The capital's brightest netball prospects will strive to bolster their Australian Netball League ambitions in the Canberra State League on Friday night.
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A glut of ACT girls were squeezed out of the ANL when it was announced the Canberra Darters would become the Canberra Giants in January.
Only three Canberra netballers were retained in the 14-player squad, but Tuggeranong captain and former Darter Jo Pivac has found a silver lining ahead of a clash with Belconnen.
"It's a little hard for the girls to not have the ANL here for the Canberra Darters anymore," Pivac said.
"But it's something else for them to strive towards. I think that playing for the Giants is something that's even better than the Darters because they're such a well-known brand.
"In coaching the under-19s this year you could see that they all wanted to get there. They try their hardest. They go to the gym how ever many times a week and I think it's good to have people biting at them to make them develop and become better."
The first Netball NSW and ACT joint-venture outfit was established to create a clear pathway towards Super Netball.
But Georgia Clayden, Leigh Kalsbeek and Shannon O'Connor were the only ACT players in the joint-venture.
Now Canberra's ANL side sings from the same hymn sheet as Super Netball team Giants Netball, which is associated with the AFL's Greater Western Sydney.
Pivac says the small ACT talent pool means there's a drop-off in quality from the ANL to the Canberra State League.
The goal-shooter says her side is riding a wave of confidence following a 57-all draw with table-toppers Canberra last week.
"We're the only team to have given them a draw," Pivac said.
"Compared to the previous time when they beat us quite convincingly so it was really good for the morale of the team coming up to finals.
"Everyone started to gel together. I remembered to play simple netball and just play quarter by quarter."
Tuggeranong will need more of the same with games against finals-bound Belconnen and Arawang to round out the regular season.
"Both teams are going to come out with full force ... they were two rough games last time so we are expecting that sort of game play is time around," Pivac said.
STATE LEAGUE NETBALL
Friday: Belconnen v Tuggeranong, Queanbeyan v Canberra, Arawang v South Canberra. All games at at 7:30pm Lyneham.
