WELCOME to After the Fact, a new series here at Rookie Me Central, chatting to key figures in the Suncorp Super Netball post match and get their thoughts on the match that just transpired and the bigger issues in the game.

This week’s chat is with GIANTS shooter Matisse Letherbarrow, who chatted after her side had defeated Collingwood.

Letherbarrow said that it was a nice feeling to get back on the winner’s list.

“I felt like our whole focus this week was obviously getting that win, and we haven’t been able to have a win for a little bit now, so we know how good we are and how good we can be,” she said.

“So I felt like it was really about getting around ourselves this week and building what we can achieve so it was really good that that reflected on court.”

Despite Collingwood’s bad recent run, Letherbarrow said that she and her GIANTS team mates were not expecting a walk in the park coming into the game.

“I feel like Magpies are a quality side, and every time we play them they do bring it to us and I guess being in the position we are at the moment any game we play is going to be tough and it’s going to be close,” she said. “I guess it’s just reflecting on our own structures and what we can do and just sticking to that and it shows at the end of the game.”

The GIANTS had gone on a really good run in the back end of the third term and managed to hold off a Collingwood comeback in the last term, and Letherbarrow put that down to a determination amongst her team mates to get the win.

“Our defensive end did so amazing, so I felt like it was just capitalising on our turnovers and rewarding them in the attack end, and I think was just we were so determined to get a win and I felt like that was what ultimately got us over the line, and just being around each other and really focusing on what GIANTS can do,” she said.

“I felt like a few of our games this season we kind of found it hard to finish towards the end, and that’s been our focus is really having a good back end of our game. So having that as our focus, but as I said getting around each other, knowing what we can do and really helped us get over the line.”

Reflecting on her own game, Letherbarrow was just happy she could come in and play her role, and was full of praise for her fellow attack enders Maddie Hay, Jamie-Lee Price and Sophie Dwyer, as well as Jo Harten.

“I just wanted to come on and do my role and do it well, so that was my focus, and it’s really good having superstars around me with Mads, J and Soph down the attacking end and obviously having Joey, who’s still here and giving me so many pointers and helping me along the way,” she said.

“So just ultimately knowing I can do me and I’ve been training so hard for this so any opportunity I can get on court I want to reward the team.”

Next week the GIANTS have the Sunshine Coast Lightning, and Letherbarrow is again expecting another tight affair.

“It’s going to be another tough match 100%, but I think we’re just going to keep focused on us. Go back, have a look at this game, have a look at them, see the little things we can improve, the little one percenters, capitalise on them and we know it’s going to be a tough match but I reckon we can come out and do really well,” she said.