Fever map out plan to gatecrash finals

Their fixture is the stuff of nightmares, but West Coast Fever are confident they have what it takes to gatecrash the Super Netball finals.

Last year's grand finalists find themselves nine points adrift of fourth spot with just five games to go.

With four points available for winning a game and an extra bonus point given for each quarter won, that nine-point gap can be closed quickly with a series of wins.

But a quick look at the Fever's schedule paints a grim picture.

West Coast host the ladder-leading NSW Swifts this Saturday night at RAC Arena, before facing the third-placed Vixens on enemy territory.

Fourth-placed Collingwood (home) and fifth-placed Giants (away) also lie in waiting for the Fever, with the only 'easy' game coming in the penultimate round - against the winless Queensland Firebirds in Perth.

Fever coach Stacey Marinkovich said the recent five-week international break came at the perfect time for her group, allowing her players to regroup both mentally and physically.

Marinkovich said the team's goal was still firmly fixed on making the finals, with Fever needing to win four of their final five games to achieve that.

"The Vixens and Swifts - you definitely need to win at least one of those," Marinkovich said.

"And then we have to get those wins against Collingwood, Giants, and Firebirds.

"It's certainly no easy road to what we want to achieve. But at the same time we have the belief and we feel like we have the game plan.

"We match up very well against the Swifts and Vixens, and we've had success over them in the past.

"So there's a belief and a confidence that we can take it to them. But we have to be on our game on that day."