Netball: Shooter bids farewell with baby on horizon

By RICHARD BOOCK

Silver Fern and Force shooter Tania Dalton will put a decade-long international career on ice at the end of this season's national league when she takes time out to have a baby.

Dalton, nee Nicholson, has made herself unavailable for New Zealand's matches against England and Australia, and is still unsure whether she will be able to finish off her Coca Cola Cup swansong with the competition-leading Force.

Selected in the New Zealand Young Internationals in 1989, the 29-year-old goal-attack/shoot made her Silver Ferns debut against South Africa in 1996.

But she did not play again until last November's tour of South Africa, where she featured in two of the three tests.

Her absence will leave New Zealand coach Yvonne Willering with another decision to make over her shooting lineup.

But with options such as Irene van Dyk, Donna Loffhagen, Belinda Colling and Adine Harper, not to mention young guns Daneka Wipiiti and Jodi Te Huna, she is - in some ways - spoilt for choice.

On the other hand, the Force are likely to feel the loss of Dalton far more keenly, despite having a couple of rising stars in Anna Tai and Nicolette Ropati as support for Teresa Tairi.

Before last night's round, the North Harbour club were leading the league after an unbeaten run through the first half of the draw, with the shooting line making the most of some strong defensive work, and an impressive transition game.

In terms of the competition's best-ranked shooters, Tairi was trailing hot-shot van Dyk (90 per cent) with 86 per cent and Dalton was in third equal place with Loffhagen on 84 per cent.

Typically modest, Dalton put her and her fellow shooters' success down to the strength of the Force defence and the confidence and creativity of the mid-court.

"We're getting heaps of ball," she said in Dunedin yesterday, where the Force were preparing to meet the Otago Rebels.

"It looks good for the shooters, but the real work is being done in defence and by the 'middies' - they've been giving us great ball and great position all season.

"The shooting statistics end up looking pretty impressive, but if statistics were kept for all areas of the court I'm sure they would show that everyone's having a good season.

"This is the best Force side we've had, I think.

"In previous years we've been up there, but have always been overshadowed by someone like the Sting, whereas this season there's a different feeling within the side - a resilience, a greater sense of self-belief."

Dalton said she hoped to be able to stay with the Force to the end, but that she was heeding her doctor's advice and would approach the rest of the season with an open mind.

"Everything's fine right now. I'm fit, my body's used to running around, and the advice has been completely positive. But you can't afford to look too far ahead."

But for all that, she was looking forward to tomorrow's heavyweight showdown against the defending champion Sting in Invercargill, a match which could easily end up being a dress-rehearsal for the competition showpiece.

The Sting will be the first of several tough opponents for Dalton's side, who end the round-robin with matches against the Shakers, the Flames and a bye.

"It'll be a huge game, and none of us can wait," she said. "For the first time we feel ready."