For the first time all season Great Western will go into an A Grade match boasting a fully fit, full strength lineup.
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The Lions will have their best seven players together at full fitness on the same court for the first time this season when they host Caramut on Saturday.
Great Western has been decimated with injuries after a strong start to the season.
After returning from a year out of A Grade, the Lions won their first two games, including a win over Caramut, before the injuries kicked in.
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Player losses, including coach Amy Kindred, forced Great Western to bring up B and C Grade players as well as give junior players an opportunity at the top level against some of the league’s best teams.
The run of injuries has resulted in a nine-game losing streak for the A Grade Lions, a figure they hope to end this weekend.
“Obviously Caramut is a little bit more at out level so we go in confident we have a good chance of winning,” Great Western A Grade coach Amy Kindred said.
Caramut is the only side in the Mininera District Netball League A Grade with a worse record than Great Western, yet to record a win this season.
It looks like we will finally have a full side
- Amy Kindred
The league broke for a bye last weekend, a break Kindred said was very welcome for her team.
“We made sure we rested our bodies and looked after any sore spots,” she said.
“It looks like we will finally have a full side.
“Hopefully we can get through this game unscathed.”
Although Saturday’s game could be the first time Great Western will have all of its top players on the court at once, Kindred said she believes the players will be able to adjust to each other’s game style quickly.
“We haven’t been able to play together too much but the girls who have been injured have been at training and have been part of discussions about the team and our game plan,” she said.
“It is not like they are coming in without an idea.”
Kindred said four points are far from guaranteed from Saturday’s game. She said her side still needs to work hard in areas they have been working on all season.
“We will focus on defensive pressure up and down the court,” she said.
“The girls will have to work hard to cover extra ground or get extra intercepts. It will have to be a team effort with everyone playing their position like they need to be.”
