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The Silver Ferns conspired to bemuse, baffle and bewilder this year, with the same team never turning up twice in the seven netball tests New Zealand contested.
To start the year, Netball New Zealand (NNZ) had shown faith in losing world championship Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken, reappointing her for a four-year term in February.
Leigh Gibbs, who stood down as assistant coach, was replaced by former New Zealand defender Waimarama Taumaunu.
Aitken began the year without captain Adine Wilson (pregnancy), and introduced four new players to the squad.
Under Aitken, the Silver Ferns have taken 60 of their 75 tests for an 80 per cent winning record. But they looked distinctly wobbly this year, coming away with four wins and three losses.
First up this year were the old enemy - Australia. Still smarting from last year's 38-42 world championship loss, the Silver Ferns' concentration wavered only briefly in the first of two home tests in mid-September, but enough for Australia to secure a 53-51 victory.
The second test two days later saw a more uncompromising Silver Ferns outfit surprise with a clinically efficient nine-goal turn around as they won 38-31 to level the series.
Aitken blooded new players - with defender Katrina Grant particularly impressive - and tried new combinations, with goal shoot Irene van Dyk moving out to goal attack and Maria Tutaia starting under the post.
But it was in the three-test series against England three weeks later that the Silver Ferns really managed to bemuse and bamboozle.
In the first test in Auckland, New Zealand bullied the English into submission by almost 40 goals with a 65-26 monstering.
However, just two days later in Dunedin, England rebounded to ambush the Silver Ferns and secure a 40-38 victory.
It was the second time in 18 months England had beaten New Zealand, but only the third time 33 years.
For the final test in Palmerston North, Aitken shifted van Dyk back to goal shoot and Tutaia started in the more accustomed goal attack position.
Even without captain Julie Seymour - out with a last-minute achilles injury - the Silver Ferns were again unstoppable, racking up a 61-22 win as van Dyk shot the perfect 100 per cent game.
New Zealand's up-and-down approach continued in the two-test series across the Tasman, as they fought back from an eight-goal deficit to win the first-up match 46-41 in Melbourne in late October.
Six days later in Brisbane, the Australians battled back for a 43-41 win to leave honours even at two wins apiece over the four tests.
The year also saw the introduction of the semi-professional transtasman netball league, the 10-strong competition comprising five teams each from Australia and New Zealand.
With competition rules for the ANZ Championship allowing one overseas player per team, top netballers from England, Jamaica and Samoa made playing rosters in teams from both countries.
Two recent Australian internationals even made the trip across the Tasman, Megan Dehn playing for Southern Steel and defender Demelza Fellowes turning out for Canterbury Tactix.
The 17-week league, which started in the first week of April and included 69 matches, sounded an ominous warning as not one of the five New Zealand franchises managed to win across the Tasman.
Only the Silver Ferns-laden Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, fielding six internationals, managed consistent wins over Australian teams - although not, unfortunately, in the grand final where they were totally outplayed by the NSW Swifts 65-56.
The year finished on a confused note for the transtasman league when the Central Pulse, winless in the inaugural league, sacked coach Kate Carpenter one year into her three-year contract, and sought a financial bailout from NNZ.
A troubled year for the Pulse had included the departure of sponsor Suzuki, the resignation of chairman John Freer in July and the loss of star defender Sonia Mkoloma to the Tactix.
Carpenter took a case for unjustified dismissal against NNZ and the Pulse franchise to the Employment Relations Authority. The case settled privately on November, with neither party commenting on the terms of the settlement.
Just over a week later, Netball Manawatu and national under-21 coach Yvette McCausland-Durie was confirmed as coach, as NZPA had predicted a month earlier.
A new format was introduced this year for the national netball championships, including an extended five-week round-robin competition from early September with teams split into two divisions.
The home and away games culminated in a week-long finals tournament ending on October 4, with Southland powering to a resounding 56-45 upset win over defending champions Auckland Waitakere.
It was the first time Southland, led by former Australian international Natalie Avellino, had won the national title in 49 years.
- NZPA
