Netball South Reveals National League Squad

Netball South has named its 12-strong squad to contest the 2018 Beko Netball League.

The South team, with co-coaches Georgie Salter and former Silver Fern Donna Wilkins at the helm, kicks off its 10-round campaign on May 13 with the aim of featuring in the grand final on July 29.

Salter said the calibre of skill on display at trials on Saturday boded well for the season ahead.

“They’re young, enthusiastic and excited. The heart was there and the big job for us now is to weld them into a team,” she said.

“They’ve got a lot of toughening up to do but that’s what needs to happen when you make the step up to this level.

“I was excited to see some vision amongst this group. The vision is something you can’t really coach so if they naturally have it there’s great potential.”

Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel training partners Georgia and Kate Heffernan and Taneisha Fifita spearhead a talented line-up which also includes shooters Jess Allan, Isabella Masani and Kiana Pelasio, midcourters Sophie Erwood, Meg Sycamore and Diahn Te Pania – Strickland and defenders Jessica Dermody, Tarryn Dickson and Lauren Pickett.

The extended South squad will also feature training partners Kendall McMinn, Katherine Morris, Poppy Restieaux and Tyra Dunn.

Due to their secondary school status, Fifita, (Waitaki Girls’ High School), Sycamore (Columba College) and Dunn (Verdon College) are subject to an exemption from Netball New Zealand.