Serious injury concern for star Steel shooter
“I just know she is upset, and she has a sore knee, so we’ll have to see."
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The Southern Steel’s preseason win over the NSW Swifts has been marred by a potential serious knee injury to star shooter George Fisher.
The Steel beat the Australian visitors 74-42 in the game played at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill on Sunday after leading 42-23.
However much of the talk post-game centred on Fisher’s knee injury with the English international having to be helped from the court in the second half.
Steel coach Reinga Bloxham said soon after fulltime, she was unaware of the extent of Fisher’s knee injury.
“I just know she is upset, and she has a sore knee, so we’ll have to see,” Bloxham said.
A clearer picture is expected in the coming days, but the fact Fisher was wheeled out of the stadium in a wheelchair did not set a pleasant scene, in terms of the damage that might have been done and what that might mean in terms of an injury layoff.
The Steel will open its 2023 ANZ Premiership campaign against the Mystics on March 4.
Despite the injury, Bloxham was happy with what they got from the game against a Swifts team that was understrength after Covid-19 ran through its main playing group this week.
“Our focus was on connections, combinations, and making sure everyone got some court time out there,” Bloxham said.
“Even though it wasn’t the top [Swifts] lineup they have still got that Aussie style which is completely different to New Zealand. They play with a lot of speed and run onto the body, they pressure the ball.
“So I think it was quite nice for us to play against that leading into the next few games we’ve got.”
Next up for the Steel will be a showdown with the Central Pulse in Invercargill on Tuesday followed by two games against the Tactix away from home on Friday and Saturday.
Bloxham said it was a massive week and was mindful of making sure the balance was right between getting court time and not overdoing it.
“So, making sure everyone gets enough court time but not too much is a bit of a balancing act.”