City West Falcons were given a reality check in the Victorian Netball League on Wednesday night.
Facing the Geelong Cougars in a top of the table clash, the Falcons put out one of their most disappointing performances of the season.
The Cougars got the jump early, and despite the Falcons getting within five goals twice, were able to run away with a convincing 68-53 win.
Falcons coach Marg Lind said the group didn’t adapt to the changing environment that was around them.
She said a quarter of the club had COVID, while an injury to star shooter Jane Cook added another thing to deal with.
“Cookie had one of the train-on partners stand on her foot on Monday,” she said.
“She was clearly limping and if she had been a centre, would have been ruled out before the game.
“We thought she would have been right, but after five minutes we decided it wasn’t a good risk.
“The first quarter was then atrocious and the team could see what was happening. Their heads weren’t in it.”
Lind said a lack of concentration proved costly and even when they had got back into the game, players’ heads were still dropped. She said the intensity wasn’t there.
“It’s disappointing and it’s something we can work on.”
With the match over early on, Lind said they looked to try some different combinations, which might come in handy come finals.
While the Falcons were disappointing, Lind said they couldn’t take it away from the Cougars and the performance that they put out.
She reiterated that the Cougars were the best team in the competition.
“They are by far the most experienced team,” she said. “They’re going to be hard to beat, useless a team can keep their heads.”
Lind said Maggie Lind, who had only come out of isolation that day from having COVID-19, was their best.
She said Collingwood was keen for her to get a run in her legs ahead of the Super Netball finals.
The Falcons slip to third on the ladder, now percentage behind second placed Melbourne University.
Despite a number of players out in the under-19s and division 1 teams with COVID, the Falcons were able to get wins.
The division 1 team won 56-49, despite missing three of their four normal defenders. The side sits third.
The under-19 team won 52-45. They are in second.
The Falcons this week face the Wilson Storage Southern Saints.
Tara Murray
