ROUND 2 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 the Nweke of old in her clash over the weekend with the goal shooter controlling the airwaves and using her aerial skill to inflict pain. After a shaky start last round she found her confidence and belief to perform under pressure and rose to the occasion given the physicality under the post. Her quick footwork along the baseline in particular came to the fore throughout her clash against the Steel while she took advantage of her extra height becoming a force to be reckoned with under the post. Her ability to dictate the space inside the circle and consistently command the ball was second to none.

Tayla Earle

Somewhat of an underrated player, Earle is one that continuously plies her trade and never gives in. Her capacity to run all day is second to none and that was again shown on the weekend with her repeat efforts across the court and important give and goes. She is quick off the mark and used her closing speed to hit circle edge with great ease while also got back in defence to win her fair share of ball.

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic:

Khiarna Williams

It was another strong performance from the up and coming goaler who came on and impressed with her netball smarts and ability to withstand the physical battle. although it took her a while to adapt to the tempo of the game, once she settled, Williams was able to find her groove and command the ball. She was composed with ball in hand and was not afraid to work the ball around in order to claim better positioning under the post. Even when Williams was not going to post herself, her ability to be crafty with ball in hand and set up the players around her was impressive. Got stuck on the body at times and was unable to move as freely as she has in previous outings but still managed to have a profound impact with her split inside the goal circle enabling her to edge closer to the post

Georgie Edgecombe

The youngster made her presence felt in the opening stages of the game with a well-timed and clever intercept credit to her crafty footwork and read of the play. Her tight one-on-one marking was a clear standout of her game, not willing to give an inch and contesting hard around circle edge to take up the space. Edgecombe was not afraid to put in the bodywork but also showcased her versatility to drift off into the space and pick off intercepts when she saw fit. Her instincts enabled her to play with a wealth of freedom while her transitional play was also key for the Magic as she provided an element of backup and a bit of a spark through the midcourt. She did a good job at keeping Whitney Souness directly off circle edge credit to her pressure but did start to fade as the game went on.

Central Pulse:

Maddy Gordon

Playing in wing defence Gordon continued to take advantage of her speed off the mark and read of the play to slot into the space and cover the court with ease. Her drive through the centre allowed the attackers to fall back into the attacking third as she delivered the ball with great caution and a high level of execution. Still honing in her craft around circle edge when it comes to body positioning and ability to cleanly contest, Gordon showcased plenty of promise cutting off the drive of Grace Kara to limit her fluidity in attack. Her energy levels did not falter throughout the game while her ability to adapt on the fly from wing defence to wing attack was second to none, not skipping a beat with her eye in on the feed. Her tenacity and hunger to be the first person to the ball also came to the fore as she hustled hard in defence to pounce on any stray pass.

Southern Steel:

Tiana Metuarau

A bit of quieter performance in comparison to her Round 1 efforts but still a strong showing from Metuarau. There is no denying that the young goal attack is steadily building her repertoire and netball nous. She was able to work her way into the game after being well held for a large period of time and used her innate timing to enter the goal circle with relative ease. Metuarau was quite dynamic in the attacking third with her deceptive speed and spatial awareness to dish off perfectly executed passes to the likes of George Fisher under the post.

Taneisha Fifita

It was a tough day at the office for Fifita with the goal keeper put through her paces but never giving up. Despite giving away a number of centimetres to Nweke, Fifita worked in overdrive to contest each and every pass using her body positioning to push her high and out of her comfort. Fifita also proved that she was not afraid to go out hunting using her quick footspeed to dart out of the circle and apply pressure on the ball carrier. The goal keeper was a real warrior down back, consistently buttering up to every pass and trying to confuse the space with her dynamic movement.

Kate Heffernan

The highly talented midcourter continued her hot start to the season working her craft in centre and winning back a wealth of ball. Her added height in the middle allowed her to apply extra hands over pressure while her ability to shadow her opponent’s every move was also impressive. Although she laboured at times her intent did not waiver as Heffernan worked tirelessly to shut down Earle’s drives through the centre and around circle edge. Heffernan also showcased her versatility to drop back into wing defence in the latter stages of the game putting in the defensive yards to swat passes away and clog up the attacking third.

Renee Savai’inaea

The wing defence flew under the radar in her game on Saturday not able to really impact the play but still doing enough to body up on Toeava. The Steel midcourter worked hard to keep Toeava away from circle edge and played a strong role through the midcourt to provide that added support in transition. Her aerial ability came into play throughout passages getting up high to contest the passes while her dogged style of defence enabled her to clog up space.