CONTINUING on from the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) postseason content, Draft Central has decided to broaden the horizons for the upcoming positional analysis series taking into account players from other competitions such as the Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) and ANZ Premiership. The next players in focus are a couple of young up and coming goalers in Saviour Tui and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis.

Saviour Tui

The New Zealand youngster is an exciting prospect that can light up the court with her playmaking abilities and brute strength. Tui is able to play both goal attack goal shooter given her versatility and skill to read the play and slot into the open spaces with great ease. Tui is a commanding presence out in goal attack able to bring the ball down the court and make full use of her height to reel in the high ball and distribute it accordingly. The 19-year-old slices up the court with her cuts and drives into the circle and can play both a moving or holding shooter credit to her netball nous. The Northern Mystics goaler is a smooth mover especially inside the goal circle, able to use her body to ward off defenders and given her height is able to dictate the airwaves with her leap and control. Not the quickest player on court, Tui uses her bigger frame to outmuscle opponents and demand the ball both inside the goal circle and in the attacking third.

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis

The young goaler is a real playmaker that does a lot of the heavy lifting out the front to weave the ball down the court, often playing that secondary role to the goal shooter. Able to find the goals with ease, Drakeford-Lewis does some of her best work out the front to create forward forays and provide opportunities for the goal shooter under the post. Her overall netball nous and skill to detect the space is second to none using her change of direction and foot-speed to open up the court. While she does not put up an overwhelming amount of goals her work rate is unquestionable, able to float into the circle to draw the attention of the defender and stand up under the pressure. She is a cool, calm and collected customer that thinks her way through the physical defenders and uses her evasive skillset to get the ball and send it into attack. She is a constant option, able to pop out right on time and is clever along the baseline with her dodges and innate timing.

Comparison

Still relatively fresh to the netball scene both goalers have proven one thing and that is that they will be stars of the future. Regulars at the domestic level with Drakeford-Lewis competing in the VNSL for Team Bath and Tui in the ANZ Premiership with Northern Mystics, the duo are a reliable source of goals for their respective sides, ooze great netball smarts and have an overwhelming sense of composure with ball in hand despite their young age. Tui is yet to make her Silver Ferns debut but has been recognised with selection in the Under 21s team, standing up to the occasion throughout the Cadbury Series earlier in the year while Drakeford-Lewis has had limited minutes for the Roses across her five caps but proven to be an impact player with her composure under pressure.

The two possess some similarities given their playmaking tendencies and use of their spatial awareness to deliver the ball to their teammates and fellow goaler under the post. They are rarely overawed by the occasion and are not afraid to body up to some of the more experienced defenders such is their confidence.

Throughout the 2020 ANZ Premiership season Tui played more of a supplementary role under the post, playing second fiddle to the likes of Grace Nweke however that did not stop the teenager from slotting 86 goals at 82 per cent. Although accuracy can waiver at times that is not necessarily the case for the two goalers despite their youth and inexperience. Drakeford-Lewis managed an impressive 56 goals at 89 per cent across her three games before the VNSL season came to a halt showcasing her skillset and range to slot them with relative ease inside the goal circle. Tui is more of a close-range shooter compared to Drakeford-Lewis with the latter happy to back herself from mid-to-long range. The two are still developing their craft but are highly promising prospects given their high upside, netball nous and silky footwork along with their scoring ability and range.

Tui is a strong rebounding option, throwing her body around under the post to block out her opponents while Drakeford-Lewis is not necessarily renowned for her ability to gobble up errant shots. It is not often that Drakeford-Lewis will swing into goal shooter given her size and the way in which she goes about her business on the netball court whereas Tui has the capacity to do so, and does with great conviction. Tui is a real threat under the post standing at 189cm as opposed to the smaller framed and more nimble Drakeford-Lewis who stands at 180cm. The height difference lends itself to the way in which the two play with Tui able to post up and compete well in the air while Drakeford-Lewis looks for that give and go around circle edge to slip closer to the post. It also indicates the difference in the physicality the two absorb with Tui able to combat the niggly defenders that focus on a lot of body work as opposed to Drakeford-Lewis who looks to get on the move and burst away from the defender rather than ride the wave of push and shove.