THE opening round of the ANZ Premiership is done and dusted and with that came some scintillating performances from the next generation of players. This series will cast an eye over a host of under 21s players that made their way out on court and the impact in which they had for their respective sides.

Northern Mystics:

Grace Nweke
It was another strong showing from Nweke who was solid under the post using her fancy footwork to edge closer. However in saying that, she did look quite flustered at times and cramped for space credit to the impressive defensive work put into stopping her. Nweke managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over but was made to work for her goals by showcasing her athleticism and sheer aerial presence to rip the ball out of mid-air multiple times.

Tayla Earle
The highly talented centre was once again amongst the thick of things using her signature give and go around circle edge to dish off precise feeds and open up the court. Her spatial awareness came to the fore throughout the game while her defensive instincts also did not go unnoticed thanks to her three-foot marking and shadowing style of play to pressure her opponent. Her speed on the drive and lightning fast hands also provided opportunities for multiple attacking forays.

Mainland Tactix: 

Hannah Glen
With the absence of Te Paea Selby-Rickit well and truly felt across the court, Glen grabbed this opportunity with both hands to step up in that goal attack position. Her classy movement and seamless connection with Ellie Bird under the post paid dividends while her overall confidence to back herself from range made a huge difference. Strong on the drive, Glen opened the circle up with her consistent movement and netball smarts to draw the attention of the defender and put her body on the line.

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic:

Khiarna Williams
Williams only continues to get better with time, adapting to the goal attack position and not skipping a beat. With an innate sense of timing and an all-round sense of composure, Williams dominated both out the front and under the post. She was not afraid to go for the long-bomb and was relatively accurate while out on court. Her injection into the game opened it up given her ability to use the angles while her aerial presence was undeniable despite her small stature.

Georgie Edgecombe
The wing defence played a real shut down role on Peta Toeava. Although she did not feature highly on the stats sheet her ability to niggle away at her opponent and contest every ball is what made her such a force to be reckoned with. Her level of consistency and high output enabled her to get hands to ball and most importantly enabled her to clog up space to reduce the chance of opposition teams weaving the ball onto circle edge.

Central Pulse:

Maddy Gordon
Playing out of the position we all know and love in wing attack, Gordon injected herself into the action only seconds into the game in wing defence. Her speed off the mark and read of the play continuously allowed her to cause turnovers while her space marking style of defence enabled Gordon to get hands to ball. Her work through transition was impressive, working hard to hit the transverse line and provide that backup support for her attackers.

Parris Mason
The youngster made her debut and was welcomed by quite a lot of heat from Northern Stars goal shooter Maia Wilson. But that did not deter her from plying her trade and doing some of her best work out in goal defence to close down the space and shut down her opponent. Her body work was strong given her slim but yet developing physique while her footwork provided her with opportunities to get tips and deflections to propel back down the court. Mason impressed with her all round pressure and tenacity to go out hunting and back herself in.

Southern Steel:

Tiana Metuarau
We had all seen glimpses of what Metuarau was capable of but this game was a complete performance by the Southern Steel recruit. Her timing was on song while her connection with George Fisher was something to behold given their limited court time together. Her awareness in attack and nous to get back defensively was second to none reading the play to create a really clever deflection and subsequent gain. She seemed to have the ball on a string in attack and although her accuracy wavered her effort and netball smarts were impressive.

Ali Wilshier
The youngster made her long awaited debut and wasted no time delivering the ball on a silver platter to both Metuarau and Fisher time and time again. Her timing at the centre pass and silky hands came to the fore as did her fancy footwork to manoeuvre around her opponent and claim prime position on circle edge.

Taneisha Fifita
Up against some tough opposition, Fifita used her physicality to offset Bird and push her high. Her constant footwork and game awareness enabled her to go out hunting for the ball and put doubt into the feeders mind. Her aerial strength was another key component in her game plan while her ability to limit the umpires influence was also crucial. Fifita got a hand in absolutely everything, contesting both from behind and in front while her three-foot marking was solid.

Kate Heffernan
Playing out in centre for majority of the game, Heffernan showcased both her endurance and high netball IQ to persistently get herself into damaging positions. A typical wing defence, Heffernan used her extra centimetres to full effect producing a number of turnovers and deflections. she is deceptively quick on her feet given her height while her impressive ball tracking abilities enabled her to reel in a couple of intercepts and make her a force to be reckoned with. Her defensive efforts were not to be overshadowed by her attacking skills working hard to hit circle edge and deliver precise passes into the circle.

Renee Savai’inaea
Fellow newcomer, Savai’inaea was a real livewire in wing defence using her body to push around her opponent and dictate the space. A former circle defender, Savai’inaea used her defensive tactics to keep the likes of Erikana Pedersen and Samon Nathan away from circle edge. Her closing speed was on show while her ability to read the play and get hands to ball was also important. She put up a strong wall in defence, denying any quick or easy ball movement into the circle.