Netball: Williams is queen of the court

Casey Williams is the first defender since Bernice Mene to captain the Silver Ferns. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

The last thing newly-named Silver Ferns captain Casey Williams expected to be doing yesterday was sitting in Netball New Zealand's Auckland headquarters talking about her new position.

She had hoped to be in Melbourne with the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, preparing for an ANZ Championship grand final showdown against the Vixens. And she wasn't even aware she was being considered for the captaincy.

She got the shock of her life then, when she got a call from Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken at the weekend, asking her how she'd feel about leading the side.

Suddenly, the disappointment of missing out on the grand final was pushed to one side as Williams accepted the honour of becoming the Silver Ferns' 23rd test captain. It is the first time in her seven-year coaching tenure Aitken has stepped away from the midcourt in selecting her captain, with Williams becoming the first defender to skipper the national side since Bernice Mene.

Although Williams shared the vice-captaincy role last season with Magic teammate Laura Langman, she said it hadn't occurred to her that she may be elevated to the role of skipper following the retirement of Julie Seymour.

"It wasn't what I was expecting at all - I was completely blown away when Ruth asked me. To be honest I'm still in a bit of a daze," she said.

The selectors' decision to go with Williams could be an indication that Langman may have enough on her plate this season juggling several positions in the midcourt.

The return of Temepara George to the Ferns opens up a number of options in the midcourt, and there is a possibility Langman could initially be trialled in all three positions as they look to get the mix right.

But the elevation of Williams may still be regarded as a gamble for some, who believe the gifted defender and fierce competitor would be best left to focus on her own game.

Aitken believes it is precisely these attributes that make Williams the obvious choice.

She said Williams was a proven match-winner with the ability to inspire her team to victory.

"She's an incredible competitor, she's absolutely fearless, so she does lead from the front in that respect."

Williams, 24, is 14 years younger than her predecessor, but Aitken doesn't believe the talented defender's age will be a handicap.

"She's a young leader, and she will probably think 'oh my gosh', but we have huge faith in her ability to grow in to the leadership with the great support she'll have around her."

"She is hugely respected within the team, and I think for her it's actually just having the confidence to realise that if she puts a stake in the ground and says 'this is how we need to do things' others will be more than happy to follow her," said Aitken.