IN a new series, Draft Central casts an eye over the top performer from the round, taking into account not only their individual stats but their overall impact on the game. Round 3 of the ANZ Premiership saw a number of key players lead the way for their respective teams and put their best foot forward. However, this week the title falls to Northern Mystics goal shooter Grace Nweke, who landed the match winning goal.

It was hard to go past Nweke, with the talented youngster sealing the deal with an impressive goal on the whistle. Sandwiched in between two highly esteemed Silver Ferns defenders in Karin Burger and Jane Watson, Nweke managed to pluck the ball out of mid-air and nail the goal under extreme pressure, both in a physical and time sense.

Although she had somewhat of a shaky start to the game, Nweke grew with confidence as the it went on, using her netball smarts to manoeuvre around the court and claim prime position. Not fazed by the constant physical attention she received from Watson, Nweke just went about her business and made sure that she contested strongly in the air. The versatility through the midcourt also enabled Nweke to get on top as both Peta Toeava and Tayla Earle delivered a range of passes into the circle. The combination between Toeava and Nweke is second to none and it was once again on show throughout this clash as the wing attack hit the circle edge hard and used her deft touches to release accurate passes into the goal shooter. Nweke was not afraid to command the ball when in strong positions and utilised her impressive athleticism to turn her opponent inside out and reel in the high looping passes.

Often Nweke was that quick get out jail pass, long down the court and while that worked in patches, she also showed her development and growth to get on the move in the circle and open space up. Playing alongside experienced campaigner Bailey Mes, the two rotated through the circle really well to keep Burger and Watson guessing, which enabled them to hit the scoreboard at a steady pace. Although Mes was not proficient on the scoreboard, she afforded the space to Nweke which allowed the goaler to get busy – whether it was setting up screens or leaping to snap the ball up. Her long split was another crucial factor in the way in which she played, as was her composure and smarts to not get overwhelmed.

Nweke’s improved balance and core strength also came to the fore throughout the contest as she used her fancy footwork along the goal line to remain in play and score. Sometimes sloppy on the take, the 19-year-old’s recovery was second to none while her follow through on the shot enabled her to gobble up any second chances to keep the Mystics in the game.