Net Gains: Umpires under fire, ‘we had two players on the ground and it was just play on’
Super Netball officials will be under the microscope this week after letting play continue despite a massive collision that left two players sprawled on the court and needing concussion assessments, EMMA GREENWOOD’s Net Gains.
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Umpires are likely to come under scrutiny after failing to stop the Super Netball clash between the Giants and Mavericks after players were involved in one of the biggest collisions of the season.
The Mavericks’ Kim Jenner and Giants’ Amy Sligar were involved in a bone-jarring collision in the final minute of Saturday’s clash at Ken Rosewall Arena, with officials failing to call time despite both players being left sprawled on the court.
Sligar eventually came from the court holding her wrist and was assessed by the team doctor - both for the wrist injury and for concussion.
I hope both players came off for a concussion assessment. @mphippard10@SocialNetballhttps://t.co/lnztL62Pgx
— Alan Pearce (@alanpearcephd) July 6, 2024
Jenner played out the final minute of the match and conducted a post-match interview but reportedly underwent concussion testing from the independent match-day doctor.
With scores tied in the dying stages of a match in which both teams’ finals hopes were on the line, Jenner got her hand to a ball being fed into the Giants circle and chased the deflection hard, managing to knock the ball back in court to a teammate before colliding head on with opposition midcourter Sligar, who was chasing the ball from the opposite direction.
Both players were moving at speed and hit the court hard, with audible gasps from the crowd at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Commentators on the Fox Netball broadcast also had an immediate reaction and concern for both players.
“That was one of the biggest hits I’ve seen on a sideline,” former Diamonds midcourter Kim Green said.
Despite that, the game was not stopped and neither player checked on by officials.
Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald was surprised that the match was not stopped at the very least.
“I don’t know exactly (the extent of Sligar’s wrist injury) but it doesn’t look good, it was a big collision,” Fitzgerald said.
“It did seem a little bit strange that it was just play on.
“We had two players lying on the ground on the sideline and it was just play on.”
Confusion initially reigned over whether the players involved were required to undergo head impact assessments (HIA) following the clash.
But a statement on Sunday afternoon said: “The league’s Chief Medical Officer has reviews the incident - determining protocols were adhered to.
“Both athletes underwent a head impact assessment (HIA) and were cleared of concussion,” the statement said.
“On repeat assessment today (Sunday), both players remained symptom free.”
Contact is understood to have been with Jenner’s shoulder, rather than her head and Mavs bosses were understandably happy the form defender had not suffered a concussion.
“A great result out of what was a very big hit,” Mavs chief executive Shae Bolton-Brown.
Jenner is not believed to be in any doubt for this week.
Eminent neuroscientist and concussion researcher Dr Alan Pearce, who specialises in sports-related concussion, said it was important for both players to have assessments, even if there was no contact to the head of either player.
Pearce, who took to social media on Saturday night, posting a video of the clash and saying he hoped both players had come off for a concussion assessment, said the point of contact was not the issue.
“You do not need to have a direct hit to their head for a concussion to occur,” Pearce said.
“It only needs the force from, say, those two players hitting each other, travelling through to the brain tissue that could cause a concussion, and so they should still, given the intensity of the collision and the fact that they then hit the floor, should automatically just be suspected (of concussion) and … at least have some assessment done.
“So for duty of care of the players, I think it still should be done because the optics then show that they (Netball Australia) really do care about athlete health and well being.”
Netball Australia trumpeted the tightening of its concussion protocols in the pre-season, with news an independent match-day doctor would be present at all Super Netball matches “to support the identification of suspected concussions”.
Tablets with match footage are also accessible by all doctors (the home team doctor and independent match-day medico) for video review of head impacts.
NA confirmed Jenner had been assessed by the independent doctor, while Sligar was seen to by the Giants doctor, with both players confirmed to have undergone concussion testing.
The umpires’ decision not to make a dangerous play call on Sligar, who had crossed the transverse line to chase the loose ball, is also likely to come under the microscope after new World Netball rules which state “a player must not take any action, either unnecessarily forceful, careless, reckless or dangerous that could affect the safety of another player (including the head and neck)”.
Jenner seemed largely unconcerned after the match, having earnt player of the match honours for her performance.
“I guess it’s always body on the line for those last (few) minutes, that was our finals right there, so we really needed to do everything to get over the line, so it was just do what you need to do.”
MAVS STILL FIGHTING
The Mavericks remain in finals contention, probably not something many people had on their bingo cards given the enormous injury issues they’ve had.
Before the club had taken its first centre pass in Super Netball, it had lost two players to season-ending injuries.
There’s been plenty of talk about percentage but the equation for the Mavs to make the top four is clear.
They need to conquer Super Netball’s toughest task - beating West Coast Fever in Perth - and hope that Sunshine Coast Lightning do not win their last round match.
The Lightning take on defending premiers the Thunderbirds in Adelaide on Sunday and will play finals if they win.
Even if they lose, they will make the post-season on percentage if the Mavs fail to fire on Saturday.
While both teams are locked on 24 competition points, the Lightning boast a percentage of 101.7 and the Mavs are likely to need to win by more than 70 in their final fixture to better that.
It’s not going to happen.
The odds say it’s unlikely Tracey Neville’s team will play in the finals. But most would have said it was unlikely they were going to ever be in the equation.
One thing’s for certain, they won’t be giving up until the final whistle in Perth on Saturday night.
RACE FOR MINOR PREMIERSHIP
On the other side of the ledger, the Fever and Thunderbirds have everything to play for, with a three-way tie at the top of the table and the minor premiership up for grabs.
The Vixens held a four-point buffer over both teams heading into the weekend’s games but after losing by a single point to the Fever, and the Thunderbirds beating the Swifts, all three sides are locked on 40 points.
The T-Birds have taken over top position on percentage (122.85), followed by the Vixens (111.04) and Fever (109.54).
The T-Birds have arguably the toughest test of the trio in the final fixture round this weekend, taking on pre-season favourites the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Adelaide.
The Vixens head to Brisbane to play the Firebirds, whose mathematical finals chance evaporated on Saturday after their loss to the Lightning, while the Fever host the Mavericks.
On the line is not only the minor premiership, that comes with hosting rights of the major semi-final but a top-two spot and the double chance in the playoffs that comes along with it.
WALLAM A WARRIOR
Emotional scenes in the pre-match ceremonies ahead of the Firebirds-Lightning clash at Brisbane’s Nissan Arena on Saturday night in a match that brought the competition’s only two full-time Indigneous contract holders together in First Nations round.
Both Donnell Wallam and Leesa Mi Mi were brought to tears during the Welcome to Country and pre-game entertainment.
Wallam, in particular, has had a huge week following an illness that kept her out of the round 12 clash against the Swifts before revealing days later she had been the target of vile racial abuse in a letter sent to her via the club.
The unified response from Netball Australia, Netball Queensland, the Firebirds and Netball WA - the pathway through which the Noongar athlete rose to the elite level - was swift, with all bodies unified in their abhorrence at and rejection of the racist sentiment.
But the Firebirds have been left to examine their protocols given the letter was able to reach her at all.
While they should not be the targets of hatred or vilification at all, at least if it’s online the players can block and report the culprits or switch off their devices.
The idea that unscreened messages are making their way to players - opening a pathway to anyone from overzealous critics to outright bigots and haters to stalkers - is an issue that needs to be addressed quickly.
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