Super Netball grand final 2023: Sterling set to play despite Thunderbirds injury scare
Jamaican international Shamera Sterling has sent a massive scare through the Thunderbirds camp after a dramatic collapse at training on Tuesday.
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Talismanic Adelaide goalkeeper Shamera Sterling is certain to line up for the Thunderbirds in Saturday’s Super Netball grand final despite an injury scare at training on Tuesday.
Sterling sent a massive scare through the T-Birds camp after rolling her ankle and collapsing, screaming, to the floor at Netball SA Stadium.
When the Jamaican international was helped from the court, many believed the Thunderbirds’ grand final plans were in tatters.
But coach Tania Obst eased concerns, saying the club physio had reassured her it was a “stinger” and Sterling would be fit to return to training on Thursday after her regular day off and take her place against the NSW Swifts in the grand final.
“The physio’s comfortable with what happened,” Obst said.
“I’m very comfortable with (the assessment of) our physiotherapist who doesn’t necessarily feel the need for a scan.
“She’ll obviously keep an eye on her but is pretty comfortable that she’ll be okay.”
Sterling’s likely fitness is a massive boost given her recent form, including a seven deflection, six gain effort in Adelaide’s thrilling overtime semi-final win against the Swifts just over a week ago.
But it’s been the efforts of the entire defensive unit, not just Sterling, that have been essential for the Thunderbirds this season.
In concert with Sunshine Girls teammate Latanya Wilson and wider Diamonds squad member Matilda Garrett, Sterling forms a defensive end that has been near impenetrable for opponents at times this season.
Obst obviously wants her key player in the thick of the action in the grand final at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena on Saturday night.
But having used her full rotation of players on several occasions this season, Obst is also confident of any combination she puts on court.
“That incident did give us an opportunity to throw another combination out there and Tilly (Garrett) did some really good work for us in pre-season as a keeper and of course Latanya can also go out there (at goalkeeper).
“But we’re certainly expecting Shamera to be okay.”
In a quirk of the draw given their Round 14 clash, the Swifts and Thunderbirds will meet the Swifts for the third time in a month on Saturday.
Their previous back-to-back meetings have given the teams a chance to get to know each other’s games particularly well and Obst is backing her young side to cope with anything thrown at them on Saturday.
“We generally play better the more we play against a team - we’re very good learners,” Obst said.
“We’re familiar with how they play and we’ve obviously got some things that we want to tweak as well.
“And we’ll have a few little other things (to go to after) we watched what they’ve done against the Fever (in the preliminary final) and we’ll be ready for that as well.”
The Thunderbirds have not been in the finals for a decade, let alone a grand final and while Obst and her coaching team are keeping the environment consistent, they’re not trying to pretend it’s just another week.
“We’re talking about what we need to do - we’re not shying away from it being the grand final,” she said.
“But in all honesty, when we get out here and we’ve done our analysis and we get out on the court, it has felt like business as usual.
“I’m sure that there’ll be nervous energy but I think that that’s a good sign.
“This group has a belief amongst it and we know that our best is good enough and we’ll certainly be looking to put that out.
“We’ll fight till the death, we’ll fight till the very end whatever that looks like for us and we’ll see what happens.”
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Originally published as Super Netball grand final 2023: Sterling set to play despite Thunderbirds injury scare
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