Compare the Pair: Shelley O’Donnell and Bongi Msomi
THE next instalment in the Draft Central Compare the Pair series will aim to analyse two fan favourites from different eras across the netball world, with the next showcasing wing attacks, Australian Shelley O’Donnell and South African captain, Bongi Msomi.
Both zippy attackers who can change the course of a game in a split second, O’Donnell and Msomi are dominant midcourters with plenty of speed to find circle edge. Though hitting the court with different builds, both players are tough to take on with tenacity and intensity to boot creating an interesting matchup here given their respective strengths. Both able to ply their trade in either centre or wing attack, their versatility and speed makes them threatening fixtures on court.
A three-time world champion, O’Donnell used her clever netball nous to find the ball with ease, consistently able to create something out of nothing with her speed and ability to find space. O’Donnell’s strong build allowed her to body up on her opposition and transition from midcourt attack to defence in a split second, using her read of the play to switch up with ease. Her ability to adapt to the play was second to none, using her vision and cleanliness to serve the ball on a silver player to her goalers. With a stellar drive down court and the speed to back it up, O’Donnell was one to watch on court with her endurance and ability to get the job done. O’Donnell served the Diamonds for just under 10 years, and it was a credit to her ability to ply her trade with ease that saw her collect over 80 international caps.
Speedster Msomi is an energiser bunny who can just go and go, using her speed to take the ball with ease and zip away before her defender is aware she had the ball. With plenty of experience under her belt and the agility to keep going, expect Msomi to continue plying her trade with her quick feet and ability to find circle edge doing wonders for the Spar Proteas. With a smaller build to go with her quick feet, Msomi has an innate ability to find herself exactly where the ball needs to be, using her game awareness to find the netball with ease and evade her opposition. With over 100 caps to her name, Msomi has spurred her nation on time and time again with her consistency and constant drive to go one better, forming a crucial role through the midcourt.
Shelley O’Donnell
84 caps, 1990-1999
Bongi Msomi
~108 caps, 2011-present
Compare the Pair: Sulu Fitzpatrick & Kelly Jury
AS the off-season continues, Rookie Me Central will return to a regular Compare the Pair series; delving into, and analysing two fan favourites from different competitions. In this edition, we compare and contrast a couple of New Zealand Silver Ferns defenders in Sulu Fitzpatrick and Kelly Jury. –
Compare the Pair: Tiana Metuarau and Jamie Hume
AS the off-season continues, Rookie Me Central will return to a regular Compare the Pair series; delving into, and analysing two fan favourites from different competitions. In this edition, we compare and contrast a couple of upcoming New Zealand Silver Ferns goal attacks in Central Pulse’s Tiana Metuarau and Northern Stars’ Jamie Hume, whose respective breakout 2021 […]
Compare the Pair: Towera Vinkhumbo and Eboni Usoro-Brown
AS the off-season continues, Rookie Me Central will return to a regular Compare the Pair series; delving into, and analysing two fan favourites from different competitions. We compare and contrast a couple of impressive defenders, focusing on Towera Vinkhumbo and Eboni Usoro-Brown, who boast very different attributes despite playing the same position. – First, let’s take […]
Compare the Pair: Sunday Aryang and Funmi Fadoju
AS the off-season continues, Draft Central will return to a weekly Compare the Pair series; delving into, and analysing two fan favourites from different competitions. Next we compare and contrast a couple of impressive young defenders, with both Sunday Aryang and Funmi Fadoju proving to be livewires in their own right. Aryang is an undeniable star in the […]
Compare the Pair: Sophie Dwyer and Filda Vui
AS the off-season continues, Draft Central will return to a weekly Compare the Pair series; delving into and analysing two fan favourites from different competitions. Next we compare and contrast a couple of developing goal attacks in Sophie Dwyer and Filda Vui, with both young talents jumping into the limelight over the past season. There is no doubt Dwyer shot […]
Compare the Pair: Donnell Wallam and Grace Nweke
AS the off-season continues, Draft Central will return to a weekly Compare the Pair series; delving into and analysing two fan favourites from different competitions. Next we compare and contrast a couple of key goal shooters in Donnell Wallam and Grace Nweke. Both Nweke and Wallam are in a key developmental period with their individual games […]
Compare the Pair: Maddie Hay and Maddy Gordon
AS the off-season officially rolls around, Draft Central returns to its Compare the Pair series introduced during 2020, delving into, and analysing, two fan favourites from different competitions. First up we compare and contrast midcourt talents, GIANTS Netball’s Maddie Hay and Central Pulse’s Maddy Gordon. It is hard to split the two players, with many more similarities […]
Compare the Pair: Kelsey Browne and Peta Toeava
THE next instalment in the Draft Central’s Compare the Pair series will aim to analyse two fan favourites from different competitions, with the next showcasing midcourt attackers, Australia’s Kelsey Browne and New Zealand’s Peta Toeava. With plenty of breakout speed, class and feeding expertise, the likes of dynamic attackers Browne and Toeava are a force […]
Compare the Pair: Shelley O’Donnell and Bongi Msomi
THE next instalment in the Draft Central Compare the Pair series will aim to analyse two fan favourites from different eras across the netball world, with the next showcasing wing attacks, Australian Shelley O’Donnell and South African captain, Bongi Msomi. Both zippy attackers who can change the course of a game in a split second, […]
