AFTER a blockbuster Round 13 of netball there has been plenty of intrigue and upset with a host of players going down with injuries. In fact, there are only two teams that have not been affected by injury throughout the season with the GIANTS and Sunshine Coast Lightning maintaining a relatively stable line-up. Collingwood Magpies confirmed speedster Kelsey Browne has done her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) after starting goal shooter Sasha Glasgow‘s fall seemed unassuming but has also been confirmed as an ACL. Results regarding fellow Thunderbirds shooter Emma Ryde are still unconfirmed.

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There have been a multitude of severe injuries this season with Glasgow’s ACL the sixth of its kind since the beginning of 2019, sparking plenty of debate amongst the netball community about the workload of athletes as well as court surfaces. In Round 3 English international Beth Cobden also suffered a season ending ACL injury shedding a light on the extreme physical nature of the game. Browne will join sister and fellow midcourter, Madi Browne who tore her ACL earlier in the year during the pre-season Team Girls Cup. Queensland Firebirds midcourter Mahalia Cassidy was struck down with an ACL in Round 5 while Swifts captain Maddy Proud‘s season similarly came to a devastating halt after rupturing her ACL in Round 7.

While ACL injuries have been the big talking point of the season, there has been no shortage of short-term injuries throughout the 2019 season with Helen Housby and Natalie Haythornthwaite both spending time on the bench due to niggles. Meanwhile teammate Kate Eddy has been ruled out for the rest of the season following ligament damage to her ankle, forcing the Swifts to make a host of changes to their squad.

West Coast Fever have gone through relatively unscathed but have felt the pinch at times with captain Courtney Bruce missing the first few games with an arm injury after falling heavily in the opening round and now ruled out of the final round with scans revealing a small pneumothorax (collapsed lung). Meanwhile Jamaican shooting machine Jhaniele Fowler also found herself on the sideline with injury but fortunately made a quick recovery. Makeshift goal attack Kaylia Stanton was also been forced to the bench for a few rounds with the Fever missing her drive and accuracy to the post. Despite injuries to South African shooter Ine-Mari Venter pre-World Cup and young gun Tayla Honey during the preseason, the Vixens have remained relatively settled with the nine other players staying fit, helping them to build some good momentum.

Adelaide have arguably been hit the hardest with Cobden going down early while co-captain Layla Guscoth followed suit during the World Cup, rupturing her Achilles. While Ryde is uncertain to play again this season despite no announcement as yet, Glasgow’s ACL ultimately rules her out for a larger portion of next season. Meanwhile, the Queensland Firebirds have had a heavily disrupted season with youngsters Tara Hinchliffe and Kim Jenner sustaining injuries throughout the course of the season. Lynchpin Romelda Aiken also missed games due to bone stress on her tibia while Tippah Dwan failed to play a game due to a foot injury after being elevated to Firebirds squad.

Both the GIANTS and Lightning have escaped relatively unscathed in season 2019 with neither side forced to bring in replacement players so far.