The strength of the Northern Marvels bench was showcased in their Synergy Hair Netball League season opener with coach Natalie Milicich thrilled with the “waves” her charges made.
The Marvels beat Mainland 62-45 to round out the first weekend of play in the national league and Milicich was able to call on all of her bench for a commanding first up effort.
“To get 12 players out there and for them all to have an opportunity was great,” she said.
“We’ve got a squad of 18 and it was really hard to decide who was coming away with us. We’re really lucky to have the depth we’ve got this year and I’m just proud that those who got out there made the most of it.”
Their second quarter performance, winning the spell 17-10, put the game beyond doubt and Milicich was pleased to see her charges build, working on their team goals and theme for the season.
“We’ve got some team goals – if you score your own centre pass we’re staying in the boat, if you score three in a row it’s a wave, and then if you score five in a row it’s a tsunami,” she said.
“We got to a wave four times, scoring four in a row but couldn’t quite get beyond that so there are things to work on. Overall though, I’m really pleased of that start.”
Only two players from last year’s Grand Final have returned for Mainland this season and their green links showed as the Marvels applied the defensive pressure.
Te Atu Hassan and Taiana Day teamed up in the shooting circle for Mainland with Lily Fletcher in the middle and Paris Lokotui making her debut in the red-and-black colours at wing defence. Former national age-group rower Kate Littlejohn joined Caitlin O’Sullivan in the defensive circle.
The Marvels defence end was spearheaded by Mystics defender Carys Stythe at goal defence and midcourter Katie Te Ao on the wing while Christie Anderson as a key target in the shotting circle.
Mainland made a solid start, needing patience to work the ball into Hassan and Day – both shooters giving up centimetres to their Marvel opponents.
They forced an early turnover for a one-goal lead, but the Marvels had drawn level mid-way through the spell as both sides continued to size either other up.
The Marvels showed speed through the midcourt and with the presence of Anderson at shooter, had a strong target to find in the circle. The visitors opened up a three-goal lead with goal attack Alyssa-Jean Savelio adding the spark up front.
But Mainland rallied late in the spell to draw level and go into the first break at 14-14.
Both sides made changes heading into the second quarter with Julia Wynands replaying Lokotui on the wing and the Marvels bringing Danielle Binks to goal attack with Te Ao moving into the middle and Charlotte Manley to wing defence.
Relentless pressure from the defence, both in and outside of the circle, took its toll on Mainland’s work up front and the opportunities opened for the Marvels with Stythe goal keeper Catherine Hall pouncing on plenty of ball.
The speed of Te Ao in the middle was evident in the transition from defence onto attack and the Marvels maintained their accuracy in the shooting circle, led by Anderson who netted all 25 of her first half attempts.
The visitors opened a five-goal lead with just over five minutes in the half, extending their advantage to 31-24 at the main break.
They kept their foot on pedal on the resumption of play as Mainland struggled to breach the Marvels defensive wall while at the other end of the court, 16-year-old shooter Priscilla Rasmussen was also injected into the game, the visitors maintain their lead to head into the final term 44-36.
Meanwhile, in other SHNL matches the defending champion Central Manawa opened its campaign with two wins over Southern Blast in a doubleheader, beating the southerners 52-35 on Saturday and a low-scoring 33-31 victory on Sunday in Wellington. The Comets also had a 54-49 win over Waikato Bay of Plenty in Tauranga.