IT’S CRUNCH TIME
WIRTHLESS EAGLES: BIG TEST WITHOUT DEFENSIVE STAR
OF all of the challenges that Newtown & Chilwell has faced throughout its unprecedented run of success in the GFL’s Agrade netball competition, finding a way to cover champion defender Amy Wirth could just be the biggest yet.
Wirth had surgery last week for a ruptured ACL after injuring her knee in a practice match against Collingwood’s ANL team last month.
The veteran is one of the key components of the Eagles’ stellar line-up, and along with Nat Tommasini is the only player to have represented Newtown & Chilwell in each of its six premierships between 2013 and 2018.
Wirth regularly takes on the league’s premier goalers, including powerhouse shooters Tharjini “Genie” Sivalingam from St Albans and South Barwon’s Ruby Horton.
Newtown & Chilwell coach Jason Woolley conceded it was a devastating blow to lose Wirth, who he said was hands down one of the GFL’s greatest defenders.
“I got the call on a Wednesday night a couple of weeks ago. To be honest, I heard the news and my stomach just sank,” Woolley said.
“Amy has been so amazing for us over such an extended period of time and is probably the best defender in the competition.
“She is just such a key player for us and takes on the Genies and Ruby Hortons of the world each week.
“It was a bit of a practice match and ANL teams were getting ready for finals and asked a few girls to come in and give them a good run, so Amy went down as part of that group.
“We had come off a good win against South Barwon and it happened after that, so we have played a couple of games against Geelong West and Grovedale but this week will be our first big test against St Joseph’s without her.”
The Eagles have turned to replacements from lower grades to try to help fill the hole left by Wirth but Woolley said his side had confronted the challenge of playing without the cornerstone to their defensive set up well so far.
The Melbourne-based star will still have a role on match days at Newtown, which Woolley said would be invaluable to him and his team on the sidelines.
“Amy has already been on the bench for both games she has missed,” he said.
“She is a big part of our team and our club. She has just had surgery last Thursday, so I don’t know what her movements are allowed to be right now, but in between the injury and surgery she has still been coming down.
“We will use her as a specialist defensive coach so she can impart her knowledge on to the group.”
Newtown takes on an in form St Joseph’s, which sits second on the GFL ladder, on Saturday at Elderslie Reserve.