Netball: Squad size a surprise

By LOIS MUIR

I'm not sure the decision by Australian coach Norma Plummer to expand her squad from the traditional 12 to 15 is a good one.

By having a larger squad she is trying to have a bob each way but she could end up regretting it.

How can players develop confidence if each knows there are three people ready to kick her in the ankle for the chance to get on the court?

And the Australians are competitive when it comes to getting gametime.

It is also difficult to coach a larger group. Plummer wants to get a win under her belt and she is trying to find the right combinations, but she wants to find them in the series - normally you would have done that beforehand.

Overall, though, the Australian squad is a strong one.

Shooter Catherine Cox is quite a big unit and the New Zealand defenders - Vilimaina Davu, Sheryl Scanlan, Anna Scarlett and Joline Henry - will have to match that.

But the defence as a unit needs more work.

Intercepts against Australia have to be well-planned, and that's something Victoria Edward has to be careful of.

She has to do more work at lifting the ball for her circle defence and getting in the Aussie feeders' faces.

This is where Lesley Nicol has been really under-rated, she works very hard at that.

Australia's defensive end is going through change. There are some experienced players, including captain Liz Ellis, Alison Broadbent and Janine Ilitch. But with the inclusion of the relatively inexperienced Mo'onia Gerrard and Bianca Chatfield, their defence as a whole are still finding their feet.

The series should be reasonably close but I think winning isn't paramount at this stage of New Zealand's buildup to the next world championships.

In coaching, you should be able to count on "no surprises". Belinda Colling's withdrawal was a little bit of a surprise and I don't think Ruth Aitken has been able to plan quite as well.

But it's a great chance to look forward and is especially a great opportunity for Jodi Te Huna and Angela Mitchell.

I have coached both and they have very good skills.

Te Huna is left-handed and is a little slower in her actions on court. She usually plays a very supportive type role following her fellow shooter's movements. I think that has developed more in her game to her detriment probably.

She now needs to stand up and be her own person out on court. That might happen in this series but she needs to work on it because Australia will exploit it.

Mitchell's work ethic is beyond reproach.


She works hard on defence and reads court space very well.

She is prepared to put up the shots but is very supportive if you need her to be.

Mitchell has a big repertoire to her game.

Te Huna has a lot of skills too, but they are not used as much because the other shooters she has been playing with have been more dominant.

Both of them will give Aitken choices.

WITH this series New Zealand need to put their toe in the water and make it ripple.

We are not going in with quite the mana we built up during the world championships and had going into the last Fisher and Paykel series, but that is okay because it gives people opportunities and makes people stand up and be counted.

We want to stay close to Australia but it's important we don't try to put all the old guns on because we want to win. It is player development and competence we are after.

It is an exciting time for Aitken. Everyone here wants us to win and sure, that is the nature of being a New Zealander, but we have to make sure we are giving the players the opportunity and confidence to win the next world championship.