Picture this. It's the grand final of the inaugural season of the new league. One team is coached by Noelene Taurua. It boasts the world's best goal shooter. The world's best midcourter and one of the world's best defenders. The other team is coached by Julie Fitzgerald, and one of the stars is a goal defence, Rebecca Bulley, who has resurrected her career following a call from Fitzgerald as she built her team for the new league.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sounds like this weekend's Suncorp Super Netball grand final between Sunshine Coast Lighting and Giants Netball doesn't it? In one sense it is. But it was, unbelievably, also the scenario for the 2008 grand final of the then shiny new Trans-Tasman League, between NSW Swifts and Waikato Magic. This weekend's grand final is really a case of back to the future.
A lot has changed in netball in the past nine years. But one thing remains. And that is the quality of the two coaches who have led their teams to this point. Taurua and Fitzgerald are similar in that their players love them. They build successful cultures, think outside the box and care about their athletes personal lives as much as their performances. From the moment they signed with the two new franchises, the players wanted to follow. Appoint great coaches and the players will come.
Sure it is arguable that both teams are so good that blind Freda could coach them. But the performances of both team's superstars is just one part of the coaching puzzle. The other part is the ability of the players around the superstars to step up and shine. That's where coaches like Taurua and Fitzgerald can really make a difference.
Take the Lightning. Any team with Caitlin Bassett at one end, Geva Mentor at the other and Laura Langman in between is going to be formidable, but they can't do it all themselves. You only need to look to the midcourt to see where the best supporting actors are. Kelsey Browne and Laura Scherian have blossomed this season. Browne has grown to dominate the wing attack position after spending time behind her sister (Madi Robinson) at the Vixens. Scherian, who spent a couple of seasons on the fringes of the Firebirds six years ago, has morphed from a standby into a standout with the ability to turn a game.
Those sort of improvements don't just happen. They are the result of a well thought out daily training environment and good coaching. The X-factor in this sort of improvement is confidence, and Taurua gives it to her players in spades.
On the other side of the grand final equation are the Giants, who have looked down and out a couple of times this season following injuries to key players, including captain Kim Green. Yet coach Julie Fitzgerald has used all of her tricks to keep her team on track.
The first trick was drawing Bulley out of retirement to fill a hole created by an injury to youngster Kristiana Manu'a. Bulley would not have returned to netball for anyone else but Fitzgerald. Not only has she returned, she has starred. She is settled, she is happy, and she has a coach who understands and supports her other role as a new mum.
The second trick has been engineering the rise of two bookends. Sam Poolman has gone from being a talented but slow goal keeper who always threatened to be good but not great into a player who is surely in the Diamonds selection frame. Krissie Brice has morphed from being a young, raw impact goal shooter to a starting tower of strength. Fitzgerald has taken a risk and backed her in for each of the finals games, and has been rewarded with two impressive performances.
The grand final will test both coaches' ability to read the play and react. They will be under the pump from the first whistle, and the match could swing on a coaching decision made under immense pressure. My hunch is that this is where Fitzgerald has the edge. Her ability to make the right call at the right time is what will get the Giants over the line.
