The GIANTS will complete their next step in their pre-season preparations this weekend when they travel to regional Victoria to join the Melbourne Vixens, Adelaide Thunderbirds and West Coast Fever for the Ballarat Blitz.
The GIANTS will take on the reigning premiers, the Adelaide Thunderbirds, and round one opponent, West Coast Fever, as part of the two-day blockbuster weekend.
The weekend of matches will mark the fourth and fifth pre-season matches for the club to date, following a game against the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane plus a pair of matches against the Melbourne Mavericks in Wagga Wagga and Griffith.
Exploring new combinations, fine tuning game plans and improving match fitness have been the focuses to date.
The team will once again relish the weekend’s opportunities to test their game against like-minded competition, outside the walls of their orange and charcoal surrounds, ahead of an April 13 season opener.
The GIANTS will be without Matisse Letherbarrow for the weekend’s matches, after the 22-year-old sustained a minor ankle injury at training this week.
All remaining contracted athletes (excluding Maddie Hay) will travel to Ballarat with training partners Kelly Singleton, Gina Crampton and Monika ‘Otai set to join the travelling squad.
GIANTS head coach Julie Fitzgerald said she is looking forward to another weekend on the road.
“We love any chance we can get to travel as a team. The bonding you experience as a team on the road is second to none, it adds to the team culture and hopefully that translates onto the court,” she said.
“Playing netball in regional areas is so crucial to the growth and awareness of the game and often regional fans are some of the most passionate, so we look forward to playing our part in that aspect.
“On court, once again we’ll continue to build on what we’ve done so far this season. With back-to-back games and some different names travelling, we're guaranteed to see some new and different combinations.
“In terms of our opposition, it’s another fantastic opportunity to get some insight on the Thunderbirds and Fever ahead of the season. Both teams boast different line ups and new talent, so any opportunity we can get to learn about them is valuable.”
All matches will be played at Ballarat’s Sellkirk Stadium and will be live streamed via the Melbourne Vixens’ Facebook page.
Game 1: Saturday, March 16
GIANTS v Adelaide Thunderbirds
3:00pm
Game 2: Sunday, March 17
GIANTS v West Coast Fever
11:00am
