Netball Canty gains third place

Press, 4 September 1989, Page 26

Netball Canty gains third place

By

DIANNA LESLIE

in Hamilton

Canterbury’s resolve in the play-off against Waikato for third place at the Trust Bank New Zealand netball tournament in Hamilton proved the North Island punters wrong as it tied up the match, 52-41.

Auckland won the title beating Wellington, 47-41. Canterbury had the lead from the beginning to the end and the nearest Waikato could come was three goals. April leremia, the Canterbury captain, was thrilled with the result which makes Canterbury eligible for the TransTasman series next year. “It was excellent,” she said. “Everybody did their job well. It was like a jigsaw and we made the picture.” leremia had a superb game at goal shoot and was well supported by Lee McKenzie at goal attack. Leigh Gibbs, the Canterbury coach, felt the side gave their effort “from the heart” and that the result augured well for Canterbury’s future. “It is a good opportunity to keep building,” she said. It was Sharon Burridge's last match for Cantebrury for now as she is expected to be back at Dunedin Unversity to finish a physiotherapy degree next year. "We will miss her desperately, but there might be

someone else coming through,” said Mrs Gibbs. Burridge and Annette Heffernan, were dynamic in the goal circle, at goal keep and goal defence respectively. The fearless duo pestered the shooters, Catherine Wilkinson and the New Zealand player, Julie Carter, into errors which had not shown earlier in the week. Sandra Mallett, the Waikato centre, had an active game keeping her side together as the Canterbury zone plugged most of its opportunities with deadly efficiency. Canterbury had a slender, 14-11, lead at the end of the first quarter as its shooters had some early trouble sinking shots. But it rallied with the support of the little champion at wing attack, Chris Palmer, and Margaret Bray at centre.

“On Friday our shooters got too much stress ball to shoot really accurately, but yesterday the team’s composure showed through because the shooters were able to deal with that ball without stress,” said Mrs Gibbs. Canterbury led, 24-21, at half-time, but it had opened up a 36-31, lead at the threequarter mark. The crowd, which had been solidly behind the Waikato side all week, obviously had no qualms about the Canterbury victory and cheered it on:

Margaret Forsyth, who took over as coach of the Waikato team after Tracey Fear was called away after her brother’s sudden death in Australia, felt that Waikato “didn’t click all game." “They have forgotten what it’s like to win. I wanted the team to wipe out the whole week from their minds, but it was difficult to bounce back.”

Forsyth commended Canterbury for its “team game” and was particularly impressed with Palmer. Forsyth, a former goal attack for New Zealand, found it hard to slot into Mrs Fear’s job.

“My mind was not on the job for the first day, and it is difficult to take over somebody else’s team, but I got into it for the week-end.”

In the final, Auckland were never under any real pressure as it meshed together with the skill that spectators expected. Wellington was also impressive in patches, but it could not match the sparkle of the champions. Marlene Flavell, the Auckland coach, predicted that three goals would separate the two, and has led her side to three of its four consecutive titles. She attributed the win partly to the mental approach she took the side through before the game.

“I told them to imagine their boyfriends and hus-

bands were on a boat in the middle of the Waikato river and we had our hands linked on one side. I told them that the men weren’t coming back until we had beaten Wellington. Wellington was on the other side in black and gold.” The win was especially sweet for Te Aroha Clarke, the Auckland captain, who retired after yesterday. She has played in every New Zealand tournament since 1973. Rita Fatialofa, a wily New Zealand wing attack retired from national comittments this week, although she has made no decision about her provincial career. Tanya Cox, the Wellington goal keep, played her way into the national selectors favour at the tournament and put the pressure on Leonie Wendt, (goal shoot), who was penalised for contacting. Mrs Flavell changed the line-up at half-time and replaced Wendt with Clarke and put Fatialofa in at goal attack. Ana Noovao came on at wing attack. “It was a tactical change that I had up my sleeve and Ana deserved some court time. It proved that we had a little bit of movement through there,” she said. Noovao did not get much time on court last week but was elated to be named as vicecaptain of the New Zealand team to play in the demonstration game against Aus-

tralia at the Auckland Commonwealth Games next year. Auckland led, 26-20, at half-time and 35-31 at the three-quarter mark, but was capable of a surge of energy if Wellington began to look threatening. Canterbury Country had a near brush with relegation in the third grade and survived a play-off against Northland, 61-46. Northland has been relegated to the fourth grade.

Maxine Munro, the Canterbury Country coach, was impressed with her side’s finish in the 60-minute games and felt that was where Country got the jump. “Our fitness was really good and I don’t think they (Northland) coped as well with the longer matches," she said.

Mrs Munro was satisfied that the side had given 100 per cent, in spite of its slow start earlier in the. week.

“They played really brilliantly. Right from the shooters to the defence. I was thrilled.” Mrs Munro did make a change when the hour games started. Marian Wright was replaced at centre by Adele Thompson and Justine Williams took over wing defence.

“It just gave us another style which I felt was more suited to the hour games,” said Mrs Munro.