Netball: Magic's team spirit on a high

Megan Dehn has found changing teams stimulating. Photo / Dean Purcell

Peta Scholz spent last weekend paddling the Whanganui River with her Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic teammates.

It was a rather different pre-season get-together from a year ago, when the Magic's pre-season programme included meditation.

You get a suspicion Scholz relished the more active activity more.

"I loved it. The days were quite long and challenging, paddling for such a long time. But it really brought us together," she said.

Getting on the water might also have been a bit about making up for lost time.

Last May the former Australian midcourter needed a reconstruction after damaging the ACL joint in her left knee. Inactivity does not sit well with the 35-year-old from Adelaide.

"I've never really had an injury that kept me off court before. It was really depressing and I found it hard to cope with not being active.

"It was a really long recovery process and I struggled immensely with that. So it's great to be back, and the knee feels great."

Everything moves up a gear when the Magic kick off their ANZ Championship campaign hosting the Southern Steel in Rotorua tomorrow.

And Scholz's hard-headed attitude will help the Magic in their ambition to go into uncharted territory this year.

They've made two grand finals - against the New South Wales Swifts in the inaugural 2008 season, and the Adelaide Thunderbirds last year - but lost both.

That needs to be rectified.

"We are definitely in with a strong chance of winning the grand final," she said.

"No game is easy in this draw and there's lots of planning and preparation before each game. Everyone's giving 100 per cent, training hard and doing everything required to win. We've got a great team."

There are personnel changes throughout the franchises. Of the opposition, Scholz expects the Mystics to be strong, and has a healthy regard for the Melbourne Vixens and Swifts.

Scholz spent 11 years with the Thunderbirds in the old Commonwealth Bank Trophy competition. She retired, then returned for a couple of seasons in the local state league before the call from Magic coach Noeline Taurua.

The injury-plagued Steel were squashed by the Mystics when the championship began this week. The Magic will fancy their chances of repeating the treatment tomorrow.

As for the Mystics, they play the Central Pulse in Porirua today, aiming to maintain the early momentum the Steel win provided.

Scholz's fellow former Aussie international Megan Dehn acknowledged it was a messy game in some respects but there were good elements to the performance.

"It was good to win every quarter and not become a bit blase in the last couple," the wing/goal attack said yesterday.

"It was a bit scrappy, but that's to be expected in the first game. It's now about trying to improve on that every week."

Dehn shifted from the Steel, where she'd been playing all or part of the first three years of the championship.

But she's no stranger to Auckland, having played for the Force.

The change of scenery from Invercargill gave her a fresh perspective.

"One of the best things about changing teams and coming to a new environment is you are constantly stimulated and always learning something.

"It can get a little boring turning up to the same team training all the time. It's been good so far."

The Mystics, rated one of the under-achievers of the championships so far, fancy their chances of making a statement this year.

Defending champions the Thunderbirds, coming off a heavy loss to the Swifts last Sunday, play the Vixens tomorrow, while on Monday Queensland Firebirds host the Swifts, and the Canterbury Tactix get under way hosting the West Coast Fever.

Round two

Today: Central Pulse v Mystics, Porirua, 4.20pm

Tomorrow: Adelaide Thunderbirds v Melbourne Vixens, Adelaide; Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic v Southern Steel, Rotorua, 6.20pm

Monday: Queensland Firebirds v NSW Swifts, Brisbane; Canterbury Tactix v West Coast Fever, Christchurch, 7.20pm