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- #51
Well that was a thoroughly disappointing end to what I think was a positive season. We had our challenges, starting with turning over half our squad, and then getting a season ending injury to one of the remaining 2018 squad members in Madi Browne, and a late start to another of our returning 2018 squad members in Matilda Garrett, also due to injury (I think in our first game of the season 7 out of 10 players were not with the team last year). By the end of the season it looked like we were clicking and we got some big wins over some good opponents late in the season, and our late charge to the finals resulted in a well earned finals birth.
I think our offseason recruiting leading into 2019 was strong with all our recruits showing something, though I think the jury is still out on Sinclair as a back up goaler. It was interesting that once the season started we rarely went to our bench and with Madi Browne going down, our bench players had very little flexibility, Garrett only seems to play GD and Sinclair only seems to play GA. The positional move of the year for me was switching Brazill and Ravallion with both players and the team benefiting from the move, with us able to use Brazill's flare over the whole court whilst Ravallion was a very good defender, with the flexibility to move to centre if we needed her.
Poi was a good last minute replacement for Madi Browne, whom you would hope be available for next season. It will be interesting to see if we stick with her as a replacement for Kelsey who you would expect to miss most of next year (all if they move the season forward to start earlier) or if we go fishing for a bigger named replacement given we have more time, and there is potentially more talent available through the offseason. To me our bench players of Poi, Garrett and Sinclair would be the most vulnerable to replacement if we were to make changes to our squad, given the lack of flexibility they offer coming off the bench.
Personally though, I would like to see minimal changes this offseason and give this squad the opportunity to build off of the work from the 2019 season. The other thing I wanted to mention before I sign off on this very long post, is that it was obvious this season that our coach Rob Wright has had more buy in from our players than our previous coach did, and that the results later in the season was as much about the players playing for him than anything. I do think he has brought a level of harmony to the group that makes me look at our netball squad and think that they area team, something that I didn't get off the group last year.
Be interested in your thoughts toxic
Anyway, thanks for those who took an interest in the Collingwood Netball team this year. I'll keep posting in the offseason as I hear any news as we move into season 2020.
I think our offseason recruiting leading into 2019 was strong with all our recruits showing something, though I think the jury is still out on Sinclair as a back up goaler. It was interesting that once the season started we rarely went to our bench and with Madi Browne going down, our bench players had very little flexibility, Garrett only seems to play GD and Sinclair only seems to play GA. The positional move of the year for me was switching Brazill and Ravallion with both players and the team benefiting from the move, with us able to use Brazill's flare over the whole court whilst Ravallion was a very good defender, with the flexibility to move to centre if we needed her.
Poi was a good last minute replacement for Madi Browne, whom you would hope be available for next season. It will be interesting to see if we stick with her as a replacement for Kelsey who you would expect to miss most of next year (all if they move the season forward to start earlier) or if we go fishing for a bigger named replacement given we have more time, and there is potentially more talent available through the offseason. To me our bench players of Poi, Garrett and Sinclair would be the most vulnerable to replacement if we were to make changes to our squad, given the lack of flexibility they offer coming off the bench.
Personally though, I would like to see minimal changes this offseason and give this squad the opportunity to build off of the work from the 2019 season. The other thing I wanted to mention before I sign off on this very long post, is that it was obvious this season that our coach Rob Wright has had more buy in from our players than our previous coach did, and that the results later in the season was as much about the players playing for him than anything. I do think he has brought a level of harmony to the group that makes me look at our netball squad and think that they area team, something that I didn't get off the group last year.
Be interested in your thoughts toxic
Anyway, thanks for those who took an interest in the Collingwood Netball team this year. I'll keep posting in the offseason as I hear any news as we move into season 2020.
