Netball: Coach decision could rock Magic

Julie Fitzgerald, if appointed, would be the first Australian to lead the Silver Ferns. Photo / Christine Cornege

Netball NZ’s expected choice to replace Taumaunu, Julie Fitzgerald, would force late changes at franchise

The Magic may be forced to make a late coaching change ahead of next season if Julie Fitzgerald lands the Silver Ferns job.

Netball New Zealand is expected to announce Waimarama Taumaunu's replacement this week, with Fitzgerald tipped as the frontrunner for the position. If appointed, Fitzgerald will become the first Australian to lead the Silver Ferns - a prospect that doesn't sit well with many in the New Zealand netball community.

It is understood Fitzgerald, who has a year left to run on her contract with the Magic, won't be able to continue in her role at the Waikato-Bay of Plenty franchise if appointed to the top job because of the conflict of interest it poses and the time demands.

The Silver Ferns coach would have regular contact with the national players during the ANZ Championship season, giving them exclusive access and insight into the athletes' health and fitness. It would therefore be improper for a national coach to also be in charge of a transtasman league team because they would be able to gain key intel on players from rival franchises.

The incoming coach would also struggle to juggle both jobs, with the Silver Ferns set to play a test series in late January - a crucial time in the ANZ Championship pre-season.

Magic chief executive Tim Hamilton was not prepared to discuss the prospect of a coaching change for next season until Netball NZ has confirmed the new Silver Ferns coach. But with pre-season training set to begin next month, the organisation will need to act quickly if required to find a replacement for Fitzgerald.

As well as a new coach, the Waikato-Bay of Plenty side may also be looking for a new captain next season, with speculation star defender Casey Kopua may be set to step away from the game at the end of the year, despite signing on with the team for the 2016 season.

An announcement on Kopua's future is expected this month.

It will likely be a month of big netball announcements, with Netball NZ also expected to confirm the details of a new national league for 2016.

The Netball NZ board finally signed off on the structure of the new competition last week, after months of consultation with the five zones. The need for a new domestic league was identified after a major review of the sport's player pathways and development systems revealed a competition gap between secondary school and ANZ Championship level.

A national under-23 competition, contested among the five zones, and the national championships, are the only opportunities second-tier players have to compete at representative level. But with both competitions being held as week-long tournaments, they are not preparing young players for the demands of league-based competition.

It is understood the new domestic competition will be contested among the five zones, and feature a double round-robin and finals running alongside the ANZ Championship.

Netball NZ chief executive Hilary Poole said the body would direct much of its resources and energy over the next few months into ensuring the new competition would be in play for next year. "We need to have a league underpinning the top level so when athletes get selected for ANZ they know what it is to be a high-performance athlete."