The Sunshine Coast are intent on making up for “embarrassing” losses to the West Coast, when the Super Netball heavyweights collide at USC Stadium on Saturday.
The Lightning will play at home for the first time in more than eight months, after being crushed by the Fever there in the preliminary final in October.
In fact, they were swamped by West Coast on three occasions last year, losing by 24 points, 20 points and 14 points.
Coach Kylee Byrne said they were determined to strike back.
“We were embarrassed by those performances last year and we don’t want to feel like that again,” she said.
“We were disappointed in ourselves and how we played and in the netball that we put out.
“We don’t want to be that team again and we’re not that team. We’re totally different from last year as a group of 10 and I think that’s going to come out on the weekend.
“Those losses are really ringing in our ears and we want to make up for them.”
But Byrne said they would not let their emotions take over and revenge could not be their only motivation.
“It has to be about us still being better.”
Both teams have won their first couple of games this season.
Byrne expects the Fever to be especially driven, after receiving a 12-point deduction and fine, handed down to the club for salary cap breaches in 2018 and 2019.
“I think they’re using it as extra motivation … to have the mindset to prove everyone wrong and still make finals,” she said.
“I think it’s something they are discussion, to get above 0 points and then have a crack.
“They know they’ve got to win every game and that’s their motivation.
“But we’re going to control what we can control, and that’s our performance.”
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It’s expected to be a typically tough and rough Round 3 encounter.
The Lightning will prepare with a special session on physicality on Thursday.
“We know they (Fever players) will be close to the body and their arms will be in there a bit more than other teams,” Byrne said.
The Lightning expect mass support in their first home game of the season.
“When you can pack the place out with 3000 people, it’s absolutely insane,” goal attack Steph Wood said.
“They (fans) are like an eighth player for us.
“We’d like the stadium packed out because that can definitely change a game for us.”
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She said redemption was on her mind after the ugly defeats to Fever last year.
“I want to get a bit of revenge,” she said.
“They were losses that were embarrassing. I don’t like to lose by that many.”
“They definitely got the better of us last year, so we want to put on a really good performance in front of our home crowd.”
The Sunshine Coast won their opening two games against Magpies and Vixens in Melbourne.
They’re the 2017 and 2018 national league champions, beating Fever in a memorable final in Perth in 2018.
Super Netball Round 3: Sunshine Coast Lightning v West Coast Fever, USC Stadium, Sippy Downs, Saturday, May 15, 7pm.
Tickets: http://premier.sportsubs.com.au/nnl/lightning/products?productcategoryid=2
