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West Coast Fever to tackle a compressed fixture like nothing ever experience, including a two-day break

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Mitchell WoodcockThe West Australian
Adelaide Thunderbirds goal keeper Shamera Sterling battles with countrywoman and West Coast Fever star Jhaniele Fowler on Saturday.
Camera IconAdelaide Thunderbirds goal keeper Shamera Sterling battles with countrywoman and West Coast Fever star Jhaniele Fowler on Saturday. Credit: DARREN ENGLAND/AAPIMAGE

A tight turnaround between games against strong opposition means this Super Netball season presents challenges greater than any other in netball, according to West Coast Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich.

Fever’s next two games were revealed today, with a clash against NSW Swifts at USC Stadium on the Sunshine Coast this Sunday followed by a big match against Giants at Nissan Arena in Brisbane just two days later.

The only positive is an eight-day break between their win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds and their round two clashes, but compressed fixtures are set to be the new norm for the final 13 rounds.

Marinkovich said the schedule ahead was something none of her players or coaches had experienced before, but all teams were in the same situation so there were no complaints.

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“I think the biggest test will be this Sunday to Tuesday game and obviously playing in Sunshine Coast and then coming back and playing in Brisbane,” she said.

“It’s a very quick turnaround and something that is really different from every other tournament or competition because every opposition you come up against is extremely hard.

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“Whereas I guess when you play the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup, you’ve actually got games where there are some weaker sides where you can rotate a hell of a lot. This is like battling a tough game every week.

West Coast Fever Stacey Marinkovich speaks with her assistants during a game last season.
Camera IconWest Coast Fever Stacey Marinkovich speaks with her assistants during a game last season. Credit: TONY MCDONOUGH/AAPIMAGE

“I am not super concerned, because everyone is in the same boat and everyone is going to be pushed, that’s the reason why we pushed so hard to get extended squads. We knew this workload was going to be new and you want to keep producing quality performances.”

Marinkovich said Fever would continue to focus more on their game styles given the lack of time between games to scout the opposition.

“If you were really dependent on scouting your opposition, I think that would put us in a bit of trouble,” she said.

“Literally, with one day turnaround time you can watch them, but you can’t do the same detailed analysis that you would usually do.

“We’ve produced a game plan with some flexibility and versatility to combat the different styles we thought we would come up against.

“I think the thing that is the most challenging is making sure the players get netball free time and I think that’s also for the staff, it would be easy to sit here, watch the footage and be thinking netball 24-7.”

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