When Stacey Marinkovich was appointed Australia Diamonds coach at the end of August, it came as a surprise to some
Australian netball great Liz Ellis asked how a coach with no international playing experience, or even a national title to her name, beat a field that included a candidate with both of those qualifications
Marinkovich gets a chance to put one of those critiques to bed on Sunday, when his West Coast Fever side take on the Melbourne Vixens in the Super Netball Grand Final
« When I’m in this group, everything revolves around fever, everything revolves around our brand, the relationships that we build, » said Marinkovich
« It’s not about me on Sunday, it’s about our collective and how we worked hard to get out and play
Vixens coach Simone McKinnis was the first favorite to take on the role of the Diamonds, but said the snub wouldn’t serve as additional motivation for her in the grand final
« Once this process was completed, I focused on the Vixens and it doesn’t matter to me now »
If a win would somehow help justify her nomination to the top post, it would also deliver silverware to a starving WA fan base, which has seen a team, in their many incarnations, strive to be a force among national netball competitions in which he has participated
Since joining the then National Netball League in 1997, the Fever (formerly the Perth Orioles) have only made one grand final – the heartbreaking 2018 loss to the Sunshine Coast Lightning at Perth Arena
The club embraced their history, wearing a retro Orioles-inspired dress in their last regular season game against the Adelaide Thunderbirds
Fever captain Courtney Bruce grew up watching the Orioles and experienced the hard work firsthand as a fan when she attended games at Challenge Stadium
« It’s special that I now have the opportunity to play and I think it’s even more special that we have the opportunity to wear our retro dress and pay tribute to players from the past, » said she declared
« Of course, when we put on our uniforms we represent something much bigger than us on the pitch, » she said.
« What we need to do is integrate that into our group and bring it closer together so that when we play we get the result of being able to inspire and empower the rest of our community proud «
They haven’t beaten the Melbourne side in two years, with their best result a draw in round 10 of this season
That being said, a direct comparison between the teams over their last 10 matches suggests there is little separation between the two teams
The Fever are the best performing team in Super Netball by far, thanks mainly to the dominance of Jamaican Jhaniele Fowler who has scored 910 goals this season, 327 more than any other player
But Perth’s side will need to find a way to get past the tight defense of the Vixens, as the Victorians have conceded the fewest goals in the league this season
The Vixens also rode an emotional wave in the decision maker and took inspiration from the hardships Victorians faced during the coronavirus pandemic
« It’s only if you’re from Victoria that you understand what it is right now and how difficult it has been, » said coach Simone McKinnis
« We left Melbourne as it headed into its worst lockdown period and obviously our family and friends are still here
They will also bid farewell to two of the game’s greats, Tegan Philip and Caitlin Thwaites announcing their retirement
Whatever happens on Sunday, there will be a magical end to the season for one of the teams – and the fever just hopes it’s theirs
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Melbourne Vixens, West Coast Fever, Stacey Marinkovich, Australian National Netball Team, Grand Final, Simone McKinnis
World News – AU – Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich ignores reviews before the Grand Netball final
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
