Key defender Emma Wright has been ruled out for up to four weeks after a mishap on the dance floor at the club’s ball on Saturday night.

Coach Tracey Baker said X-rays yesterday confirmed Wright had suffered a chipped bone in her foot after a teammate accidentally trod on her while wearing stilettos. 

“She was just on the dance floor dancing and one of the other netballers has stood on her foot,” Baker said.

She said Wright was confined to a moon boot for between two and four weeks, casting doubt over her involvement in the Magpies’ push for a spot in the five.

Wright, who played state league with Ballarat Pride last season, has held the Magpies’ defensive end together for much of the season with fellow experienced players Emily Stephens and Leah Sinnott out for several games. 

While Stephens has returned to her customary role at wing defence, the young Magpies line-up produced their most complete performance of the season on Saturday as the emerging players thrived on the added on-court experience.

But with Wright out and Sinnott on the sidelines after aggravating a recurring calf injury in her comeback match two weeks ago, Baker fears Stephens will be the lone experienced defender for upcoming crunch games.

The Magpies are clinging to fifth place on the ladder by a win but they face ladder-leader Koroit on Saturday, followed by a clash with sixth-placed Portland.