Tippah Dwan praised by Firebirds for stepping away from netball
Firebirds coach Kiri Wills has praised the “big call” made by goaler Tippah Dwan to step away from the game to ensure her body is equipped for the rigours of the best league in the world.
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Firebirds coach Kiri Wills has praised the “big call” made by goaler Tippah Dwan to step away from the game to ensure her body is equipped for the rigours of the best league in the world.
Dwan played through a knee injury last year and she has continued to battle problems, leaving her short of her best when on court so far this season.
At her best, the athletic goal attack is a player on the cusp of a national call-up - as evidenced by her invitation to Diamonds training at various times over the past few years.
But when lacking the confidence to make the short, sharp changes of direction needed to be a competitive playmaker in the best league in the world, Dwan can struggle to make an impact and has taken time out to get her body right before returning to the selection frame.
“It’s a work in progress for her,” Wills said of Dwan’s fitness ahead of the Firebirds’ clash with the Mavericks this week.
“She’s probably the world’s best athlete in terms of her attention to detail with what she needs to do.
“We just felt like she needed more time - and that’s what we’re trying to give her, is time and space to physically get really prepared so that the netball she puts out there is netball that she is proud of.
“It was a big call for her to do this work and to step away for a little bit of time and get herself right.
“But I think she’s made the right decision.”
Samoan international Abigail Latu-Meafou, who made her first Firebirds appearance in six years when she turned out against the Adelaide Thunderbirds last week, has again been named for Saturday’s clash against the Mavericks in Hobart.
The 27-year-old, who starred in the pre-season Team Girls Cup, especially from long range, will join Mary Cholhok and Emily Moore in a Firebirds side looking to turn around their fortunes after three consecutive losses.
Latu-Meafou played 20 minutes against the Thunderbirds but Wills said her involvement was a “week by week” proposition as Dwan worked to overcome her knee issues.
“We’ve been very happy with (Latu-Meafou) all of pre-season actually, she just changes the style and it’s a little bit more direct to post when you’ve got somebody like Abi on the court,” Wills said.
“We’re looking to use her and mix her in there because she offers something slightly different.”
The Firebirds are in danger of slipping back into old habits - showing flashes of outstanding netball that can have them compete with any team in the league but failing to produce the consistency required of a Super Netball heavyweight.
Wills has had a mandate for change though and while there’s been plenty of external focus on off-court adjustments, the on-court accountability is just as important and after letting what the club thought was a winnable match slip against the Thunderbirds last week, more is expected in Hobart on Saturday.
“Everyone talks about our values and our culture but it’s got to work in terms of performance,” Wills said.
“And so one of our key words is connection. Well, let’s make that connection work for us by demanding more from each other.
“We’ve come together as a group, we’ve sorted a few things out, but how do we go to that next level?”
They’ll get no free pass from the Mavericks, who have also suffered three consecutive losses and with captain Amy Parmenter expected back, will be hunting for just their second win of the season.
“Anyone who likes to compete, none of us are happy about losing,” Wills said.
“I think particularly the Swifts and the Thunderbirds games, we had moments and opportunities to push on and potentially take those games and we didn’t take those opportunities.
“I think when you know you’ve got it and you let it go, that’s when it really, really hurts.”
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Originally published as Tippah Dwan praised by Firebirds for stepping away from netball
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