Dana Johannsen: Oldies really not so golden

Tania Dalton. Photo / Greg Bowker

Few may acknowledge it, but Norma Plummer, the woman who famously called the Silver Ferns a "bunch of scrubbers", often talks a lot of sense.

"The problem with you Kee-wees," she remarked in the early years of the transtasman league as a proliferation of players were coaxed out of retirement - "is you're always looking backwards instead of forwards".

Four seasons into the ANZ Championship, Plummer's words are still ringing true.

The Southern Steel's decision to put former Silver Fern shooter Tania Dalton on standby as injury cover should Daneka Wipiiti be ruled unfit to play in Monday night's season-opener against the Mystics is about as backward thinking as you can get.

For a team that considers itself the most professional New Zealand franchise, it is staggering they would even consider bringing in a player who is five years retired.

Steel chief executive Julie Paterson claims that with only two rookie shooters, Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Sophia Fenwick, in their squad, they needed some experience.

"You can't expect Te Paea to step up in her first game and be expected to be the starting shooter. That just would not be fair on her. It is just not that realistic."

If it is unrealistic to expect Selby-Rickit to take the court, then why did they select her? Because she is an exceptional drink carrier?

But there have been mixed messages on this as Broughton has stressed that Dalton has been brought in to offer back-up on the bench and all going well, she won't be needed. Dalton also points out that she can only fill in this week as she's back in the commentary box in round two.

Which begs the question: what is the point of this whole exercise?

Surely they would have gained more long term by bringing in a younger player and letting her experience the intense training and match-day environment of a semi-professional league. Better yet, keep the young player on as a training partner so she develops further and could be an injury replacement.

The Steel aren't the only franchise guilty of turning to retired stars when injury strikes.

In the opening season of the transtasman league the Mystics brought in Teresa Tairi to sit on the bench when Paula Griffin was ill.

Even last season, the Tactix pulled a very out-of-condition Megan Hutton out of retirement to fill in for a few rounds after a bout of injuries.

Coaches need to move away from this temptation to turn to the past stars when injury strikes. It is a sad indictment of the depth of New Zealand netball if their first-choice option for injury cover is someone who hasn't played at the top level for a number of years. But that depth will never improve if they keep doing so.

Just this one time, listen to Norma.