Imports quell local shooters, says coach

DIAMONDS coach Lisa Alexander has warned the next generation of Australian goal shooters could be sabotaged by the increasing trend towards international spearheads in Super Netball.

As the final spots on rosters were finalised this week, all eight franchises will have imports filling attacking positions in their goal circle next season.

Alexander said there was a risk succession plans for frontline goal shooters Caitlin Bassett and Caitlin Thwaites could be obstructed if opportunities were not given to young Australian talent ahead of internationals.

After Australia’s one-goal loss to England at the Commonwealth Games, Alexander suggested the league’s import policy helped the Roses claim gold, saying it was “our highperformance system working for another country’’.

But it’s the domination of international goalers in the national league that has become a concern to Alexander, who has raised the issue with the Netball Australia board.

“It’s something myself and our head of high performance Andrew Collins have made sure we have kept the board across,’’ Alexander said.

“They know that that’s an issue. We did warn them about that a couple of years ago when the rules of the competition were first drawn up.

“We need to make sure the athletes in those positions are getting the training time and playing time in our ANL we need and when there is an opportunity we do get an Australian shooter into one of those positions.

“In the future we have got to keep an eye on it because we can’t get into a situation where all of the teams have got international shooters because then we are not doing the right thing by our Australian team.’’