Netball: Coaching picks all in open - Mystics

Anna Scarlett. Photo / Dean Purcell.

The Northern Mystics continue to douse suggestions there was any premeditation behind the changes to their coaching team for next season.

The Auckland franchise yesterday confirmed that Debbie Fuller, assistant coach for the past two seasons, would be stepping up to the head coaching role this year after Te Aroha Keenan's exit from the club.

It is believed the assistant coach post has been sewn up by former Silver Fern Jenny-May Coffin, who hung up her bib at the end of last season.

But Mystics chief executive Mark Cameron said an announcement about the assistant coach was still a couple of weeks away.

Both Fuller and Coffin have been linked to the coaching jobs since it was announced Keenan would not be back next season, with many believing Keenan was encouraged to step aside to allow the pair to take the reins.

Neither coaching job was formally advertised and several local coaching identities are said to be upset a deal has been struck behind closed doors.

But Cameron said that although the appointment of Fuller was an internal promotion, the franchise did canvass the regional centres for expressions of interest for assistant coach.

"The head coach was a very straightforward decision for us, we wanted to maintain continuity and Debbie has displayed a strong work ethic and has the right type of skills that will benefit us in the future,"said Cameron.

"The assistant coach role was promoted within the three regions [Netball North, Auckland Waitakere and Counties Manukau], so we're confident we have sought those that were interested and from there we have moved forward and made decisions."

The Mystics' playing roster is also beginning to take shape, with the Auckland side confirming yesterday that they had signed returning Silver Fern Anna Scarlett for two seasons.

Scarlett, who was last week named in the Commonwealth Games netball team just a month after walking away from beach volleyball, said that after much speculation she was glad to have her playing future sorted.

"I think the deadline is middle of September but you don't want it to drag out and have everyone wondering what's happening, so it's nice to have it settled."

Which franchise would secure Scarlett's signature has been one of the main talking points in an otherwise quiet player-recruitment market.

Unlike the frenzy of player movement after last year's season, a lot more stability is expected in the teams for next year.

With the competition scheduled to begin in mid-February, there will be very little in the way of a pre-season, particularly given both the New Zealand and Australia national teams have tours planned in January.

That means it is risky for franchises to make widespread changes to their squads as there will be no time to develop new combinations.

Cameron said the Mystics' key focus had been re-signing the core of last year's team.

"We're very keen to keep as much of this team together as possible, but there's a lot of Silver Ferns in that group, so my budget will be stretched just a tad."

The Mystics have already re-signed Cathrine Latu and Temepara George and are believed to be close to deals with Joline Henry and Maria Tutaia.

Of last year's group, newly named Silver Fern Grace Rasmussen is likely to prove the most difficult to secure.

Not only have her stocks shot up after her inclusion in the Commonwealth Games, but rival franchises are chasing the 22-year-old and her older sister Rachel as a package deal.