A NEW series looking at underrated players across the netball world is underway with the Draft Central team casting an eye on players who tend to fly under the radar but have proven to have plenty of class and talent across the board. The next player under the microscope is Zanele Vimbela with the talented defender able to play both circle positions.

Vimbela has come along in leaps and bounds with her defensive pressure thanks to her impressive court coverage and hands over pressure. The South African defender can sometimes get overlooked given she plays alongside the likes of Karla Pretorius and Phumza Maweni at an international level, but has proven more than once that she is capable of stepping to the plate and winning back a wealth of ball. She is a real impact player who can change the course of a game, sensing the moment to go out hunting or pairing up with her surrounding defenders to cause chaos down back. With long arms and quick feet, Vimbela is able to consistently get hands to ball and use her closing speed to shut down players and nullify their influence. Her lean over the shot is another key component of her game play, able to get in the head of her opponent and force errors with her rangy defence.

The 31-year-old has only gotten better with age, growing in confidence to take the game on and throw her body on the line time and time again. She is a real impact player that oozes innate timing a good sense of understanding to read the play and pick off passes coming into the defensive third. Vimbela is a strong force under the post in goal keeper given her capacity to body up on opponents and utilise her footwork to navigate around the body of her opponent and get timely tips or deflections.

She has been a consistent figure for the SPAR Proteas, proving her worth on court in both defensive positions. She plays with plenty of flair, tenacity and intent willing to hunt down any loose ball and go out for a fly. Vimbela is able to seamlessly swing out to goal defence and not skip a beat with her court coverage and transitional play strong. Her assistance through the midcourt and defensive pressure enables her to win ball back and also lean on her attacking tendencies to move the ball into the goal third.

Vimbela is somewhat of an unsuspecting player who is able to come out for a big intercept when least expected and can do so cleanly which is a key aspect of her game play. She can also vary her game depending on her team’s needs, to double down on a goaler when running out in goal defence or push a goaler up high in the circle to keep them away from the post. The highly talented defender is a smooth mover that oozes composure and stability with ball in hand, able to move the ball up and down the court with relative ease. Playing with the Strathclyde Sirens in the Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL), Vimbela has added to her repertoire down back but unfortunately will not take the court in 2021 after doing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

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Sirens engaging both on and off the court ahead of VNSL 2021