NSW Swifts coach Briony Akle said tough love helped turn an even contest into a one-sided Super Netball affair as her side dominated the middle periods to beat the Collingwood Magpies 64-54 on Sunday.
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The game shifted during the second quarter as the Swifts responded to a disappointing opening period where they'd trailed 17-13.
The Swifts posted 19 goals to 10 to take a comfortable lead and never looked back.
A timeout during the second period inspired a new level of hunger from the home side, highlighted in one passage when two Swifts left the field of play to keep the ball alive, earning a crucial goal as reward.
Akle admitted she was nervous after the first break, but was delighted with the way her side responded from their early struggles and her direction.
"It was all about keeping possession and keeping the movement going because we knew what they were capable of," she said.
"For us to stay stagnant - it was becoming a bit stationary but when they got on the move it was so much better."
Former Swifts goal keeper Sharni Layton was at her aggressive best for the Magpies, earning four intercepts along the way, but it wasn't enough to stop player of the match Sam Wallace (43 from 48), who was fearsome under the high feed enabling her to finish with ease.
The goal shooter was in perfect sync with shooting partner Helen Housby (21/23), who often drew defenders into making a choice by sweeping around the play, continuing to convert from distance to compound the issue.
Akle heaped praise on the pair, admitting they'd had trouble connecting at times this season.
"Today they came to play together," she said. "They were unstoppable."
Another former Swift Caitlin Thwaites (39/44) showed an ability to drop behind her marker or draw contact under the post giving Collingwood some hope early on, while wing defence Ash Brazill's six intercepts wouldn't have gone unnoticed.
Australian Associated Press
