Barely minutes after the NSW Swifts’ humbling Suncorp Super Netball major semi-final loss to the Sunshine Coast Lightning, Paige Hadley had a knowing voice in her left ear.
It wasn’t head coach Briony Akle or assistant Anita Keelan kickstarting the review, or any of the Swifts’ medical staff beginning the recovery routine.
Dissecting the result and plotting revenge during the warm-down walk was injured captain Maddy Proud, who can now add 'coaching consultant' to her lengthening resume.
“Mads is always trying to help me out. She can’t play but she’s the third coach,” Hadley said of Proud, whose experience includes player, author and business graduate.
In the three months since her season-ending knee injury, the 25-year-old has provided a welcome set of eyes on the Swifts’ coaching bench.
Her observations, particularly in relation to the midcourters, have been important to an engine room that had been humming until the eve of the finals.
Proud insists the experience has deterred her from coaching.
“If the question’s ‘do I want to be a coach?’, at the moment the answer is no,” she said.
“It’s very stressful. I don’t know how they keep it up.”
But there’s plenty of evidence the former South Australian has what it takes.
She captained the Australian under-21 team at the 2013 Youth World Cup and has almost 100 top level games under her belt.
Tactical sharpness honed from playing in such a key decision-making role makes her a perfect sounding board for teammates.
“She never leaves us alone,” Akle joked.
“Seriously, she’s really important to us. There’s not that many old heads around and I think she’s one of those heads that keeps everyone level and she gives great feedback.”
Proud hopes her coaching stint will extend to a grand final rematch with the Lightning. To do so, the Swifts must return to their best on Sunday against the Melbourne Vixens at Quaycentre.
Akle remains “the big dog”, according to Proud.
Her role is to be keep the playmakers accountable to their pre-game goals and, when necessary, feed their confidence.
“I want to be involved as much as I can,” Proud said.
“It’s still a captaincy role, but with more of an off-court perspective.
“Paige and I talk a lot and it’s brought the two of us closer than we’ve ever been.
“We bounce off each other a lot.”
