Netball: Mystics on mission to silence critics

Te Aroha Keenan is impressed by the Mystics' commitment. Picture / Bay of Plenty Times

The Northern Mystics believe they have come to grips with what it takes to succeed in a semi-professional era as they begin their final countdown for the second season transtasman league.

Slammed by their critics as unfit and ill-prepared last season, in which they finished a disappointing seventh, the Mystics have undergone a rapid transformation in the off-season, improving their strength and conditioning and building a new team culture based around performance.

Every weekday morning for the past three months the Mystics could be found at Waitakere's Trusts Stadium undertaking a gruelling regime of sprint sessions, fitness training, weights and court work.

The physical transformation is evident - as shooter Jade Topia noted "we're all starting to get guns" - but the biggest change is in the team's attitude.

It seems all those early morning trainings has helped develop a very strong bond among the group and their confidence is high.

New coach Te Aroha Keenan, who took over the reins at the Mystics following the axing of Yvonne Willering last year, said she had been thrilled with the application and commitment her side had shown in the off-season.

"They didn't go kicking and screaming in to it, they came willingly.

"I've found if you're really upfront with this group they'll see the benefits of doing the work," said Keenan.

With just one week to go before the start of the 2009 ANZ Championship season, Keenan said she was fairly relaxed about the competition starting given the hard work her side had put in over the past few months.

"If we hadn't done the preparation I would be feeling pretty distraught right at this moment, but we have put in the hard yards and there is a great deal of belief in this side so I'm feeling really positive about it all," said Keenan.

"It always nerve-racking going into the first week, but these players are of the mind that they've got it all there, they've done the work and I'm right behind them."

While the Mystics seem to have got all the elements right off the court, questions remain over how much impact they will make this season having lost three Silver Ferns from last year. The Mystics' defensive end has taken the biggest hit, with Silver Fern defenders Sheryl Scanlan (Steel) and Leana de Bruin (Magic) both defecting to other franchises.

But Keenan believes her side's pre-season form has shown they can still foot it with the best even without their stars.

The Auckland side dropped just one game in last weekend's Waipa Festival of Netball tournament despite missing frontline players Temepara George and Vilimaina Davu, who were attending a wedding in Kaitaia, and shooter Cathrine Latu, who injured her ankle early on in the tournament.

Keenan said their pre-season results proved making the play-offs was not beyond her team.

"If we can consistently put it out there on court this season then top four is a realistic goal for us. After that, anything else would be a bonus."

The Mystics have a tough first-up encounter, opening their season against last year's runners-up the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic next Monday. The Magic yesterday revealed Silver Ferns Irene van Dyk and Joline Henry would share the captaincy.