Netball: Van Dyk unfazed by Aussies' tall timber strategy

1.00pm

New Zealand goalshoot Irene van Dyk is unfazed at facing Australian tall timber Bianca Chatfield and Demelza Fellowes in the forthcoming test series.

The 1.9m Chatfield, with seven tests, and the uncapped 1.88m Fellowes were among the four players named at the weekend in the Australian squad of 12 who were not in last year's group who lost to the Silver Ferns in the world championship final.

The 1.91m van Dyk said she had played against them before, and neither were as formidable as Silver Ferns goalkeep Vilimaina Davu.

"No one is harder to play against than Vili," van Dyk said. "You get such a battering against her. She plays so hard on you all the whole time.

"By comparison, I'm not too concerned about the two Aussies."

Van Dyk was knocked around by Davu when the two clashed in the fifth round of the National Bank Cup, Davu having the final say when her Canterbury Flames beat the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 50-44.

Van Dyk expected Chatfield or Fellowes to be named at goalkeep to mark her in the three tests in New Zealand, starting in Christchurch on June 30, and Australian captain Liz Ellis would play at goal defence.

Van Dyk said Australian talk of rebuilding was not really borne out by the team chosen.

"With eight of last year's world championship squad, they'll be pretty much at 100 per cent with their starting lineup.

"The only thing lacking was depth on the bench. Overall, there's not a lot of weaknesses in their squad."

Van Dyk said the Silver Ferns had spent a lot of the weekend at a camp in Auckland studying videos of the Australians on their recent England tour.

"It allowed us to get a good idea of where they are at -- it whetted my appetite for the games ahead."

Van Dyk offered every evidence she is on top of her game with a perfect 42 goals from 42 attempts in the Magic's 63-60 cup loss to the Southern Sting in Hamilton on Sunday.

It was her first 100 per cent performance in the cup this year, and though satisfying, she said the loss had not dampened her enthusiasm.

Retired Australian captain Kathryn Harby-Williams, who is playing for the Auckland Diamonds, said the selection of Fellowes had "surprised everyone" but she backed her inclusion after playing with her at the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

Unlike van Dyk she rated the team "one of the less experienced over many years", and said it reflected a desire to build a new side to defend the Commonwealth Games gold medal in Melbourne in 2006 and to win back the world title in Fiji the following year.

Harby-Williams had no regrets at having retired from international netball after last year's world final, though she continued to play with huge commitment for her new team.

She was named defensive player of the day when the Diamonds beat the Capital Shakers 53-45 in Wellington on Sunday.

- NZPA