Northern Hawks are on the road again this weekend for their State League clash against top of the table Arrows in Hobart.
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The Hawks have a huge challenge ahead to bridge the 19-goal deficit from the last time they met ten weeks ago. They have been building their game on tight defensive pressure and will look to limit Arrows options in attack to slow their fast, high-volume scoring ability that has kept them undefeated.
Arrows are the team to beat and Northern Hawks will be keen to find a way to keep within striking distance as they aim to make better decisions under Arrows defensive pressure.
Hawks have a strong playing group with more experience together against hard contested netball and are ready for the Arrows onslaught in attack on goals with Gemma Poke and Kate Hyland both solid options to match up on goalie Sophie Gunn in the circle.
Ashlea Mawer is in good form and will be a focal point to convert contested possessions gained into critical goals. Zoe Claridge will also play a pivotal role in the goal circle to ensure Arrows defenders Zoe Gough and Adriana Gough split their attention to cover both shooters.
Sarah Lyons and Jennifer Guy will work with Nikea Lapham to find the gaps in Arrows defensive set up and focus on their intensity and accuracy with the ball through heavy traffic.
Coach Ruth Tuohy is preparing her team to play smart and have patience with the ball. “ We need to persist with our own structures and read Arrows style of play in attack to create some turnovers. This will be our last chance before finals to fine tune and test strategic options that will help us keep the pressure on Arrows for four quarters of netball.”
The Cavaliers travel to Hobart on Sunday to face Cripps Waratah in a must-win game for both teams fighting desperately for a finals position with only two roster games left. With sixteen premierships between them, both clubs are going through a transition period with younger playing groups and both have struggled at times during the course of the season.
The two teams have not faced each since round 9 with Cavaliers having recorded two close wins over their southern counterparts.Cavaliers Coach Dannie Carstens insists her charges will not be complacent going into the final match-up against Cripps.
“We are certainly not going into this match complacent. A lot has changed for both Cavs and Cripps since our earlier encounters and both teams have developed their playing styles and combinations,” she said.
“It is imperative that we stick to the things that we do well and not enter into any other style or pace. There will be some key match ups in both goal circles, with tall targets Amelia Fazackerly and Kate Archer the likely shooters for Cripps. Cavaliers defenders Coote, Van Noord and Norquay will be looking to create pressure to shut them down early.”