Swifts On High For Wec Clash

Illawarra Mercury

Friday June 29, 2007

By PAUL ZALUNARDO

SYDNEY Swifts coach Julie Fitzgerald said the upheaval that affected her team during the first 10 rounds of the National Netball League would make the players stronger come finals time.

Heading into tonight's meeting with the last-placed AIS Canberra Darters at WIN Entertainment Centre, Fitzgerald said the 2007 season had been a challenge for all.

The Swifts - unbeaten throughout their 2006 campaign - suffered two of their three losses in the opening six weeks this season with a heavily depleted squad.

Melbourne Kestrels and Hunter Jaegers got the better of Sydney while national team players Catherine Cox, Liz Ellis, Selina Gilsenan, Susan Pratley and Mo'onia Gerrard were representing Australia in an international series in England.

Fitzgerald said the rest of her squad became stronger while those players were away.

"In a way it has been a return to normal over the last couple of weeks, but come Sunday they all go away again for another three or four weeks, so we have had brief patches of normality," she said.

"Our bench is a good deal stronger now, I feel the experience we gained during that period has helped."

Sydney will start tonight as warm favourites, but Fitzgerald said one of her ex-players needed to be closely watched.

Dapto junior Leah Shoard was predominantly a back-up for the Swifts, but has commanded a lot more court time since moving to the Australian Institute of Sport.

"The AIS has proven an awesome opportunity for her, I have always had great faith in her," Fitzgerald said.

"This has given her the opportunity to show the Australian 21 and under selectors what she can do."

Fitzgerald said the focus should be on the development opportunities the Darters offer, not their position on the ladder.

"They haven't won a lot of games but they have been extremely competitive this year," she said.

"Last Sunday they showed that when they lost to the team coming second by one goal.

"With them it is not all about winning, it is all about developing young players."

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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