WITH a host of young talent littered throughout the ANZ Premiership competition Draft Central takes a look at one key player each week. After stunning in Round 5 the player in focus for this week is Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic goaler Abigail Latu-Meafou.

Age: 23
Height: 181cm
Position: GA/GS

It has been a trying season for the Magic, having not won a game since Round 1 before the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to the ANZ Premiership. But Waikato Bay of Plenty seemed to unlock a new lease on life in Round 5 with Latu-Meafou a key reason for that spark in attack with her vision and playmaking skills on show. Although still working on their connections across the court and finding their stride in the shooting circle Latu-Meafou upped the ante in Round 5 proving she is a real threat to be reckoned with when she gets going. Not typically renowned for her high volume of shots, Latu-Meafou increased both her accuracy and volume across the two games to average at 84 per cent, something she will be hoping to replicate once again this week.

Although she did not contribute majorly on the scoreboard in the first game of the round with 14 goals from 17 attempts, her movement and spatial awareness paid dividends for the Magic attack end. Growing her understanding with Kelsey McPhee under the post, Latu-Meafou drew the attention of Northern Stars defenders Oceane Maihi, Storm Purvis and Kate Burley to try and isolate McPhee under the post. The shooter to shooter interplay was clever from the Magic duo, with Latu-Meafou controlling the tempo of the circle with her quick footwork and ball speed and while they did not win they showed strong signs which she built on in the next game.

Up against Silver Ferns defender and Tactix goal defence, Jane Watson the young goal attack did not take a backwards step driving hard into the circle and commanding the ball. The most impressive part of her game however was her confidence on the shot, backing herself from range time and time again despite the wealth of attention she was receiving from Watson converting 23 goals from 27 attempts at 85 per cent. It was a tough battle in the goal circle with Watson and Temalisi Fakahokotau throwing their weight around, clogging up space and contesting every pass, but Latu-Meafou remained cool, calm and collected to keep her head in the game and withstand the mounting pressure. Her composure to think her way through the body-on-body defence and zone style defence was a testament to her netball nous and skill to read the play which she will be hoping to do this round against the Southern Steel.

Her silky movement in the attacking third pairs exceptionally well with dynamic wing attack Whitney Souness with the two able to create space with the ball placement and cleverly executed passes. Fellow midcourter Ariana Cable-Dixon also combines well with Latu-Meafou while the drive and calming presence of Sam Winders allows Latu-Meafou to play with more freedom in attack.

Still honing in her craft there is plenty of upside for Latu-Meafou with the goal attack a true workhorse across the court and able to mount defensive pressure with her three-foot marking. However she can be costly when it comes to penalties racking up a combined 16 which is considerably high given her position on court and something she will be hoping to address in future games. The 23-year-old can sometimes fade in and out of games but will be hoping to build on her impressive form and become more of a commanding force in the goal circle given she has the skillset and smarts to cause havoc and keep the defenders guessing.