Rolling bench no issue for netball Magpies

Collingwood coach Kristy Keppich-Birrell says her strategy of using her bench in Super Netball is no indication that she is still searching for a perfect combination of seven players.

Keppich-Birrell regularly tweaks her line up during games and isn't afraid to call a strategic time out or bench key players.

While the Magpies mentor hasn't toyed with her strike defensive trio of Diamonds Sharni Layton, April Brandley and Ash Brazill, she has run four players at goal attack this season, usually to support prominent goal shooter Caitlin Thwaites.

Keppich-Birrell made the surprise move of injecting Thwaites into the mid court at goal attack for a quarter during Saturday night's 56-49 loss to the Sunshine Coast Lightning and benched Diamonds centre Kim Ravillion at halftime for Shae Brown.

She also continued to share the supporting shooter role to Thwaites between Cody Lange and Alice Teague-Neeld, after also running Brown in that position earlier in the season.

Keppich-Birrell bristled when asked if her changes during Saturday night's loss were indicative that she was still searching for her best attacking combination.

"I'm pretty sick of hearing that question. We have played netball for 90 years. Why can't we play it differently?" she said.

"My players are totally capable of having players come on and off the court and that is the strength of our team.

"People can say what they want about it, but for me and our team, we're a team of 10 and we all contribute.

"Tell me, what other team sport at professional level has that same combination on, from beginning to end?

"It just doesn't happen anywhere else. So let's try and do something different in netball and see what we can create that is exciting."

Reserve defender Michaela Wilson has played just 14 minutes after 11 rounds this season at goal defence for Brandley.

The fourth-placed Magpies look set to play in the finals, facing teams below them on the ladder to round out the last three games of the regular season.

They host sixth placed NSW Swifts in Melbourne on Saturday night before taking on the bottom two sides West Coast Fever and Adelaide Thunderbirds.