WITH the ANZ Premiership done and dusted for the season we reflect on each teams year. The next in line is the Northern Stars who had a very up-and-down season but fired when they had to.

Ladder: 3rd
Win-loss: 6-9
Percentage: 93.5%

After a strong start to the season the Northern Stars fell away with some surprise losses derailing all their good work early but thanks to their dominant start they stayed in the hunt for finals. They pulled out all the stops in the elimination final, upsetting the Southern Steel to progress into the Grand Final, but were unable to capitalise on the big stage. There was plenty to like about the Northern Stars, who proved throughout the season that they have what it takes to mix it with some of the best teams in the league, but will have big shoes to fill next season with veterans Leana de Bruin and Temepara Bailey both retiring.

The shooting end oozes youth and class with Maia Wilson a key cog in the Stars’ attacking forays. She offers great composure under the post while showing she is not afraid to turn and shoot. Wilson was the leading goal scorer in the competition with a staggering 619 goals from 743 attempts at 83 percent. The goal attack bib was shared between experienced shooter Ellen Halpenny and young Australian goaler, Charlee Hodges. Both shooters offer very different styles of play with Halpenny using her experience and knowledge to try and outsmart her opponent while Hodges relied upon her speed and dynamic movement to get around her player. The goal attacks chimed in to help out on the scoreboard, but in the end it was Wilson who carried the majority of the load credit to her holds, strength and commanding presence at the post.

Through the midcourt, Temepara Bailey well and truly reinvented herself with the 43-year-old centre proving that age is just a number time and time again. Her ability to create space and use her vision to deliver pinpoint passes into the circle was a real feature of her game, with 375 feeds for the season. Her quick hands and netball knowledge to let passes go at the right time allowed Wilson to make the most of her opportunities. She was ably assisted by young gun Mila Reuelu-Buchanan who did her best work around the circle edge feeding into the Stars shooters, ranking second in the league for feeds with 593. Reuelu-Buchanan was also influential at the centre pass driving out hard receiving 299 centre passes, showcasing her work to transition the ball down the court. Another key member for the Stars’ midcourt was Kayla Cullen who proved to be a revelation in wing defence, thanks to her long reach and hands over pressure to block the vision of her opponent. Her speed off the mark and ability to read the play made her an ominous threat for the opposition when on the court. Holly Fowler also provided a handy addition to the talented midcourt, utilising her ball placement and pace to cut through opposition defence and find the circle edge.

The defensive unit for the Stars was equally as impressive with Storm Purvis flexing her muscles and pairing well with teammate de Bruin in the goal circle. The understanding between the two allowed one to go out hunting while the other stayed back and vice versa. Both Purvis and de Bruin were relatively clean, staying away from the whistle which allowed them to build and apply pressure to worry their opponents out of the shot or force them to pass the ball around. Purvis highlighted her ability to read the play and take a timely intercept, notching up 24 for the season, while de Bruin led the deflection tally with an impressive 99 to finish her career on a high. Kate Burley also showed great versatility to rotate through as a circle defender and a wing defence. She was an impact player for the Stars, coming on and getting timely tips and clever intercepts when needed while also doing the little defensive things well.