Magpies coach Elissa Kent admitted her team faced its biggest challenge yet.
“Both games were a physical contest and the Force did an excellent job at disrupting our natural game,” Kent told magpiesnetball.com.au.
The Magpies showed true grit in the first game having made a six-goal comeback to level the scores at half time.
The Pies then pushed ahead, going on to take the win, 61 to 50.
Returning to the court on Sunday, the Pies had a slow start and failed to raise their intensity for the remainder of the game.
In the end, the Force proved too good, leading for all four quarters before claiming victory, 61 to 57.
“We definitely had our chances to get on top but we just couldn’t convert in the critical moments,” Elissa said.
But the Pies walked away from the game happy with the return of some of their key players.
“It was great to see co-captains Kelsie Rainbow and Mel Bragg back with the team for the first time this year, as they’ve been juggling their SSN commitments,” Kent said.
“Sharni Lambden also made immediate impact in her return, showing no sign of being out of the game for the past six weeks.”
The weekend’s matches also marked the first time the Pies have played in Tassie this season.
“We love playing in Tasmania and it was great for our Hobart contingent to have us at their home courts.
“The athletes put in so much effort and sacrifice a lot so it’s great for their families to be able to support them at home.”
The Pies will now hit the road for their round four clash against the Western Sting in Bendigo next weekend.
Author: Alanna Mullan (Magpies Netball)
