Netball: Ferns contemplate life without van Dyk

Irene van Dyk (right), seen here with teammate Casey Williams, has been an important part of the Silver Ferns for 15 years. Photo / NZPA

Taumaunu forced to rapidly reassess shooting stocks with star’s surprise exit

When Waimarama Taumaunu names her Silver Ferns side for the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday, for the first time in nearly 15 years the name Irene van Dyk will not be among the 12.

It was always thought the Ferns would have time to prepare for life without van Dyk, that there would be some advanced warning she was to step down. But Thursday's announcement caught all, including Taumaunu, by surprise.

The Ferns now have just 46 days to get their heads around entering a major championship without their superstar shooter. It is not just on the court where van Dyk's absence will be keenly felt. The larger-than-life shooter's effervescent nature is infectious in the group - she is, as Cathrine Latu likens her, a giant 15-year-old kid. Always laughing, always joking, always happy. But she is also the mother-hen of the team - "it's the school teacher in me", van Dyk once explained - she makes sure that everyone is comfortable in the team, the players know where they are supposed to be and when, and of course, she even drives the team van.

"It is a big shock for all of us," said Taumaunu. "I don't think any of the players have ever toured without Irene, certainly since I came back into the Ferns environment in 2008 Irene has always been there, so it will be a big change but we just have to make the adjustment."

While van Dyk saw her retirement as "inevitable" after the season she has had for the Pulse, others are not convinced.

A van Dyk-Donna Wilkins combination was never going to work. They both command a lot of space in the shooting circle, and more often than not found themselves getting in each other's way. Struggling in the new attacking set-up, van Dyk did not have the coaching support at the Pulse to make the appropriate adjustments, and her impact began to wane. When she finished the season with two horror performances against Firebirds defender and Australian captain Laura Geitz, and the Fever's English import Eboni Beckford-Chambers, van Dyk's confidence was in tatters.

Many believe the 217-test veteran would still add value in the Ferns environment, where she could have been used in tandem with Latu. Having both van Dyk and Latu in the line-up would have kept the opposition guessing and forced them to prepare for two very different styles of shooter. There was a stream of thought that no matter the circumstances in the match - whether they be up by five at halftime or down by five - van Dyk and Latu should play a half each in the big games. This strategy could have been particularly effective against the Diamonds, as the Australian style of defence is such that it wears shooters down, and begins to pay dividends by the end of the match.

In any case, if van Dyk feels that she should not be in the team, then she is right. Taumaunu can't take into a pinnacle event a player who no longer believes she can compete against the best.

The national coach declined to say whether van Dyk would have been selected in the team for Glasgow had she made herself available.

"It's a moot point now really. I guess we're just fortunate that we decided to wait until after these last few rounds of transtasman clashes before naming the team," she said.

The selectors' options for van Dyk's replacement are limited and it is difficult to see them improving any in the 12 months between this year's Commonwealth Games and the 2015 World Cup in Sydney.

The net result of the veteran shooter's shock retirement for Tuesday's Commonwealth Games team selection is it will hand an extra opportunity to a midcourter.

Several commentators had tipped Bailey Mes would be included in the Ferns midcourt after impressing at wing attack in the Mystics' final two hit-outs. Mes will now be selected as the fourth shooter behind Latu, Maria Tutaia and Jodi Brown, leaving four players battling it out for two spots in the midcourt. Incumbents Shannon Francois and Camilla Lees are facing stiff competition to retain their positions from former Ferns Grace Rasmussen and Liana Leota, who is making a rails run after returning to the court mid-season following the birth of her third child. Following the Commonwealth Games, Taumaunu's key focus will be to try to fast-track the development of young shooters Te Paea Selby-Rickit (Steel) and Malia Paseka (Magic), with the possibility they may be given an opportunity in the English test series this year.

The problem is with three of the five goal shoot spots in New Zealand franchises are occupied by import players, and with van Dyk indicating she is keen to play another season of ANZ Championship netball, young shooters are not going to be given the opportunities they need at franchise level.

The post-van Dyk era is looking gloomy.