Silver Ferns welcome extra push from Australian midcourters

Silver Ferns’ coach Dame Noeline Taurua is pleased her side is going to face a Mixed Invitational team next week, which will include two former Australian Diamonds.

2018 Constellation Cup between the Australian Diamonds v Silver Ferns. Diamonds Kelsey Browne catches the ball in front of Silver Ferns Sam Sinclair.
Photo: Photosport / Zak Simmonds

In fact, Dame Noeline coached both Kelsey Browne and Laura Scherian when she was in charge of the Sunshine Coast Lightning in the Australian netball league.

Browne became a Diamond under Dame Noeline’s watch, and soon after the New Zealand coach departed the Lightning in 2019, Scherian became the oldest player to debut for the Diamonds at 31.

With an embarrassment of riches in the midcourt, the pair are now on the fringe of the Diamonds’ squad.

But former Silver Fern Marg Foster, who is coaching the Mixed Invitational team, snapped them up.

Dame Noeline said it was a smart move by Foster.

“I’m really happy with that you know for our midcourt it’s being able to combat or get used to that style of the Aussie way, the speed definitely of the ball but also the movement,” Dame Noeline said.

“I think with Maddy [Gordon] in there as well I think those three will make a nice unit.”

The Silver Ferns’ coach said the Mixed side would bring a lot of variety, which would force them to continuously adjust.

“And then depending on what happens in-circle you know it could be aerial or tight man on man defence so looking forward to playing that variety. Our ability to change up our own strategy is going to be important every time we take the court.”

In a world first, the Mixed team games will be broadcast live.

Marg Foster and Dame Noeline Taurua have worked together before.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Foster has picked an interesting side, with a mix of youth and experience, including 44-year-old Leana de Bruin, who played in the ANZ Premiership this year to help cover illness.

Named in the reserves is Donna Wilkins, who played the last of her 64 Tests for the Silver Ferns in 2002 and also played basketball for New Zealand.

There’s likely to be some feisty encounters during the Cadbury Series, which also includes the NZA side and the Aotearoa Men, who will be looking for revenge after the Ferns beat them 2-1 last October.

The Silver Ferns’ coach said the men had outstanding elevation and physicality on the ball.

“Playing in Commonwealth Games we’re going to get different styles, and it’s our ability to combat that. That’s the beauty I suppose of having the men – where we have really aerial players as well as the physicality so I’m assuming that Marg [Foster] will mix that up with the women.”

Similar to social competitions there will be rules around the ratio of male and female players who must take the court.

When the Mixed side plays the Silver Ferns and NZA – it will be a four female and three male split, with the men spread out among the three areas of the court.

Foster said when the Mixed side plays the Aotearoa Men, they have asked if they can have a four men, three women split.

She said the Mixed team can help simulate what the Silver Ferns will meet at the Commonwealth Games.

” …The men offering that real aerial game like Jamaica or the hard man-on-man defence of Australia,” Foster said.

“We want to put the Ferns under that sort of pressure and we’re aware that we want to push them as hard as possible as they prepare for this pinnacle event.”

The NZA side coached by Reinga Bloxham includes players who missed out on the Silver Ferns’ Commonwealth Games side, like Sam Winders and those named as reserves, including Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Tiana Metuarau.

Dame Noeline, who has been putting the Silver Ferns through their paces at a training camp in Wellington, said there was always excitement when bringing a new team together.

“I suppose a bit of the unknown, a bit of excitement, anxiousness but every day’s a better day than what it was yesterday and that’s all we can do to keep building.”

Specialist coaches have been taking some court sessions as part of their build-up, including Australian Jane Woodlands-Thompson, who has worked with the side before.

The Cadbury series kicks off on 13th July in Auckland.