Sydney, with Anstiss catching the eye in both matches, in a weekend where the talented mid-courter also made her ANZ Champs debut with the West Coast Fever, as a replacement player for the Western Australian franchise.