Sacred Heart deserved to win netball title

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32379, 19 August 1970, Page 11

Sacred Heart deserved to win netball title

CACRED HEART won the ° Canterbury senior interdub netball competition by winning all its 14 games. The team played outstanding netball throughout the season and met its main challenge from Technical and, to a lesser extent, from New Brighton. Sacred Heart fielded two brilliant players in controlling positions, Mrs J. Harnett at goal attack and Miss B. Walker at goal defence. Both are current New Zealand representatives: Mrs Harnett being recognised as one of the best netball players in the world in her position. Their partners were Miss E. Price at goal shoot and Miss M. Gee at goal keep.

Misses Price and Gee are young players who were chosen for the Canterbury team for the first time this seasen. They have outstanding ability and are potential New Zealand representatives. It was Miss Price’s second season com-

bined with Mrs Harnett and their combinational play and postional understanding was unmatched in the senior grade. Miss Gee played her first season in the senior grade and showed herself a born goal keep, a position which demands uncanny anticipation, a long reach and good balance.

The three centre court players, Miss P. Beban at centre, Miss A. Cooper at wing defence and Miss A. O’Sullivan at wing attack, where less experienced players but all showed the speed and determination necessary to field the ball up and down the court

Miss Beban proved an extremely fast, nippy player able to use a variety of passes. However, she was slightly erratic in some of her judgments. She is a representative indoor basketball player and possibly finds netball positional play too slow. This fault in her play is fast dis-

appearing and her obvious fitness and versatility make her ideal for the centre position. Miss Cooper at wing defence has great strength and determination and took some magnificent interceptions throughout the season. She is slightly lacking in speed and occasionally misjudges passes but combines extremely well with the other defences.

The wing attack, Miss O'Sullivan, came from the senior reserve B grade last season to senior this season. Her play has developed considerably and she is a most reliable feeder to the circle. Both Technical and Sacred Heart were unbeaten when they met at the end of the first round and each was determined to win. The excitement and closeness of the game was only equalled by the last match of the season when they met again, and by the Technical-New Brighton game. Technical failed to play the swift, fluid passing game which was a feature of its play last season. The players seemed very conscious of any pressure. This particularly affected Miss S. Norman, the goal shooter.