Inside NetballKiri Wills on how superior Australia's netball resource is
In Inside Netball this week, new Queensland Firebirds coach Kiri Wills joins the podcast after moving across the Tasman from the Northern Stars.
She tells us how Australia’s SuncorpSuper Netball competition and the setup in Queensland is chalk and cheese compared to New Zealand, and how we manage to make the most of our limited resource in our premier netball scene.
And as we get closer to the start of the ANZ Premiership next month, we preview the Northern Mystics, the Stars and the Waikato BOP Magic and rate how they are shaping up.
Inside Netball is the podcast to get you closer to the game you love!
Former Silver Ferns Adine Wilson and Anna Stanley along with commentator Jenny Woods drill down on the big issues and celebrate the big moments.
Three of the biggest names in netball scrutinise every shot, both on and off the court!
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Inside Netbore getting you closer to the game you love with Adean Wilson, Hannah Stanley and Jenny woods By news talks.
That'd be good and welcome to Inside Netball as we count down to the beginning of the A and Z Premiership.
Just a dnn Anie on board today.
Jen is otherwise engaged touring the Central North Island.
Last spotted at that in her path.
She loves to just find all these great places, didn't she dang out of the way of cyclone ten probably which we all had to endure over the easter period. Yes, now east here talking about that. I know you had a little bit of mini break.
You now have found a new sporting love. You have joined the love of golf. Is there any club strow on this weekend? I am now middle aged. I have joined the middle aged team of golfers.
Not quite as good as you ade not getting as many, not a very high standard. But yes, I shot my first, my best ever front nine the other day at remu Ere fifty which I was quite everywhere. But yeah, It's taken me a whole year to get into it, and I'm just starting to see why people can get the bug. Yeah, and it helps that they have all these women. She love golf events that you do a chip and sip and I think it's that sip of wine at the end that are chair on top.
So yeah, other people get into golf.
It's so good and it doesn't require quite as much fitness.
Look the A and Z Premiership.
It's only three weekends away, with the first game being played on Saturday, the tenth of May between the Pulse and Magic. Over the next two episodes, we're going to pre review each of the six A and Z teams, starting today with the Mystic Stars and Magic. But before we break down play a movement and which teams are looking sharp, we're going to jump across the Tasmani yet again and chat with former Stars coach Kitty Wills and get her take on her new role as head coach of the Queensland Farbirds. It was a brave decision by Kitty, with the far Birds arguably in disarray after a couple of tough seasons and cycling through a number of coaches, but Kitty has made the perfect start. Two games, two wins and silencing the doubters.
Inside Nipple, you had a kidd, he is so great you could join us. How are you?
I'm great, ladies, great too.
I know that people can't see us, but I can see you too, and it's awesome to see you both both looking fab.
As are you looking fabulous on our zoom chat Look? How is the families? How have you sailed into Queensland life? Two kids at school? Has it been a big adjustment?
Yeah, it was massive, probably more so for the kids than me. I think you know, I'm living by myself in an apartment, which is quite novel for the first time, and however many years I think John and I have been together almost twenty five years, so it's been massive for John and I, but we're so busy that it doesn't really make too much of a difference to him and I. But the other kids probably struggled a little bit when they got into boarding school. My little mate Charlie was messaging me every day telling me he wanted to go home and go back to his mates at some kids, which was yeah, very very stressful on the heart, I know, and there are a lot of things that he was asking me questions about that I just didn't know the answers, and so I felt quite helpless. But after a week they settled in Grace. Grace was probably a little bit smoother, but still struggled. So it's it's full on but great.
They love it. They love boarding now.
They still missed their mates in New Zealand and at their old schools, but they're settling in. They've made heats and mates, and I think boarding is really important for that. I think if we're to come over here and they were just at school as day kids, that would have.
Been even harder.
But boarding they've got sort of ready made family, ready made friends, and we're up and running.
Well. That's good to hear because I actually coached Gracie at Saint cath so I'm glad that she's settled in nicely. Hey cas Well, you've settled in rather well. Two wins from two with the Firebirds, and you compare that to your season last year with the Stars, where you only won two games across the whole year. The Firebirds won four. You're halfway there two rounds in. I mean, it's a pretty good start for you.
Yeah, it is.
It was good to get confirmation of how we were feeling. So obviously the Firebirds had a lot of work to do coming out of twenty twenty four. There's been a lot of disruption at the club. We wanted to settle in, sort of put a stake in the ground about who we are. So all of that work happened October and Ovimba last year, and then from there it's been feeling really good. But you always, every team in pre season that I've been in charge with, pre season feels great.
Everything's going really well, you know.
And so then we went Team Girls Cup and had a bit of a wake up call. I must put some context around that.
Though.
We'd sat through Cyclone Alfred, who yes, by the time he hit us wasn't actually a cyclone anymore, just a tropical storm.
But we're not trained for eight days.
We've been sort of locked in our houses in that time, and we started really slow and happened to play the Fever who I keep telling people they beat us seventeen to six in the first quarter. So I questioned. I came out of that game really questioning, do I actually know?
Am I actually should I be here? Like I know what I'm doing.
I had all of that going on, But then from there the team really responded and we steadily grew what I'm really loving about this team is when they say something, they actually go out there and do it. So off the back of that Fever Team Girls Cup game, I said, look, we're making basic eras, stepping how bulls, you know, real nigga little things that you know, little coach killers that we have to get rid of in our game.
It's not good enough. And they went out there and they reduced the ERA right by fifty percent.
So from that wake up Caull, we were feeling good and so to have that sort of confirmation through two more wins in competition has been really good for us.
You've obviously now dealt with Australian athletes and New Zealand athletes, and you're talking there about adjusting to changes or what needs to be made. How do you compare the two athletes. Is there obvious difference between a New Zealand athlete and an Australian athlete. You've obviously talked about resources as well, So what's been obvious to you early?
I think it's actually the similar similarities A dean like you know, I clearly have been chosen for this role because of my background in terms of bringing teams together. And one of the questions that I was asked in my interview was did I think that the culture and the values that the Australian athletes would aspire to be like, would they be any different to what New Zealand athletes aspire to be?
How would that look different?
And I truly believe that anyone who's involved in team sport, we're here because we want to belong to something bigger than ourselves, and that certainly has played out with this team. It's not been that much different at all. And then I thought, well, maybe the way that they express those values, or the values that they prioritize, maybe that looks a little bit different, but again, very very similar to the stuff that I've done with the Stars.
It was the same sort of message in coming out.
I think one of the big things here though, is that Queenslander grit and relentlessness and mongrel, you know, like they really embrace that here. And I actually said to them, you know, coming from New Zealand and being a bit of a League fan, that's what we know Queensland is for. And you know the Firebirds when they were back in their heyday, you just knew that they would never go away, that they would fight it out right to the last minute, and they truly embraced that as athletes and every training, every session, that's what they present and they front up and they roll up. And for the first time yesterday I actually questioned them because they were naked. We'd smashed them a bit, and I was like, right, is this who we are? Are we mongrel enough here? And they were like, no, no, okay, the way we went.
Again, that's awesome.
So, I mean, you talk about culture, cas and you often talk about the fact that that is a real strength of yours as a coach.
As being a culture.
Coach, I mean, was there a lot in that space that you had to work on when you got over there, given the past challenges of the club.
I think for me it's.
I thought, I thought that I would have to do a lot more than I ended up doing, if that makes sense, because we all listen to the media and we all hear about the challenges and we and we you know, like I did my homework prior to one applying, two interviewing, and then three accepting.
I didn't want to come into.
A space where I felt like I'd be, you know, pushing the proverbial uphill.
I wanted to come to a.
Place where if they were really going to back me, then then I would come. And so before I accepted the job, I was actually flown over here to check the place out, meet with the CEO, meet with my new boss, meet with my staff, and I came away feeling like this is actually not the mountain I thought it was going to be to climb. We just need to tidy things up. And you know, culture is led by your head coach, So as long as I did my job well, I felt like I had the support and I definitely had the support of the players to come in and help them. Yeah, basically, that's what it was. And I didn't do anything different from the process that I would normally go through with a team. We did exactly the same thing. The only thing I did do that was different was that I wanted to remind them how great this club was. And part of their homework before they came into their first culture session was to watch those Grand Finals that the by Birds won and the am Z Championships with your Laura Guitts's Cleire mcmanimon's those players and tell me what you see, Tell me what you see, what you hear, what you feel when you watch those games, and that was an amazing process to go through.
We've seen the reports about how excited you were about the resources and things in Australia compared to New Zealand. And you know, we're speaking with Grace only a couple of weeks ago and she said, it's quite different. You come in it a time in the morning, you're all together into whatever time in the afternoon. You can do everything, your wait, whatever, it is, all in one space. Is it the same for you? Is that a difference from what you had here in New Zealand?
Yes, I think both Grace and I are really fortunate that we are in clubs that belong to or are.
With a state body. So we're with Netble, Queensland.
So when I walk through the doors in the morning, I walk into an office that has around thirty staff working in the state, you know, working in community marketing events. We've got a huge team in swifts are exactly the same. And if you think about lightning, pent and giants, they're slightly different. They don't have as well, I know, the lightning. They don't sit in office with us. They're up at the coast and they're set up slightly different, but here you wouldn't believe it.
I had vic Edward. She's not for Edward anymore.
She came and she came and visited us, visited me here and just showing her through, Like you walk through our doors.
You go down a corridor, there's.
Netball Queensland paraphernalia purple all the way through it. There's little stickers on the mirror saying you look good in purple.
You go down.
We've got a huge commercial sized gym that's purely ours, so we don't share that with anyone. Then you go into the locker rooms and it's all decked out. The players have their own locker with play a number of the person who had it before them and before them, so someone might have, like I think Giz is about sheer has got Laura Geittz's locker and she knows that, you know, Like it's just all those really cool things that we just unfortunately don't have.
It's just not the same set up in New Zealand. And so you're not.
Doing you're not doing hot colds and rubbish bins.
In other words, no, we're not.
We've got these fancy pool things that you can push on the wall.
It's like air conditioning.
You push the number in of how hot or cold you want that ice bath, and then you go from one to the other.
How does how does how does your input? Mary Cholott go jumping in those ice baths?
Or she's not up to her knees like she would be in she's you know and in her in emode like. I haven't talked to them too much in depth about it, but I know that just the setup for all three of us is a lot different to what we used to. Yeah, so she's up to her she's up to her waist in those.
Pools I imagine two point zero seven. I think she stands Mary Cholick at that. Hey, because there's been a lot of talk back here about you know, Grace Nowiki and the eligibility rule for the Silver Ferns. I mean, as a coach, what's your what's your take on that? Do you think you know she should have an exemption to play for the Silver fans?
All tough question, any because I think you.
Like tough questions as I feel like they It should have been sorted before she came here, really ideally, because I'm certain she's not the only player that has been in you know, conversations with Australian clubs.
She's she's the brave one who's made the move and gone. Actually, you know what, I'm prepared to stand down for a year. But if they exempt her this year for this cycle, it possibly means that other players who chose to stay because of the eligibility. The point actually that you know, like I just it's it's not as clear. I think it's it's difficult also because there's no guarantee around twenty twenty six, so it's it's a bit of a mine field. I think she's absolutely made the right choice for her career. It is a lot tougher here, you know, like week she was up against Shamira Sterling. It's you know, that kind of experience is you just can't be replicated currently in the am Z Premiership. So for her own growth and development, she's absolutely made the right choice. But you know, coming in halfway through and making an exemption now as opposed to earlier when other people could have got on board as well, I think that's pretty tough because you're not operating not everyone's operating under the same rules.
Yeah, although she was the brave one to win anyway. So yeah, I mean there's arguments either way, isn't there. But you've just tapped you raised it. Then twenty twenty six in New Zealand. Goodness knows what's going to happen. None of us know what the competition's going to look like. What has been pleasing to hear as we heard Lisa Alexander Sharnid to speak, I think it was last week and and she said, actually, we're quite like a couple of New Zealand things back over here. So you're starting to hear what we are hearing over here is Ozzie Potentially.
They want they want us.
Should should New Zealand be playing in it? And come on, give me a number of teams? It should be there as well. If you had you know, if we had endless resources, the perfect scenario, what would it be trans Tasmin.
I think I think if you if you had endless resources, then you would you'd want to have two to four teams in. I think that the reality of the resourcing is that two would be I think the max that you could you could get in over here, because it just.
Increases the cost of travel.
Travel itself these days has skyrocketed. Like to get a team anywhere these days is so expensive you've got to be able to pay the bills.
I will say.
That everyone I've talked to here, absolutely, everyone I've talked to want New Zealand. Yes, in some way, shape or form involved in this compition. There is a concern, there is a genuine concern that if New Zealand is not involved in this competition that we will fall behind that the Silver Ferns. While with Nolane, with someone like Grace and the team we are, the thinking is that we're boxing above our weight because our competition doesn't.
Really stack up.
That's the feeling over here, That's what I'm hearing. And Australia, you know, we see them as the enemy, but actually they don't want to see that. They want to They want New Zealand to continue to be competitive. They see us as a traditional foe. They know how important the Silver Ferns are from an international perspective in terms of making sure that there are a lot of teams biting it out for those top spots. So that's been the conversations that I've had here, and they're quite open about it.
It would be it always comes down to money.
Yeah, always does. We'd love to see it too.
But because you've talked about what an amazing experience you've had over there so far, the resources, is there anything from home that you think we do better than Australians, anything you're missing from home?
I do think, I do think we should be really proud of the product that we put out there at that top level that we can turn around and win one against Australia and one against England and those sorts of things with the limited with the with now, what I see as the disparity in terms of resourcing for our franchise coaches.
And their teams.
You know, what we can produce with limited resourcing does make our system a lot more flexible.
When I say our saying New Zealand.
It shows the flexibility and thinking, our resourcefulness, our ability to get around things, the commitment that people make to doing the jobs that they're getting paid. You know, like the assistant coaches in the Ains Premiership get paid absolutely nothing. Over here, I've got a full time assistant coach.
You know.
So I just I just think the sacrifices that people make and the commitment that they give to make sure that we put out good product in New Zealand is outstanding.
Yeah, oh well answered, well, we have loved watching you over there, and it's awesome to see a key we coach go over there and be successful so quickly. We hope you're going to have a big one against the Lightning on Saturday.
From three.
But before you go, we've we've got this little segment that we call Fast five. Grace absolutely noiled at last week. We were thinking it was supposed to be fast five as quick and she gave us detailed answers. But she loves her food, obviously because she certainly had details. But anyway, we've got five questions, just a bit of fun, mostly targeted at athletes.
But you were an athlete still, I'm sure you've.
Got I have to dig deep into the archives.
I bet you still put the BIB on when they need someone ext you're on defense. But right, first question, if you could compete or could have competed in any other sport, what would it have been?
Per thing?
Oh you do love you for that? Okay?
Who and your team and your Firebirds team is likely to get into trouble and then be get you out of trouble.
I think, Emma jan Allison.
Oh, she a naughty girl.
He's a good check. You guys would love her. She's saying about us, carry.
Would you get get you out of trouble as well? Who would get you out of trouble? Is you're a lawyer on the team, you can call or.
I think I think she'd get me out of trouble.
Chris's kind of got that demeanor of she's not going to come in too hard, She's going to talk.
She's going to talk the authorities say, you know, kiss is a great person, So she'd get you out of trouble.
So who would get you into trouble? The team?
You feel like tippers one. I think she's a silent assassin that way.
Okay, three athletes. If you're sitting at a table and you're having dinner, three athletes, prison or pass anywhere from anywhere in the world, who would be sitting at your table? Oh?
I would like to Noah Lyles that I was a good doctor to provide entertainment. I'm a little bit of a tennis fan, so I would I would grab Serena Williams it just to check out what she's what's going on with her, and then for.
A Kiwi Flavor. You got to go with Lisa Carrington.
Nice the goat, Yeah great, Okay, what's your last supper meal?
Kiz oh it would be or no boring, I'll go.
My parents always asked me what I'd want for dinner on my last you know, for my birthdays, and always meat roast chicken with all the wickens.
That is a bit boring. Do you have gravy with it?
Though?
You got you got to have your commodore, you got to have your pease.
Everything right and lucky. Last best piece of advice you've ever been given.
You're not here for a long time, so be here for a good time. Ladies.
Love it, love it really. I appreciate your tie. We wish you all the best. It's been awesome watching across the Tasman and seeing the Kiwi flavor over there.
All the best for Saturday, good last inside.
Thank you, getting all the best for you and pending match against the Lightning Well Annie, so much to unpack there. She loves a chair, she loves that chit. She looks good in purple. Isn't it interesting? She's gone from the stars that are purple to the five birds that are purple? She's taken any of Augustine here in purple and pink as well. Interesting tet, that wasn't it. I quite like the fact that she says, you know, good old Kiwi's were actually bat well above you know, and in terms of the resource gap that there is between the two nations, that we do pretty well, so you know, go the Kiwi's especially, I mean she was at the Stars. The Stars in particular have always had to do it tough. Knew New Zealand has been supported in the Stars for many years. The other thing I loved, you know, there's a consensus, it seems over and all, that they want New Zealand back back in this comp You get the sense it might be more like two teams than four, or maybe they just want our players. I don't know, but it's just nice to know that the senses that are open to it. So I think that that gives us hope that potentially, maybe not twenty two six, maybe twenty three seven. And for a long time, the Sun Corp has always pitched itself as one of the best in the world, and look, to be honest, it probably is. But you know, I think they want some change and I think a good change would be to bring a couple of KEYWI sides in, so let's hope.
So anyway, moving forward.
Well, they've stolen Grace already, but we've stolen one back. Well, let's break down the teams nor the Mystics. They've got three changes from last year, the twenty twenty four champions. Grace has gone, but what a replacement we got. One of the changes Danell Willom. She is still is an Australian Diamonds squad, another really tall holding shooter, A huge get for the Mystics. Yeah, well they needed to replace Grace, didn't they, Because really you look at the Mystics game and it all centered around Grace at the back. So Willum comes in with forty one sun caught matches eleven Super League and of course has been in the Aussie squad since between twenty twenty two and twenty twenty four, so huge amount of experience. I guess the key for the Mystics is how well will she go at the back? How well will the fee feed her? Because you look at who they've got in the mid court, Earl Toyava, TiO. Earl and Toyava were the top two feeders in twenty twenty four. If you go back on the stats, so you kind of go were they the best too because they had Grace at the back or were they the best two because they are great feeders? And I guess time will tell at the back this year with Wallom, she probably moves a little bit more than Wecky did, not as tall, so that will be the challenge for the Mystics, I think defensively, I just don't know how strong they will be.
That's my change is.
There, isn't it the lost Karstve and Kadaka replacing them with Holly Fowler. She's now a Holly Ray and Charlotte Manly. What do you think of those two editions? Yes, well Manly she comes in. She was a training partner last year. She's at New Zealand under twenty one. She was with the Marvels a few years prior to being a training partner for the Mystics, so this is her time to shine. Of course, you've got Socolch beats in that can swing in that defense end as well. Catherine Hall was a player that really came to light last year for the Mystics, the young medical student at the back. So looking forward, to seeing how she goes. But I just am very wary of the lack of experience down that defense end, which could for.
Me keep the mystics out of that top two.
I mean, you've got Wallom, You've got Glenn and Vouie in the middle. Vowie, she'll be good on the two point shot.
I think for the sticks it's going to be key. Yeah, so that'll be key.
But you know what, I actually don't know if I'm going to put Misticks in my top two. Not even I'll just throw that one out there.
Now.
They are the defending champs.
They've actually won it twice over the last three years, but that was with Grace Wiki, and we can see the impact that she's having with the Swifts already. They've just beaten the Thunderbirds over in Australia. So her contribution as a shooter Grace Wiki is massive. Will Wallam be able to replace her?
Time will tell It's going to be an interesting one.
I'm going to wait till next episode until I'm going to are pulling out her. I think's going to be in the top two or three. All the mixed sticks I think will be in the mix. But I agree perhaps that experience on that defense end. As you said, Mikaela Sockletch speaks and she will lead the team.
Well all the things.
They've been playing Toyava apparently at goal attack over the Otechi tournament that was recently played. They played her at goal attack in other games in their preseason.
Unsure what that?
What's going on there because she is the shortest player in the Ains Premiership and why would you move someone who's so brilliant at wing attacks. I should clearly be playing a feeding role if she's at goal attack. But you know, maybe that's something that she's got up her sleeve. Tia Winner, Kerry the coach trump card Toyava at gold attack home hotel see.
I think it's gonna be a tough one between Hannah Glenn and Fielder. Those two.
They almost halved that goal attack position next year last year, so interesting. We'll leave a question mark for MEA sticks, you're going not in your top.
To my top two? Ouch?
Okay, go the Stars now they have arguably got the most changes of any team. And that's not just players, that's just all about a Bailey. She's back from a stint three stint Titans on the Gold Coast and Leander dubrayin we know what impact she had as a player. They're back coaching and yes, five changes to players.
Let's start with the coaches. What impact.
Bubby's got quite a bit of experience now coaching, so instantly, I think she's going to have a huge influence. Yeah, well she's coming home. She's a South Auckland girl. I think she'll connect well with her players. She's had a great relationship as a player with Leanna Dubray. Now they're joining forces. So by all accounts, you know they're going well in terms of their partnership. So you know, Bubby was one of the best mid quarters that New Zealand has ever produced. I think she's she's done her time over in Australia putting in the work with the I think it was the Sapphires or the Titans, you said, So, I think this this is her time now to step up into that head coaching role. And you know she's got some great players under her, picked up a couple of players from Australia.
You've got Remo Carmo from the Firebirds.
You've got Charlie Bell who's come from Sunshine Coast, Lightning.
She was a training partner tall me to ninety seven Charlie Bell.
Yeah, Mila really bechan and of course she'll be the anchor in the mid court.
She's coming back from her knee injury last year.
And the good old trustee Maya Wilson, who's at the back, well kept in the side again.
But again I just think same with the Mystics.
Defensively is perhaps where they could fall short. The Stars they've got Burle Took, ad A Door and Remo Carmo, who we don't know too much about given she played in Australia last year. But you look at the stats Maya Wilson from last year, she shot more goals than any other shooter in the league. She actually put up more goals than Grace and Wiki. So attacking wise, they get the ball to her. I just don't think defensively last year they got enough ball to stay in every game they played. They're only won two throughout the whole season. Look I bummed into Evil yesterday and surprise, surprise, she's been at a few Stars practices. You know obviously are very tight with Timmy Pitter and Leanna and she said Charlie Beale has been playing in that goal shoot position. That's where she is not for it a meet in ninety seven. What it means is Maa Wilson can play goal attack. And we've seen her briefly there. I think if we flick our minds very briefly to the sil ferns, this is a great opportunity for Maya, right, you know, that's where the space is available. I know we're going to Miliaani Canasio, but what a great opportunity and maybe just a little bit of a refresh for Maya Wilson going into this year. She's got good vision, She's got good spatial awareness as a goal attack, so she will be good at being able to you know, see the vision into the circle and feed her shooters. I just question her fitness at goal attack. I personally think she's better at the back at goal shoot. But I see what you know, where you're going with you know grace and Wiki's got that If we let her back into the silver firm bib, she's got that goal shoot position, so on up. So it's not a silly move for Maya to perhaps you know, push that goal attack position and try and get better at it.
So yeah, lots of changes for the Stars.
I'm excited to see what Bubby and Leanna can do. Great to hear that they've got Evon coming into doing doing some work. The other person I'm really looking forward to seeing is Monica Faultner baby after having her baby.
We saw her come in just for a few games last year.
She was a few years ago going to be the next big thing as a goal attack. She moves lovely, very Natalie. I made my first kind of Schrell McMahon kind of goal attack. So looking forward to seeing how she's come back post baby, because you know she's got some great skills and she could work in well with either bal or Wilson. The other good get for me is Grierson. She's come up from the tactic She's just I think she made mostly wing defense for the Tactics since she last year, and she can just be quite a disruptor, and so I think that's a really good get. They did get fifth last year. The Stars.
Are they going to improve on fifth?
Yeah? No, I think I think they'll be in my bottom two. They'll be in my bottom two. The Stars, I think it's going to be tough. I think they're going to be somewhere around that middle. So if we go down State Highway one and we hit Waikato Bay of plenty Magic least changes of any team, they've only had one. They got fourth last year, but they were pretty unlucky really. I think they had the most wins ever nine I think it was in a season, and in fact it was way back in twenty fourteen, since I'd had nine wins. They if you remember back, they only were quite unlucky to miss out on the elimination final. It came down to their eat last game. They had to win, and they did. Then it came down to leaving the Stars to beat the Mystics. I think it was, which didn't happen Mystics one. So they only just missed out. And I remember last year often when we were talking about the Magic, You're like, it's so close. They were so close. And the changes here Kate Taylor is in, Ivana Roland is out. But otherwise this is looking like a very settled lineup. And we spoke a lot last year, Savior toy Emeliani Canasio, what a great combination.
Will they be even better this year?
Dynamic? Yes, Wow, this team is in my top two a day. I'm putting the Magic in my top two.
There you go.
I thought what we saw of the Magic last year, they are only going to build on what they created last year. And the fact that they have retained all these players, to me is a big one because it suggests the culture is right. MJ has done something where these players haven't wanted to go and look at other teams to play for. They actually want to come back and play for the Magic. So that to me says the culture is right. You know, they've retained Edgecombe, who by all accounts did some good great stuff at the recent O Techi tournament.
You've got she was on the high rails all the time.
You've got Claire O'Brien who became a silver Fern last year playing for the Magic. And then you've got DeBono and Wilsha in the mid court. As you say, Ichinasio and TwUI they will run that attacking end both dynamic, accurate two he can jump her elevations amazing. And then you've got Mikada who's you know, the strong and steady at the back with Tong who and Mahi Ocean Mahi that can come up with some great ball defensively. The other thing is, remember Echinasio will be a good two point shooter, so the Magic very outage. You know, get that deficit down in those last five minutes of each quarter with the likes of an Echinatio shooting those two pointers, you know.
The only change. As you said, Kate Taylor, she's.
Been in the New Zealand under twenty one squad so she could be going to Jibralfa in September for that World Cup, so great opportunity for her. So yeah, I I'm just excited about what this Magic side can do. And from all accounts, there was some good stuff that they put out at the Otaki tournament.
I think they were unbeaten.
I think they had a drawer against the Tactics, but otherwise the Poles thrash the whole team to be fair, and the Steels, so you know, that will give them good confidence. I actually think too. I was reading I can't remember it as an article on Instagram, but Ameliani Canaso has moved to the Bay. She has been commuting for many years between the Bay and Wellington and stuff that is she was doing with babies, you know, dropping children off. I actually think that's going to be a huge influence having her there all the time, because you know everyone talks about Amelia Rand's presence, right and now she's not just going to be turning up for the two team trainings. She's going to be there when they're doing weights, she's going to be there when they're doing the pool sessions. That when you've got a leader like that, how much of an influence does it have having them around full time?
Yeah?
Well she creates the time, doesn't she of that? And you know we saw last year that that culture just started to come. So that's why I think we've we've only seen we haven't seen the best of the magic yet. We saw snippets last year and I think this year, yeah, that they will build on that confidence and you know you've got some young ones in there that are ready ready to show up. Tuy O'Brien, you know, she only had a couple of games for the Ferns. She'll be wanting to sort of get stuck in that mid court position. And then of course, yeah Tom at the back, who is one of those players that just comes up with ball and the Ains Premiership gets her hand to ball. She was very good on deflections I think second on the table last year for intercepts and deflections, so you know defensively can get her hand to ball.
So yeah, Magic is one of my teams in.
The top two.
So I wonder who my second team. I have to find out next week. You're going to have to listen next week. And you're confusing me. You keep saying Tom tuck it if all these.
Girls keep getting married? Who married name? Okay, I've gone back to Tom.
Yes, you're back in twenty twenty three, in twenty twenty four, so no, I agree. I think the Magic if they don't make it to that top three, I would be very very surprised. As we spoke about earlier, they only just missed out. They're the most settled Emilia is there. I think that's going to have a huge influence. So okay, so there's one team that you haven't chosen yet. There's gonna be any your top three, and we're gonna go over those next week, so you've gotta make sure you listen. We'll break down the remaining three teams and we'll give our picks for titled contenders. Imagine if Jenny's gonna Tuesday, if she comes back from wherever she is. Yes, we have to make sure she's here for the next episode. But until then, remember you can download Inside Netball on iHeartRadio wherever you get your podcasts. Into a next episode, Matua
