Aiken out to prove a point in derby
QUEENSLAND Firebirds superstar Romelda Aiken believes in the adage that you are only as good as your last game.
So she enters tonight’s Suncorp Super Netball seasonopener against the Sunshine Coast Lightning at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre with a point to prove. Look out Lightning. Aiken is a three-time MVP, three-time championship winner and the most prolific shooter in trans-Tasman competition history, the only woman to break the 5000-goal barrier.
But the normally cool, calm, collected and deadly accurate Jamaican had a full-blown case of the yips in the 2016 ANZ Championship grand final win over the NSW Swifts.
Aiken admitted she had shocker as she hit 63 shots from 89 attempts (71 per cent), compared with the 86 per cent success rate she enjoyed throughout the season.
The misses from point- blank range included airballs, failed basketball lay-ups and shots that clunked into the underside of the ring.
But Aiken did hit the shots that counted with the final two goals in double overtime to hand the Firebirds a spinetingling 69-67 victory and coach Roselee Jencke later lauded her courage for stepping up when it mattered.
Aiken returns to Boondall tonight and said memories of the 2016 decider had driven her throughout the pre-season with motherly advice giving her perspective.
“I was talking to my mum afterwards and told her I had a really, really bad game but we won. I said I really feel like I still have a lot to prove,’’ she said.
“They always say you are only as good as your last performance so that’s where I am.
“Mum said it was like one bad game out of the 100 good ones that I’ve played so I shouldn’t be too harsh on myself.
“I see this season as an opportunity to start with a clean slate. I’m happy, I’m excited and I’ve promised myself that I’ll never have one of those games ever again.’’
Aiken said while the Firebirds were without Laura Geitz (pregnant), Clare McMeniman (retired), Kim Ravaillion (Col- lingwood) and Mahalia Cassidy (knee reconstruction) from last year’s all-conquering squad, the purple powerhouse was rolling on.
“The sense of urgency at training has been amazing,” she said. “The new players have come in and they have all worked hard .
“It’s Firebirds business as usual heading into the season.’’
Almost 7000 tickets at the 10,000-capacity venue have been sold for the first instalment of the Queensland netball derby.