EACH week the Draft Central team will focus on one Suncorp Super Netball player across the round and take a look at their individual highlights, key moments and improvements across their match. Our Round 10 focus is Melbourne Vixens’ Kate Eddy, with the defender slotting in seamlessly to the Vixens’ midcourt and defensive rotation. Each set of notes showcases the opinions of our writers individually.

Eddy was an excellent pick-up for the Vixens at the end of the 2019 season and has proved time and time again this season that she is the missing link in defence that the Vixens may have missed in previous years. Her added versatility in the Vixens lineup is crucial, rotating through both wing defence and goal defence with ease, while her hunt and relative cleanliness continuously pays off. Eddy’s burst of speed enables her to have an impact both on and off the ball, although her persistent breaking sometimes sees her cough up easy penalties that allow teams to set play in motion. While not her most stats-heavy performance in the Vixens’ come-from-behind draw with the West Coast Fever, Eddy collected one intercept and racked up three deflections (though none resulted in gains), with her body work, especially in the second half, paying dividends.

Here’s what we had to say:

By: Sophie Taylor, Draft Central Senior Editor

A pretty casual start from Eddy out in wing defence, using her strong drives to transition through attack and using her experience to track Emma Cosh’s every move up the court. Did a lot of following throughout the first, feeling out a newer opposition and perhaps allowed Cosh to find the ball a bit too easily as the Fever ran out to an early lead. Transitioned into goal defence midway through the second and seemed a bit more comfortable inside the circle, relishing the extra space and using her long arms to bat away the ball. Eddy was out-marked a few times by Jhaniele Fowler, but managed a few good pickups and deflections in the third as the Vixens switched up their defensive unit with the addition of Allie Smith allowing Eddy a little bit more freedom to shut down Alice Teague-Neeld and only allow the one shot from the goal attack in the third. Eddy’s improved movement paid dividends in the final term, forcing errors from the Fever but coughed up the final penalty of the match which saw Fowler even the scores.

By: Taylah Melki, Draft Central Managing Editor

Although it was a quiet performance by Eddy it was the work off the ball that stood head and shoulders above the rest, working her opponent into overdrive and contesting everything that came her way. Teague-Neeld is a real playmaker for the Fever but Eddy’s switch into goal defence in the second quarter saw her mount some pressure and cause hesitation on the shot. Eddy really came alive however when working with Jo Weston under the post with the two working well to confuse the space and pick up some handy ball. Her transition through court was another key feature of her game and while she was penalised a couple of times with a held ball call, Eddy did not give up constantly re-offering through the centre third. She shadowed Teague-Neeld every step of the way and once she got into the groove of the position she teamed up well with Smith and Kate Moloney through the centre third. Her long arms seemed to wreak havoc towards the latter half of the game as the Fever started to fatigue and struggle to get around her three-foot marking.

By: Lucy Pollock, Draft Central UK Writer

Eddy has been a strong performer for the Vixens so far this season, and her game against Fever in Round 10 had everything we have come to expect from such a quality player. She has slotted seamlessly into the Melbourne side, typically seen at wing defence, but has the height and versatility in order to play effectively in the goal circle when needed. She was matching up against a relatively unknown player in Cosh and they were having a fantastic battle in the opening quarter. Eddy is ball-hungry and worked her way into the game after switching to goal defence, picking up some good ball and doing a heap of work on Teague-Neeld in order to claw back the huge goal deficit. Her tussle in the third quarter which resulted in a gain spurred the Vixens on and marked a momentum shift in their favour. It was interesting to see her combination with Weston at goal keeper, as they most likely have not played much together as a defensive unit, however they worked really well as a pair and did well to take on the challenge of the Fever front line. The exciting thing about Eddy is that I do not think we have seen the best of her yet, she has amazing potential as an athlete and a very bright future ahead.