No risk for Vixen
MELBOURNE Vixens have ruled goal attack Tegan Caldwell out of this weekend’s pre-season competition in Sydney with an injured ankle.
Caldwell hurt herself in match practice almost two weeks ago, forcing her to miss last week’s national training camp in Sydney with her Diamonds teammates.
While Caldwell’s injury has recovered well, Vixens coach Simone McKinnis said she did not want to take any risks with the start of the trans-Tasman season just three weeks away.
McKinnis hoped Caldwell would be fit to take the court when the defending champ- ions travel to Wellington next weekend for more practice matches.
“It’s a big weekend (in Sydney) so the call was made to leave her (out) this weekend and then hopefully she’s all good for the following weekend,’’ McKinnis said.
“It (the ankle) has come up really well and they’re really pleased with it and Tegan was really pleased, but there was no way that I was going to be getting her to play Friday night, Saturday and Sunday.
“You can’t do it because we can’t have extra players. If you have somebody that is limited to a certain amount of quarters, that means others have to carry extra loads. It’s for the sake of everybody and she needs the extra time.’’
The Vixens have fulllength matches against Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic and NSW Swifts on Friday night and Sunday and three shortened matches on Saturday at the summer shootout at Sydney Olympic Park.
The team is awaiting approval from the trans-Tasman league for a replacement player.
McKinnis said Caldwell would still travel to Sydney to do what training she could with the team.
She was confident Caldwell, best-on-court in the Vixens’ grand final win last year, would be fit for the season opener against Central Pulse at Margaret Court Arena on March 1.
“Tegan said herself
if
it was Round 1 this weekend she would be playing, but it’s a long season ahead and we’ve got the time so we use it,’’ she said.
Meanwhile, Julie Corletto and Renae Hallinan have been added to the Diamonds’ leadership group alongside captain Laura Geitz and her deputy Kim Green for 2015.
Geitz has been reappointed captain for a third year with Green assuming the role of sole vice-captain after sharing the position with Bianca Chatfield — who has retired from international duties — for the past two years.
Australia’s team for the World Cup in Sydney will be announced in June after the ANZ Championship season.