Swifts get stars back at right time

NSW Swifts leaders Abbey McCulloch and Paige Hadley are likely to return from injury next round, but coach Rob Wright admits that selecting them will mean dropping players who are in good form.

Despite languishing near the bottom of the Super Netball ladder, the Swifts have strung together consecutive wins without captain McCulloch and vice captain Hadley, including their 50-48 victory over West Coast Fever in Sydney, on Friday night.

However, Wright said, the experience the duo bring would almost certainly prove irresistible at the selection table, despite the team's rally in their absence.

"I'm hopeful that they're a real shot to come back ... It gives us some good selection headaches," he said.

"I think you should always pick players on form. But often name gives you experience and some steady heads, especially with a young group.

"They're our two most experienced players. When they're ready, they'll come back into our line. They've got probably 60 games, unlike anyone else, except maybe Maddy Proud.

"Let's face it, Paige is a Diamond. She trained today and looked incredible, she looked very good. I'm hopeful that one or both of them could be back next week."

Proud, the stand-in captain, said the team was driven to win for the injured pair. Despite sitting in sixth place in the eight-team competition, their competitive spirit remains strong.

"Regardless of finals and whatever, we are sportspeople and want to win," Proud said.

"Our goal all year has been to improve every game. I think we've shown that, each week we're growing in different aspects of our game. Looking long term, we want to keep developing. We are such a young team so the more experience we can get, the better it will be for the future."

The Swifts play the Magpies in Melbourne next Saturday, with three rounds remaining before the finals.