Queensland Firebirds head coach Megan Anderson was intriguingly upbeat just moments after her team suffered a tough two-goal loss to the Melbourne Vixens on Saturday night.
After leading at every break and for a majority of the match, the Firebirds fought off all but the Vixens last surge to go down 64-66 to the premiership favourite at John Cain Arena.
The loss comes as the Queenslanders prepare for two back-to-back games on the road against Collingwood in Tasmania and Thunderbirds in Adelaide just three days apart.
Yet Anderson and her team are saying ‘bring on the challenge’.
“We are just trying to be positive, and I think we actually like going on the road,” the Firebirds coach said.
“When we do, we are just together as a team, and we can just focus on us and there’s not those distractions that you get sometimes at home.
“So, I think everyone is looking forward to getting away together and just really working hard and coming up with a few wins down south.”
The Firebirds will fly home to Brisbane on Sunday and spend the week preparing for their double-header on the road.
Following the loss to the Vixens the Firebirds will also take with them some valuable lessons according to their coach.
“I thought we were going to put our foot down in that third quarter where they got back to within one then we pushed out again to four and I really would have liked us to put the foot down there,” Anderson said.
“But we allowed them to get back within one going into the third quarter and just created that real arm wrestle in the last quarter.
“The Vixens are such a great side and are at the top of the table, one of the teams that are super safe with the ball. They have been in a winning culture, and they know how to win.
“That was obvious tonight, and it is something we need to learn from it and take from that and just trust our processes and we’ll come through at the end.”
The Firebirds next challenge is taking on Collingwood in Tasmania as part of the their second Pride Match against the Magpies.
