Netball: Loffhagen chooses a different court

Donna Loffhagen jumps past Australia's Lauren Jackson during their match at the Athens Olympics. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Dual international Donna Loffhagen felt a weight had been lifted off her shoulders when she called Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken and told her she was withdrawing from the New Zealand squad.

Loffhagen, 26, has juggled netball and basketball for much of her life, but has decided to concentrate on basketball.

After making her debut for the Silver Ferns in 1996, she took most of 2000 off, dedicating herself to the Tall Ferns and their Olympic campaign.

She returned to the Silver Ferns in 2001 but after the 2002 Commonwealth Games went back to basketball for last year's Olympics.

After a two-year absence she made herself available for the Silver Ferns in September and immediately joined the national squad.

But with both netball and basketball at next year's Commonwealth Games, Loffhagen has been forced to decide which sport to represent.

"I have never had to make a choice before because netball has been at the Commonwealth Games and basketball at the Olympics.

"This is the first time that both codes are going to be at the Commonwealth Games so I had to decide."

Her decision to stay with basketball comes after a stint with the Canberra Capitals in the Australian league. She joined them late last year and immediately made her mark, finishing the season as the competition's top rebounder.

Her impact was such that she received an offer from the Connecticut Sun to play in America.

She turned that down because she had already committed herself to the Southern Sting for this year's National Bank Cup.

"Had I not signed with the Sting before this offer came up then I probably would have been going over to the States.

"I am just hoping that if I keep up my basketball and hence the reason that I am going to play basketball in the Commonwealth Games is that I may get that chance next year."

She could not say whether this year's National Bank Cup would mark the end of her netball career.

"If I don't get any offers to go away and play basketball next year and it doesn't fit in with my life and what I am doing at the time ... I'd definitely look at another season [with the Sting].

"I still have some unfinished business with netball so I am not ruling out coming back."

Loffhagen is an exceptional athlete. Her loss is a huge blow to the Silver Ferns who are already a little wanting in the shooting department.

The 16-strong Silver Ferns squad, which contains just two specialist goal attacks in Jodi Te Huna and Angela Mitchell, will meet for a camp next weekend. The team to play England next month will be named on February 15.

"I sort of feel like I am letting the girls down in some respect but as I said to Ruth [Aitken] I don't feel like I can give 100 per cent to everyone if I play netball and basketball and try and complete my studies.

"She was really understanding and supportive of my decision but obviously a little disappointed because it has left a wee bit of a hole.

But the World Youth Cup is this year so hopefully there will be some young ones coming through who will be able to be step up."

Golden Goals

Donna Loffhagen

Born: Christchurch, April 29 1978.
Lives: Southland.
Height: 1.84m.
Netball positions: GA, GS.
Silver Fern caps: 57.

Career highlights

1996-2000, 2001-2001: Silver Ferns
1995-2004: Tall Ferns
1998-2005: Southern Sting.