Thomson coach Shannyn Leach is looking forward to a tough period before the Geelong District Netball League finals, where her side plays three of the top five teams.
After a four-goal win against a plucky Belmont on Saturday, the Tigers face Anakie tomorrow and Bell Post Hill the following week – games they should win.
And then it gets tricky for the current top-placed team.
Thomson then meets second-placed Winchelsea and third-placed East Geelong before a match-up with Bannockburn (fifth) and Inverleigh (ninth).
“What’s really good about it is that most of them are finals contenders as well,” Leach said.
“We haven’t played East Geelong since the first few rounds. It will be nice to know where you’re at again.
“You can get caught up about where you’re sitting on the ladder.”
Leach said Thomson’s 46 to 42 win last Saturday was always going to be a tough grind.
“They’re (Belmont) losing games by not a lot,” she said.
“We knew when they lost to Werribee by only eight the other week that they are a lot better than what they were at the start of the year.
“We knew it was going to be tough – it was very physical in our goal ring.”
However, Leach was happy with the way her side ground out a victory.
“I was pleased with their ability just to keep going,” she said.
“It’s easy to drop your head when times get a little tough like that but power to them, they just kept going and that’s what I need them to do to win those tough games.”
Leach said there was plenty of room for improvement, despite the win.
“While we were 10 goals up at one stage, once a couple of things went wrong we tended to drop our heads and that’s something the team’s got to focus on,” she said.
“We had a really bad third quarter on the weekend, lots of turnovers, missed goals, a number of things went wrong.
“And then they brought themselves back into it in the last quarrel but then dropped again.
“We’re a bit inconsistent with our play and that’s where we need to find that four-quarter consistency.”
Goal defender Rebecca Lebish and 17-year-old goaler Cheyenne Philpott shot at 68 percent to be the Tigers’ best players.
Thomson’s opponent tomorrow, Anakie, has won three games for the season and sits in 10th place. It’s a game the Tigers should win comfortably, but Leach said there will be no complacency.
“Our captain Emma Whitham is very good at getting the girls up and about and just making every game like you’re playing against an East Geelong or a Winchelsea,” Leach said.
“For us we need to focus on what we do well and put systems in place that are going to match up. Good teams adapt.”
