Anakie star flies out for UK life

ANAKIE has suffered a blow in its quest for finals, losing defender Clare Sutton for the rest of the season.

Sutton is set to move to England for work and played her last game for the Roos in Saturday’s 16-goal loss to Winchelsea.

Coach Darren Johnston said Sutton would leave a hole.

“She leaves for England on Sunday. She has been given an opportunity to look at something overseas for work,” Johnston said. “She is going to move over there.

“How do you turn around and tell a netballer that a GDFL netball career is far more important than the rest of your career life? It doesn’t cut into it, does it?”

The race is now on to find a replacement with a month until finals. The Roos will try to have another player qualified in case they sneak into the top five.

A player needs to feature in 24 quarters to qualify for GDFL finals.

Anakie is sixth, out of fifth on percentage, and has a number of winnable games in the run home.

“We just have to train for what’s coming up against us the following Saturday,” Johnston said of how his team would tackle the final month of the season.

“We are not looking any further than each week, to be honest. Clearly we have improved as a side . . . but so have a lot of other clubs.”

The Roos have lost their past two games, taking some faltering form into the break.

Johnston said he would use the bye to freshen up his side for an important final month.

“I said to the girls last week after the loss against Winch, that we would have a week away from netball. It’s been pretty tough going, it’s new,” he said.

“So we are going out for dinner and going to support one of our club sponsors.”