Ferns hoist cup in magic play
NETBALL YEAR It was an eventful, successful, and groundbreaking year for netball.
Along with a productive season for the Silver Ferns, a New Zealand team snared the transTasman league title for the first time, the ‘‘Harrison Hoist’’ stunned fans, and the structure of the game underwent a shake-up.
On the international front, Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu delivered a shock selection, naming Bailey Mes, despite the 23-year-old Northern Mystics midcourter having only played one quarter in the transTasman league for the season.
It was a testing time for the New Zealand midcourt, with several retirements and pregnancies forcing changes. Mes did not get on the court in the Constellation Cup series but Camilla Lees and Kayla Cullen showed promise.
The Ferns won the cup for the first time, despite having lost skipper Casey Williams to injury.
A strong, first-up performance in Melbourne reaped a 54-52 win for the Kiwis, before they returned to Auckland to play in front of a New Zealand-record crowd of 8800 at Vector Arena.
What looked like being a hiding – with the Ferns ahead by nine after the first quarter – turned into a thriller as the Aussies stormed back to just lose, 50-49.
In the dead rubber in Christchurch, the determined Diamonds bounced back to win, 59-53.
The two sides regrouped for the maiden Quad Series, which also featured England and South Africa. In the first match against the Proteas in Adelaide, debutante Mes did not show much conviction in her half on court.
Taumaunu used the series to experiment with players, providing experience ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2015 world championships.
The Ferns won the opener, 63-27, and then beat England, 61-43, in Newcastle, New South Wales. However, a surprise decision to leave Irene van Dyk on the bench and start Cathrine Latu against Australia in Sydney backfired, with the Ferns beaten, 68-48.
New Zealand then beat England, 57-46, in an underwhelming display in Wellington before thumping South Africa, 63-24, in Mt Maunganui. Against the Diamonds in Hamilton, with the series title unattainable because of an inferior goal percentage, the Ferns put on a superb display to round out the season in style.
Targeting that game, Taumaunu let her big guns loose, and they fired, with Williams and Leana de Bruin, in her 100th test, producing a masterclass in defensive play. The Ferns took the match, 48-43.
Laura Langman was named Silver Fern of the year.
In the six-team Fast5, it was time to have some fun.
The Ferns beat England 23-21 in the final after a well-rehearsed Gangnam Style dance.
However, there were mixed reactions to the five-a-side game, played on a magenta court. It featured one, two and three-point shots, as well as a nominated powerplay quarter where teams could double their points. Crowd numbers reflected the uncertainty but the format showed enough potential for future popularity.
In the fifth edition of the transTasman league, the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic finally won the title after being the only side to make the playoffs every year.
It was a fairytale ending to the Magic’s season, which started with four consecutive losses.
Needing to win their remaining nine regular-season matches to make the top four, the Magic got on a remarkable roll and ended up third on the ladder.
In the minor semifinal against the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Hamilton, the hosts hit back late in the game for a one-goal win.
They again looked beaten in the preliminary final against the Northern Mystics in Auckland but managed to take the match to extra time to win. In the final in Melbourne, the Magic produced another gutsy display to stun the Melbourne Vixens, 41-38.
Among the competition highlights was a lifting manoeuvre that gained huge publicity and popularity. Utilised by the Mystics against the Vixens in round eight, the ‘‘Harrison Hoist’’ paved the way for a possible shift in the netball landscape. Anna Harrison’s aerial play, where she was lifted by fellow defender Cullen and, later, Jessica Moulds to block goalbound shots, left fans gaping.
On the NPC front, Otago beat Waikato, 59-57, in the final.
There was also a major overhaul to the sport’s structure, with the 12-region model replaced by a fivezone one.