EACH round the Draft Central team will focus on one Suncorp Super Netball player across the round and take a look at their individual highlights, key moments and improvements across their match. Our Round 4 focus is Collingwood Magpies’ Molly Jovic who has had a solid start to her debut season and continued to shine this round despite the side’s losing effort against West Coast Fever.

In what has been a somewhat disappointing start for the Magpies in 2020, Jovic has been a shining light through the midcourt. With plenty of stars across the court, Jovic has come into the side as a huge unknown quantity and has certainly made her presence felt on the court thus far. After a stellar Round 3 effort put Jovic on the map, she did not get the expected court time in Round 4 but was unafraid of the contest when she took the court, finding plenty of ball and consistently playing her role regardless of her positioning. In her 26 minutes on court this round, Jovic finished with two assists from two feeds as well as what could have been a match-saving gain, with her hunt and ability to absorb pressure enabling her to step up when the game was in the balance.

Here’s what we had to say:

By: Sophie Taylor, Draft Central Senior Editor

A really great start from Jovic for the season and she replicated that form once again in this match. Jovic played the first 10 minutes or so before fresh feet came on for the Pies through the midcourt, but prior to her stint on the bench she contested well thanks to her strong drive down the centre of the court. Jovic came back on in wing defence to start the second, with the specialised position allowing her to remove Ingrid Colyer from the attacking equation. Her ability to block Colyer’s drive into the pocket paid dividends for the Magpies, and while Jovic and Colyer were well matched for speed, it was Jovic’s constant pressure and dogged footwork that kept Colyer away from circle edge. Furthermore, her ability to pull focus through the midcourt allowed the Magpies attack to open up space out the front. While not playing a huge role in this match as she had in previous efforts, Jovic returned with a minute left on the clock, doing her job to create a crucial turnover in the dying moments. Though it did not pay off at the other end, her potential as a game changer makes her a real threat for the Magpies and proves she will not go down without a fight.

By: Taylah Melki, Draft Central Managing Editor

Jovic is an exciting prospect for the Magpies with her versatility to swing between all three centre court positions. Her determination and grit is admirable coming out with a real intensity each time she hits the court and her match against West Coast was no different with the midcourter contesting every single pass. Her give and go mentality allows her to hit the circle edge with great intensity while her nifty footwork cut Colyer out of the game. Despite not being overly tall, Jovic showcased her pressure over the pass with her three-foot marking while her court coverage also impressed to continuously shut down or clog up the space in attack for the Fever. Her injection of speed and dynamism in both defence and attack gave West Coast something different to think about as sparked the Collingwood side with her drive and quick hands. Her pace off the mark was once again on show albeit in limited minutes as Jovic complemented both Madi and Kelsey Browne across the court. Her transitional play was another focal point of her game, able to stream down the court but also display great control to settle and look for options rather than blast away. Given she is still a raw talent there is plenty of upside to Jovic, able to sense the moment and deliver whether it be with a timely deflection or clever pass to release her teammate down the court.

By: Lucy Pollock, Draft Central UK Writer

Molly Jovic has had an outstanding start to the 2020 season, which is particularly impressive considering her limited experience at SSN level. To be given the start in the centre position, ahead of someone like Madi Browne, is a credit to her impact when out on court. Though she is typically more of a defensive midcourter she has the ability to create something out of nothing when it comes to feeding the circle, and this makes her a valuable asset for Collingwood in the absence of Kim Ravallion. Jovic has so much speed on the drive, an excellent read of the game and has plenty of confidence out on court to get stuck into the action. Although she did go to the bench during the second half, when she returned in the wing defence position she proved that her timing and her ability to shut down her opponent make her a threatening option for a side stacked with talented midcourters. It’s also worth noting that her timely intercept in the fourth quarter was a pivotal moment which could have won her team the game. She flies a little under the radar at the moment but as the season progresses I think we will see her grow into a standout of the Magpies lineup.

By: Jarrad Gardner, Centre Pass Podcast host

Didn’t have her best game on the weekend after an impressive performance in Round 3, however Jovic has announced herself as a crucial part of the Magpies’ side in 2020, providing relief to both Browne sisters as they gradually return from their respective knee injuries. Jovic has shown a willingness to adapt to whatever situation she finds herself in, most notably against the Fever when she was handed the wing defence bib after half time. She was able to showcase the defensive side of her game which we were yet to see. A big intercept late as the Fever were trying to ice the game gave the Magpies a slim chance at victory and surely put a smile on Rob Wright’s face.

By: Kate Cornish, Draft Central volunteer writer

I have to confess, prior to round one of the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season I had not heard of Jovic but that quickly changed over the first three rounds as Jovic has seamlessly stepped up to the challenge of elite netball, forcing fans to take notice. Part of the dynamic midcourt line-up for the Magpies, Jovic is often flanked by a Browne sister; she can run all day at centre and brings great defensive pressure through court and then seamlessly steps into wing defence where she is able to match or exceed the speed of her opposition. Enjoying MVP status in round three against the Firebirds, Jovic was clearly the best on court but in this round four nail-biter against the West Coast Fever the fast-footed middie only enjoyed 21 minutes of court time. On the bench for the entirety of the third quarter and only being brought on in the dying moments with under two minutes left on the clock, Jovic created a beautiful defensive deflection causing a turnover that almost saw the Magpies steal the win against the Fever, showing that she has the potential to be a game changer when the match is in the balance. At 24 years old and with an incredible amount of talent, I hope she is a player that has a full-time contract in 2021.

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Centre Pass Podcast: Molly Jovic interview (season preview)