Taking it up to the Vixens

For much of the ANZ Championship’s history, the West Coast Fever have had a reputation as a team laden with young talent.

The team is still packed young talent, but competing against the top teams as been a feature of this year’s campaign under former Australian coach Norma Plummer.

Reflecting on last week’s nail biting two-goal loss to the NSW Swifts, Plummer was impressed with her defenders.

“The game last week was ours for the taking, and unfortunately some of our players need to step up and finish,” she said.

“I thought defensively we had a great game ‐ (Chanel) Gomes and (Eboni) Beckford‐Chambers are players I rate extremely highly and predict big things for both of their futures.”

An even tougher challenge for Plummer and her Fever charges presents itself this weekend, when they face the Melbourne Vixens on Sunday.

Melbourne returned to form with an eight-goal win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds prior to last week’s bye, so it will be a though ask for West Coast.

Plummer is tipping it to be a closely contested game; much like it was back in round two where her team started well before going down by nine goals.

“The Vixens are a very strong side, but we have continually showed that we are able to compete with the very best of them.”

“We know what we need to do in terms of combating their world class defensive line, and how to shut down both their tall and mobile options in the goal circle ‐ we just need to get on and do it!”

Shooter Sarah East has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after rupturing her ACL and exciting midcourter Verity Simmons will miss with an ankle sprain.

Plummer has opted to use two local players as replacements for the injured duo and both will travel to Melbourne.

Shooter Ashleigh Neal and defender Lindal Rohde have been selected as the two replacement players on the back of impressive form at WA State League Level for their respective clubs.

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