Centres of interest
She’s yet to take the court for the Silver Ferns, but Steel midcourter Kate Heffernan is rated highly and could be the solution in starting centre bib.
Uncapped Kate Heffernan could loom as the answer for the Silver Ferns’ starting centre bib at the Commonwealth Games.
Centre is the most fiercely contested position in New Zealand netball with several contenders vying to make the 12-player squad.
With captain Gina Crampton the first-choice wing attack and Shannon Saunders the likely wing attack-centre slide, it might mean only one spot is available for the starting centre.
Heffernan, Kimiora Poi, Claire Kersten, Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and Sam Winders could be in a head-tohead logjam for one place – creating a healthy headache for Ferns selectors, coach Dame Noeline Taurua, Adrianne Hayes, Gail Parata and Leigh Gibbs.
Maddy Gordon’s versatility, being able to cover all three midcourt roles, and encouraging play for the Pulse since returning from a knee injury, which caused her to miss the start of the season, should boost her selection hopes.
How players perform at the national trials in Wellington from June 20-23 and function together in combination will be just as critical as their play in the final weeks of the ANZ Premiership.
The Ferns’ centre hopefuls all bring different strengthswith their play and offer contrasting styles.
Kersten, Winders and ReueluBuchanan were picked as the frontline centres for January’s Quad Series in England with Saunders able to cover the position.
Reuelu-Buchanan played her lone test against South Africa on the tour, making her debut. Her familiarity and connections with Stars teammates Crampton and goal shoot MaiaWilson could offer appeal for the Games.
Southern Steel’s Heffernan is an interesting option.
The 22-year-old is the tallest centre in the competition at 1.81m and is known for her strong defensive skills. Previously awing defence, Heffernan moved to centre last season and impressed in the position.
She was selected in the Silver Ferns’ 2021-22 national squad for the first time last year. Heffernan gained amaiden Ferns’ call-up for the Taini Jamison Trophy series against England in September, but didn’t get on court.
Heffernan is understood to be firmly on the Ferns’ Commonwealth Games radar. She was someone former Ferns midcourter, turned Sky Sport netball analyst, Courtney Tairi would be looking at.
‘‘I’m throwing Kate Heffernan in there as my bolter. I think she’s been great and she turns over a lot of ball
in the midcourt,’’ Tairi said.
‘‘It’s very tight and I think for Noels [Taurua] she’s going to have to pick a very defensive midcourt, which works in a lot of the girls’ favour. She’s going to have to get a lot of ball, particularly in the midcourt and defence, for the Ferns to do well.’’
New Zealand are in the same group as England and if they are to contend for gold, they will need to beat the Roses and always formidable Australia.
Both sides have fast, explosive midcourts and if the Ferns are to reverse their losses to them from the Quad Series, they will need to apply greater defensive pressure and gain more turnover ball.
‘‘Out of the defensive midcourters, I think she’s the best at reading the shooting circle and feeding the shooters.
‘‘I also like she’s a very tall midcourter that gives range over the ball, which they’ll need, especially when they play against Australia and England.’’
Tairi liked Heffernan’s fearless attitude on court and her ability to snaffle intercepts and pick up defensive ball.
For a defensive midcourter, she had made heartening progress with her attacking game, standing out with her accurate feeding into Steel’s English goal shoot George Fisher.
She didn’t commit many turnovers bringing the ball through court, which was paramount, Tairi said.
‘‘For me, she’s a frontrunner in regards to feeding and reading the circle. She’s grown so much. For me, out of all the options she’s probably the best at reading the circle and giving good ball.’’
Steel coach Reinga Bloxham said a recent Covid-19 team outbreak, which struck down Heffernan, had been unfortunate given her strong early season play. Like the rest of her team-mates, she was building back her form and game-to-game consistency after having Covid.
Bloxham praised the way Heffernan had adapted to centre over the past 18 months.
‘‘The other thingwith Kate is I know when she gets gains and deflectionswe usuallywin.
‘‘Her point of difference is her height.
‘‘She is tall and she’s very agile for a tall person. That speaks for itself when she gets those gains on defence. It’s because she’s got these rangy limbs that upset the vision in the person in front of them,’’ Bloxham said.
She stressed it was easy to forget Heffernan was still 22 – given she’d been with the Steel for five seasons, debuting in 2018 as an injury replacement.
A gifted sportsperson, who opened the bowling for the White Ferns as a left-arm seamer against theWest Indies in two Twenty20s in 2018, Heffernan was still scratching the surface of her potential in netball.
‘‘She’s still growing her professional habits, but she has a real willingness and a real growth mindset for that stuff.
‘‘If she was given the opportunity [to go to the Commonwealth Games] shewould take it with both hands. She never backs down at any challenge. That’s the beauty about Kate.’’