Netball diary: Quick-step has Ferns oozing skill

Temepara George is confident she can fit back into the Silver Ferns. Photo / Supplied

For a time it looked as though midcourt maestro Temepara George was lost to the international game. But, in a bolt from the blue, she's back.

Yesterday's revelation in the Herald that George has made herself available for the Silver Ferns, and is prepared to commit to the national programme through to the 2011 World Championships, has dramatically altered the selection landscape for the Silver Ferns.

And make no mistake, this year's squad naming will be significant.

When New Zealand coach Ruth Aitken selects her squad at the end of July, it will be exactly two years until the 2011 World Championships in Singapore.

With that in mind, Aitken is after stability in her team for the next couple of years, so the bulk of the squad named this year will form the pool from which her next World Championships team is named.

Which means there are some tough decisions to be made in the coming months - particularly in the midcourt.

It has been a long time since Aitken has had so many strong attacking options to consider in her midcourt.

The versatile Laura Langman, who started her career as a wing defence, is now regarded as a world-class centre-wing attack option, while test incumbents Maree Bowden and Liana Barrett-Chase both have the ability to produce spectacular netball.

Add George into the mix and the potential combinations are mind-blowing.

"I think there's some real firepower coming through in the attacking part of our midcourt, so that's very exciting," said Aitken. "The reality is that against the Australians in particular we have to have creative attackers and how we get that ball from the centre pass through to our shooters is absolutely vital."

Of course, Aitken says there are no guarantees that George, a veteran of 59 tests, will be reselected in the national side.

She said the midcourt dynamo would need to continue to produce strong, consistent form for the Mystics over the second half of the ANZ Championship season if she was to win her place back in the New Zealand squad, and from there it would rest on George's performances at national trials in August.

But barring any disastrous drop-off in form, it is hard to see George, with her mercurial skills, not playing well enough to earn a spot in the Ferns lineup.

Should George be reselected in the test side, the news would likely be greeted with equal amounts of delight and disdain among New Zealand netball fans.

Delight because throughout her two-year absence from the national team there could be no doubting that 33-year-old George had still been one of the best midcourters in the game.

And disdain from those with long memories who are still bitter over George's shock withdrawal from the team two years ago, which left the Ferns in disarray months out from the 2007 World Championships.

In that sense, George's future in the international game appears to ride on whether she can convince the national selectors that there will be no repeats of 2007.

Aitken, though, was confident that if selected, George would give her all to the national team for the next two years.

"Certainly that's one thing I've never doubted, that when Temepara says she will be committed, she will," said Aitken.

"Her life is quite different now than it was two years ago, that's the reality. I think the work she has been doing with Counties Manukau netball has been great and she is in a settled environment."

Aitken said she had spoken to George sporadically over the last couple of years to see where she was at in her life.

"She had talked all the time that her heart was still there for the international environment, but it's nice she's actually put a stake in the ground really and is certainly aware of the challenges that are ahead in terms of winning a place back on the team."

The other question for the selectors is how will George fit back in the Silver Ferns environment.

George is the inspirational leader of the young Mystics team, their stand-out player, their go-to girl, their spark on both attack and defence.

How then will she cope with a reduced leadership role in the Silver Ferns, where she is surrounded by world-class players?

Aitken admits it is a factor that needs careful consideration.

"At the moment she is playing in the Mystics so she is not exactly out on a limb, but she's playing in a very different environment to the others. So it will then be seeing how she looks when she's actually matched up on court with and against the others that are vying for selection."

But George is confident she will be able to fit back in to the Silver Ferns environment.

"At the Mystics you have these young players around you that have so much potential and talent, and they bring something different out of me when I play with them - it challenges me both mentally and physically," said George.

"If I do get selected to represent the Silver Ferns then that will be another level for me and it'll be another challenge for me and hopefully you'll see a lot of better things coming out."


BI-GIT to wed

We have Jeff and Adine, now Australia has their very own rugby-netball glamour couple.

Western Force and Wallabies star Matt Giteau proposed to long-term girlfriend Bianca Franklin of the West Coast Fever during a romantic weekend away last Saturday.

The gossip mags across the Tasman are still working on the couple's tabloid name, it is believed BI-GIT is the frontrunner.

Seymour to retire, again?

The re-emergence of Temepara George on the national scene, as well as the proposition of being forced to make a two-year commitment to the Silver Ferns, throws into question the likelihood of last year's captain Julie Seymour continuing on with the national team.

Seymour will be 40 by the time the next World Champs rolls around, and with the New Zealand midcourt looking in its healthiest position in years, the legendary Cantabrian may choose to step aside.

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken has yet to speak to Seymour about her availability, but said she would never write off the super fit mother-of-three.

"The one thing I have learnt in this game is you don't put barriers on a player, and especially not Julie, until they are proven. We'll just wait and see," said Aitken.

"She is an incredible athlete and an incredible person to have got through what she has done, whether she sees herself now continuing for another couple of years is another matter, but until we have that conversation I'm not prepared to give my opinion on it."

One-eyed wonder sparks Firebird fury

It seems the one-sided commentary of former Australian captain Liz Ellis has been getting up the noses of a few Aussie teams.

Critics accuse Ellis of blatantly favouring her old side the NSW Swifts in her commentaries, although Kiwi fans would argue her bias stretches to any Australian side playing a New Zealand side.

Judging by the parting comment in her online blog, English international and Queensland Firebirds import Tamsin Greenway obviously didn't think much of Ellis' comments as she watched the replay of her side's 58-54 win over the Swifts in round seven.

"Oh, and just before I go, hopefully someone can help me with this," writes Greenway. "I'm not completely up to date with Aussie netball history, but did Liz Ellis use to play for the Swifts?"