Collingwood are banking on their players building better chemistry after a shaky start to their inaugural Super Netball season.
The Magpies have just one win from their first three games after going down 59-51 to the Giants at Melbourne's Hisense Arena on Saturday night.
In the inaugural battle between the leagues' two AFL-affiliated franchises, the Greater Western Sydney-backed Giants led at every break and finished strongly to extend their unbeaten start.
The Magpies received a typically solid defensive contribution from back-court duo Sharni Layton and April Brandley but were made to pay for some lacklustre ball use by the polished Giants.
Collingwood coach Kristy Keppich-Birrell says the newly-formed side will take time to gel but needs to work on developing better connections between players.
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"There needs to be a bit of trust," she said.
"They need to get around each other more. All the things that make great teams great are those tiny one-percenters.
"It's about chasing the ball, it's about being in the moment but making sure that the processes around it are successful.
"We want them to be passionate. We want them to want the ball and wear that black and white with pride but they've got to do those processes 100 per cent of the time, not in glimpses."
Australian Diamonds goal shooter Caitlin Thwaites top-scored for the Magpies, draining 42 of her 46 shots, while captain Madi Robinson had a game-high 25 assists.
But Thwaites lacked support on the scoring end, with Alice Teague-Neeld (6-10) and Cody Lange (3-4) kept quiet during their time on court.
Keppich-Birrell admitted the Magpies had come to depend on Thwaites to keep the scoreboard ticking over early in the season.
"It's a reliance, definitely," she said.
"She definitely is the senior player in that circle and she's stepping up She got pushed and pulled tonight and she still stood up.
"She just (needs to) keep working with our goal attack to create two options to throw to."
The fifth-placed Magpies will host seventh-placed Adelaide Thunderbirds at Hisense Arena next Sunday.
