Pretty Black and White Wrap Up NSW Swifts V Collingwood Magpies Round 6 Sunday 2 June 2019, Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney

The Magpies were slow to start, and the umpires were clamping down on footwork stinging both Ravaillion and Medhurst. The Swifts played a patient game and worked the ball into their circle leaving the Magpies trailing by 5 points. At the 5-minute mark the Magpies got a turnover and steadily pegged back the Swifts lead. The Pies continued to work hard and levelled the score causing a Swifts time out. Mentor was at her finest and picked off the ball around the edge of the circle. The Swifts had 51% of the possessions to the Magpies 49%. At the break the Swifts led by 3 points and collected the bonus point.

The start of the second quarter saw a lack of rebounding from the Magpie defenders bring it to 4 so early in the game. Medhurst delivered a beautiful pass into Nelson and produced a goal but the Swifts continued to press on, and the Pies had a 9-goal deficit. The Pies called a time out around the 9-minute mark and on return gave more of the same. Brazill used her great vision to get a bomb to Nelson who scored. Brazill continued to work hard and show her athleticism around the edge of the circle by flicking it back in and not going offside. Another Magpie time out saw big changes in the team with Poi in for Ravaillion, Sinclair in for Medhurst and Garrett in for Brandley. The Swifts took their lead to 10 points. Sinclair had 2 successful long shots and reduced the Swifts lead to 8 points at half time. The Swifts took another bonus point at the end of the quarter.
The third quarter saw the return of Medhurst and Brandley, with Brandley and Mentor momentarily finding their groove. The Swifts took a time out with a 10-goal lead. Brandley and Mentor were unable to stop the shooting machine that was Wallace (Swifts). At the final break the Swifts led by 11 goals and took the final bonus point.

The final term saw the Magpies defence not working with many unforced errors. The Magpies called a time out at the 6.5-minute mark and were trailing by 16 points. Mentor was replaced with Garrett and Browne started trying to force the ball into the circle. Garrett was outclassed in the circle by Wallace and Nelson was moving too early in the Magpie end. The Pies opted for unsuccessful lobs to Nelson over the easy option of Medhurst. They managed to stop the haemorrhaging with a 16-point deficit to the Swifts at the final siren.

Final score Giants 68   Pies  52   Swifts by 16 points
Player of the match Sarah Klau, Swifts

My Take
I’m not sure what happened to this very talented team this week but there seemed to be a disconnect. At times their Coach was unable to offer options to counter the opposition and I’m not sure why there was so much talent and experience on the bench at a crucial time in the game. I understand that players need a rest but putting a small Goal Defence on a very tall shooter and expecting a good result was surely up there with the definition of madness. By the final quarter the Magpies knew they were beaten, and their heads started to drop. By all appearances it seems that there needs to be a shift in mind set; especially with all that talent in the team. And for my money there seemed to be a lack of passion that started in the coaching box and spread throughout the team. Maybe the team need to go back to basics with their drills and plays and a little team bonding wouldn’t go astray either. This team has the ability to produce bigger and better things. Sure, a win would be great, but a game where the intensity does not stop, and every player is giving their all and doing a little on-court problem solving might give them the confidence to win. I believe in this team even if some of them are not there yet. Looking forward to next week’s game against The Vixens. Go Pies!
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