WHILST the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season was completed last month, the postseason content does not stop with our positional analysis series up next. The two players in focus for today’s analysis are South African and Adelaide Thunderbirds shooter Lenize Potgieter and Jamaican shooting sensation Jhaniele Fowler. Both players are prolific in their own right however their approach to goal is vastly different.

Lenize Potgieter (GS)

Although she boasts an unconventional shooting style, that does not stop Potgieter from dominating under the post and making her presence felt on the scoreboard. A newcomer to the Thunderbirds lineup in 2020, the South African made no mistake in the goal circle with her surety on the shot and cool, calm and collected approach to goal unquestionable. She never strays far from the post where she is able to do the most damage and while she is not the tallest shooter in the circle, her ability to manoeuvre around her opponent enables her to dominate. She is a reliable source of goals, thanks to her ability to work her way through the defensive battles and is not often caught up on the body, instead using her nippy footwork to create space and pop out at the right time. Speaking of timing, that is another trait of Potgieter’s game style, able to read the play with great ease and use her dynamism to present at the dying second and reel in the pass. She is strong on the front hold and has an innate ability to push off her opponent and receive the ball in the backspace such is her quick footwork and strength to keep defenders at bay.

Jhaniele Fowler (GS)

The towering goal shooter is a constant figure under the post able to reel in the high ball time and time again. She is an aerial threat that is able to withstand the pressure of being double teamed under the post and uses her strong holds to create space and score easily. She oozes impressive footwork to dance around her opponent and create multiple options to score. Fowler added another string to her bow throughout the 2020 season, showcasing her willingness to shoot from further out and most importantly do so at an accurate rate, however she was most prolific from close range. There is no denying that Fowler is one of the most influential shooters in the competition credit to her high volume of shots and height making her incredibly hard to stop when on song, which is more often than not. Fowler is able to make any pass look good credit to her impressive athleticism, skill to turn herself inside out and clear holds enabling her to demand the ball and be a threat for her team.

Comparison

With a 10cm height differential in favour of Fowler, the two international shooters approach the goal circle very differently. Fowler is a master aerialist who is virtually unstoppable if given enough time and space while Potgieter is more of a moving shooter who uses her timing to full effect. The West Coast Fever star often relies on her height to claim possession under the post whereas Potgieter puts in the hard yards to move around the circle and use the angles to open up space – especially back space – to drop into.

Potgieter is not afraid to swing the ball around and find the best option by passing outside of the circle while Fowler attacks the goal post straight away, given nine times out of ten she receives the ball directly under the post. Fowler boasts a wealth of athleticism able to launch at any high pass and while Potgieter is strong in the air given her ball-tracking ability she is most damaging when able to receive a bounce pass or bullet pass in short, sharp passages of play.

If there was a rebound to be won, Fowler was never too far away with the West Coast Fever star able to gobble up anything that fell short whether it be off her shot or a teammates, such is her netball nous and physical presence to outmuscle her opponents, making this one of her most prominent traits and a difficult attribute for defenders to combat. Potgieter was also strong in the air and while she was not able to grab a whole heap of rebounds she used her body positioning to reel in what she could despite being on the shorter side.

One thing that was clear for both shooters was that accuracy was no issue, able to find the net with great ease and making the most of their opportunities to keep the scoreboard ticking over for their respective sides. In terms of statistics it is hard to go past the efforts of Fowler who, given that she is realistically the sole shooter for the Fever, dominated under the post to lead not only the Fever but so too the competition nailing a whopping 965 goals for the season at a staggering 94 per cent. Fowler was a key reason for the Fever’s success throughout the season and while they did not get the job done her ability to stand up to the pressure and deliver was undeniable. On the other hand, the experience of Potgieter was crucial for the Thunderbirds with the SPAR Proteas representative managing 437 goals at 94 per cent.