Former Diamonds’ coach Lisa Alexander rates the eight Super Netball coaches as the competition reaches half way
Coaching. Both an Art and a Science. So, who has best managed each during this year’s Super Netball competition so far? LISA ALEXANDER analyses the performance of all eight coaches.
Coaching is a Performance Art and Science.
We can sit back and analyse performance, watch the way a coach interacts with their team, and how the team performs over time, but ultimately the final judgement comes in the form of wins and losses.
Prior to the season I got to sit down with each of the eight Super Netball coaches to gain an insight into their preparations for the year, and now at the halfway point of season, perhaps controversially, I have been tasked with rating their performances.
This group is elite, high performing and only they know the 24/7 work ethic required to execute this level of program so making a judgement on a sliver of time from a 12 month program with all sorts of complexity is no easy task.
During my time as Diamonds Head Coach we used a Diamonds approach (based on our work with Ray McLean at Leading Teams) to rating each player’s performance in every Test match, every SSN match and even training sessions to formulate our thinking and strategies for the next Test match.
So as much as players or even coaches may hate to see ratings in the public domain, they are an extremely helpful tool as you are constantly striving for improvement.
Here’s how I rate each SSN coach so far in 2024:
DAN RYAN – West Coast Fever
RATING: 8.5/10
Dan’s use of his entire squad of 10 players is the real strength of his team. He’s using it strategically, and it has helped him to be very unpredictable for the opposition to analyse.
You have the known Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard factor, but a lot of teams don’t pay enough respect to Shanice Beckford or Alice Teague-Neeld. Dan’s centre court has been really solid and probably underrated, Kelsey Browne having a standout season so far.
Lisa Alexander’s chat with Dan Ryan prior to the Super Netball’s season start
Defensively, the way they interchange so beautifully and have been using Fran Williams in a way that has helped her develop into the league rather than just throwing her in the deep end has been really smart.
Dan has also made the most of Fran’s strengths like reading the intercept and getting turnovers when you need it, and she is terrific in her attack transition.
I have not been surprised by the margins in Fever games because of the level of work they’ve obviously done on their fitness in the pre-season. You can see how fit they are and
how prepared they are to do the hard slog of off ball work in attack and defence.
The challenge for Dan in the second half of the season is being able to “outfox” the opposition. Everyone now has had half a year to analyse them and there will be a pattern
that comes out.
The Vixens showed a way of defeating the Fever that they perhaps had not expected and that was having Jo Weston on WD.
It showed you a way of putting together a defensive structure to defeat their attack which is obviously focused on Fowler.
How the Fever changes that up a little bit this second half of the season is something I am certain they will work on.
SIMONE MCKINNIS – Melbourne Vixens
RATING: 8.5/10
Simone has done a really good job this year coping with the injuries the Vixens have had and riding every pass they make on court while coaching on the sidelines. Injuries have thrown curve balls her way, but they’ve managed to tweak the combinations, besides the loss against Lightning.
Lightning have always matched up well against the Vixens in Melbourne and Liz Watson obviously had a fair bit to play for in that match.
I think that loss was just a blip in the radar for the Vixens and they got back on the horse really quickly and took down the top of the competition Fever.
They’re most certainly in contention for the top three. Where they finish will depend on the form of Emily Mannix really as she is playing brilliantly along with Kate Moloney.
You can see by the way Sophie Garbin is playing that she is fit, confident and enjoying the combination with Kiera Austin.
I expect them to just keep on building towards the finals, under the expert tutelage of Di Honey, Assistant Coach to Simone.
Simone has had experience in the past about how to time that run of the second half of the season, and what she needs to do when the finals beckon.
She will hold a few cards back and not show everything before finals.
The battle with Dan Ryan will be intriguing. They’re both from Geelong and are very respectful of the extra spice in the match ups between the two sides.
Lisa Alexander’s chat with Simone McKinnis prior to the Super Netball’s season start
TANIA OBST (Adelaide Thunderbirds)
RATING: 8.5/10
Tania has gone to a whole new level this year in terms of her use of her team and her quiet confidence in the squad she is coaching. She has been much more strategic about when she uses her bench, and is making changes in quarters probably a bit more proactively rather than reacting.
Tania’s relationship with Cathy Fellows, who has just been appointed the Australian 21 and Under coach, is seamless with Cathy on the defence end and Tania primarily on the attack end, they do mix this up nicely and strategically as well.
They’ve really got the players in a mindset of wanting to keep improving. They won a grand final last year and could’ve rested on their laurels; they’ve had Eleanor Cardwell and Tracey Neville leave and everyone thought they won’t be as good but they’re actually better.
Romelda Aiken-George has done a fantastic job, so has Laura Scherian and Georgie Horjus is knocking on the door of the Diamonds.
The Thunderbirds are spectacular at the moment. There are not a lot of chinks in their armour.
The challenge for Tania will be getting over the hurdles that can naturally come up at any time, things like illness, travel fatigue or personal issues off the court. Sometimes those things can make a back-end of a season go awry.
And dealing with some hardships in games like send offs or umpiring decisions that don’t go in your favour, that is something they might need to keep addressing.
I’m not saying they have an issue with it, but it is something they need to be mindful of in the second half of the season when you play such a defensive game plan.
Lisa Alexander’s chat with Tania Obst prior to the Super Netball’s season start
BRIONY AKLE (NSW Swifts)
RATING: 7.5/10
The Swifts are a real conundrum. Briony is a terrific coach and a championship winner and she has achieved that success with great enthusiasm, creativity and positivity.
But I can just see a little bit of reticence creeping into her. It’s just an observation, but if I was talking to Briony I would just say you need to believe in your system that you already had, the Swifts way with Briony leading it.
Lisa Alexander’s chat with Briony Akleprior to the Super Netball’s season start
But, also, I think there needs to be a bit more time spent on the basics with her players.
Some of them are not quite at the level they were, particularly at the defensive end where I think it is just missing a beat.
Clearly she asked Noeline Taurua to come in and do a bit of work with the defenders. I don’t know if people thought differently, but I thought they looked a bit confused. I’m certain they would’ve gone back and discussed it and will look to improve that side of the game.
They were really good at one-on-one defence, particularly the combination of Maddy Turner and Sarah Klau, but I think they’re trying to evolve that to another level and haven’t quite nailed that yet.
The form of Helen Housby has been just a little bit off. She hasn’t been quite as consistent, as soon as you say that about her, her game will go to a whole new level that is the sort of competitor she is.
I sense there is something wrong there with Sam Wallace-Joseph. Whether it is her mindset, or whether it’s her ability to move after the injury, we just don’t know. But it looks like that combination with Helen has lost a bit of an edge.
The Swifts are a dangerous team and their coach is a world class coach so I am certain they will come home with a wet sail.
BELINDA REYNOLDS – Sunshine Coast Lightning
RATING: 7.5/10
It has been an interesting season because they’ve had some big losses and they got truly ambushed by the Fever.
I would say they’ve had a really good look at the first half of the season and changed their mindset about a couple of things and made a few tweaks.
Injury to Courtney Bruce has forced that, but it has actually elevated Tara Hinchliffe and Ashleigh Ervin. Those two are playing magnificently together – it is quite stunning what they’re doing.
Liz Watson is taking huge responsibility in terms of driving that improvement but they all need to get on the same page as a team to support the coach in what she is trying to do.
I felt like there was a lack of connection with the attack end. I’m not certain what Steph Fretwell’s role is on two-point shot time, and how that is all working with Cara Koenen.
The Lightning’s record with the super shot is a major issue for them. You cannot ignore it.
They need to come home in the second half of the year with a clear strategy for those final five minutes of supershot time.
Steph and Cara mainly are the ones that need to take responsibility for that.
If they can get their attack back to consistent world class level, that will be a big factor in the Lightning getting into the finals and winning finals.
Lisa Alexander’s chat with Belinda Reynolds prior to the Super Netball’s season start
TRACEY NEVILLE – Melbourne Mavericks
RATING: 7.5/10
It’s been a mixed bag for Tracey and I think they’ve performed better than most people thought given the injuries they sustained.
They clearly are a team that looks like they’re underdone in terms of pre-season when you compare them to other teams and no doubt the high performance side of the program will be something they consider in their post-season review.
But on the other side, their heart and soul and their team play has actually been very good.
Their mindset, the development of the club, the connection to the community and their values I think has been a triumph.
There is still a question mark around the centre court for me.
Amy Parmenter is doing well, but she is not necessarily being allowed to shine in the role.
Lisa Alexander’s chat with Tracey Neville prior to the Super Netball’s season start
The other midcourters are doing their bit, but are they being consistently world class is the question mark?
You need to be at the top of your game every time you step on the court in this league.
Eleanor Cardwell is obviously playing well, but she does rely too much on looking across to Tracey on the bench. I see that a lot.
Is she looking for validation or direction?
Shimona Jok has been a revelation and I think it’s been a great thing for her to get this opportunity. There was an argument about whether her spot should have gone to a Victorian but at the end of the day this is not school netball, this is the best in the world, so we can just stop that discussion. She deserves that spot and is doing really well. Kim Jenner is also beginning to show the form that got her selected into the Diamonds Squad.
The Mavericks haven’t had many games where they’ve just given up. They’re not making up the numbers as some predicted, they are certainly sitting in a good enough position to have a strike at the top four if they can keep up an intense level of play and hit opposition teams in their weak areas.
JULIE FITZGERALD – The Giants
RATING: 7/10
One of the most experienced coaches going around with championships galore, but wow has she had a hard time of it.
It’s no coincidence that as soon as Maddy Hay was back in the line-up for the Giants, they’re playing better, they’re playing straighter.
It’s like in footy, they’re going down the middle and they’re kicking it straight. That suits their style. Her coming back into the combination has been so important to their attacking confidence and connections.
That takes pressure off the defence end which is a new defence end.
When you have issues at both ends of the court, it is terribly difficult to get anything working consistently.
The other thing is we’re not seeing Jo Harten speak as much in the past couple of weeks in the breaks, which is a good thing.
Having been a playing coach myself, one of the key things you must do is shut up at breaks because it is the bench coach who should be coaching in my opinion.
That is Julie as Head Coach’s time to get the message across. They can see it all unfold and think strategically. Jo can still talk to the other players but as a teammate giving feedback, not running the show, in my humble opinion of course.
Lisa Alexander’s chat with Julie Fitzgerald prior to the Super Netball’s season start
BEC BULLEY – Queensland Firebirds
RATING: 7/10
Bec is truly inexperienced in this position – she is learning and she is getting better.
It is just her second season so you’ve got to be mindful of comparisons with other coaches who have been doing this for many years.
They’ve got lots of challenges at the Firebirds with injuries and so forth, but she is still working out what is going to be “the” style of game at the Firebirds.
Is it going to be one-on-one defence all the time and we will just wear teams down?
Is it going to be change ups in defence? When are we implementing those changes?
Is it going to be using Donnell Wallam’s special talents in a way that really makes the most of her gifts and ability?
I don’t know yet because it has not been consistently applied.
Lisa Alexander’s chat with Bec Bulley prior to the Super Netball’s season start
That is Bec’s biggest challenge – creating and leading the style of play she wants and making her players accountable to stick to it, even when the chips are down.
That starts at training. There is no other way to get confidence other than doing it at training – going back to basics and stop changing and tweaking things too much.
Bec needs to find that brand of netball she wants at the Firebirds.
I would be honing it and honing it and making sure the second half of the year every game
they come out and they get 10 out of 10 for effort, at the very least, in applying their brand of
netball.
Results will come once they consistently stick to the plan as they are a talented squad.
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