After four games in the Big V championship division, the Warrnambool Mermaids are winless but forward Abbey Sutherland said the belief within the group was still as high as ever.

The 19-year-old, who will travel to play college basketball in Texas in July, said assistant coach John Wormald was a key driver behind keeping morale high.

"During the week John was training us and he still has us believing as a team and trying to get us to back  our belief that we can win," she said.

"When we're not winning we're still a positive team and we're never not getting too down on losing and going into games we're positive, which helps."

The Mermaids return to the Arc on Saturday to face Keilor Thunder. Sutherland said the group was eager to be back at home.

"We all love playing in Warrnambool and on our home court," she said. "It would be good to get our first win of the year there."

Sutherland, who will lead the side again this week in the absence of injured captain Amy Wormald, said the Mermaids needed to recapture their defensive edge. 

"I think as a team we need to improve on defence to make our offence better and if we work hard on defence the offence will sort itself out," she said.

"It's about working harder on it and because we don't have as many players as last year we need to work harder and not have lapses where we let the opposition in to score easy points."

The Seahawks are also back at home after one win and a loss in 1-1 their double-header last weekend. 

Tim Gainey's side will be aiming to secure victory over bottom-of-the-table Latrobe City Energy.

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