Netball: Vixens co-captain Liz Watson’s ankle injury has been managed so well she’s it and firing for Saturday’s semi-final clash against Sunshine Coast Lightning.
A spot in the grand final is up for grabs on Saturday and Liz Watson is over an ankle injury in time to lead her Vixens towards glory.
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The Melbourne Vixens’ “super conservative” approach with Liz Watson’s ankle injury has ensured the world’s best wing attack is fit and firing for Saturday’s Super Netball semi-final clash against Sunshine Coast Lightning.
A frustrated Watson was forced to sit out two full matches and then play just half the Vixens’ final fixture match after injuring her ankle against the NSW Swifts in Round 11 but breezed through captain’s run on Friday to ensure she will be on court at the minor premiers attempt to advance to the grand final.
Despite the time missed equating to more than a sixth of the regular season, Watson still easily topped the Super Netball standings for goal assists and feeds and her ability to camp at the top of the circle and give her shooters scoring opportunities on Saturday will be invaluable for the Vixens.
Watson, who played her 100th national league match against the Lightning last week, staying on court for just half a game to get a confidence-boosting run on her ankle, said it had been a frustrating couple of weeks recovering from ligament damage.
“I probably jinxed myself in that 99th game (getting injured),” she said.
“It has been a couple of tough weeks because I’m not used to this rehab and sitting on the bench business, so it was nice to get out there.
“I didn’t really think too much about the 100, it was more about getting the ankle right and getting out there to play.”
We go head to head with the @sc_lightning again tomorrow! 👊ðŸ¼But first, Dr Aaron Fox and the @Deakin Centre for Sport Research have done the stats to see where we match up 🥊 pic.twitter.com/c6HKdm0aOd
— Melbourne Vixens (@MelbourneVixens) October 2, 2020
Watson was adamant she could have played out the match, just as club officials said she could have played a week earlier if it was a final.
But coach Simone McKinnis has treated her midcourt star with kid gloves.
“We’ve been super conservative with her over these last couple of weeks,” McKinnis said.
“Potentially she could have played more (last week) but I didn’t want to do that, it was pointless.
“It was important for her to be out there and play, it’s been hard for her not to be out there playing but she’s in a really good position.
“We would never do anything that would jeopardise her playing throughout the finals and ultimately that was our objective.”
Due to COVID-19, the Vixens have been in Queensland’s Super Netball hub for more than two months, including an initial quarantine period, but rather than their patience waning, the team has enormous resolve to win not just for themselves but for all Victorians.
While Watson has been frustrated over the past couple of weeks, she knows the end goal - a maiden Vixens Super Netball premiership – is worth the wait.
“Intensity lifts in finals and every team is going to be going at it,” Watson said.
“Everyone’s really excited and I think we can see where we want to be, which is right there at the end with that premiership.
“That’s the full focus for the whole team.”
Originally published as Netball: Vixens co-captain Liz Watson’s ankle injury has been managed so well she’s it and firing for Saturday’s semi-final clash against Sunshine Coast Lightning.