Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This week, Beck O'Connell caught up with long time Albury Tigers midcourt player Justine Willis about the Tigers start to the season with their new look side. Willis also touches on some of the things netballers can do to prevent injuries this season.
BO'C: Last season was obviously super successful for Albury in making the grand final. It's been a bit of a slower start this season with a new look side. How's the team feeling under new coach Sarah Moore?
JW: Really good. We're all loving it at the moment, on and off the court, with the bunch of girls we have. We did change in terms of our grand final team, just in terms of starting players with a few girls coming in and a couple being unavailable. But everyone's enjoying it and gelling really well together.
BO'C: You must be pretty happy with the Tigers game against Corowa-Rutherglen last week. Despite the loss, you managed to post the smallest margin they have had against them this season. How was the vibe around the team coming away from that game?
JW: Yeah absolutely. You always go out there with the goal to come away with the win, but we were really happy with our game. We knew Corowa-Rutherglen were going to be really strong and tough. They've got strong players right across the court. Over the years, both teams have matched up really well against each other, so we knew it was going to be a really physical game, and that's what it was. We were happy with how we played. We know where we need to sort of work on and improve for next time when we come up against them.
BO'C: Justine, you keep coming back to play netball at Albury year after year. What keeps bringing you back to Tigerland?
JW: I love it. I love the club first and foremost. What the club has given to me is unreal just in terms of friendships and that kind of thing. I've got as much white line fever and competitive streak as anyone, so for me, I always want to be in the action. I wouldn't be anywhere else but at the Tigers.
BO'C: You're also a physiotherapist at Back on Track, what are some of the things happening at the moment in regards to promoting injury prevention for netball players?
JW: Especially probably during the start of the netball season, we see a lot of ankle sprains and knee injuries and that sort of thing. We try and promote injury prevention as much as we can, as well as then treatment. But with knee injury prevention, there's the knee program which works with specific skills and muscle groups to help with prevention. Then of course, netball is a game that is quite hard on the knees and ankles with landing. There are injuries, and we certainly encourage players to see their health professional as soon as possible. The earlier the acute management, the better off long term the players will be, so that's what we try and encourage.
The Albury Tigers will take on the Wangaratta Magpies in Albury this weekend. It will be the first time the two sides have met since last year's Ovens and Murray grand final.
- Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here