WITH netball done and dusted for the 2020 calendar year, the team at Centre Pass have decided to create a Netball Fantasy Draft that includes a series of mini-podcasts delving into the reasoning behind player selections. Following suit with the extended benches in Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) and given the high calibre of players to choose from each person will have a 12 player roster and one position will be discussed per episode. The next episode looks at the final starting seven spot to be filled.

The final piece of the puzzle has been filled with the Centre Pass Podcast trio all selecting their goal keeper to round out the starting seven. The selections are a mix of experience and youth with each player also frequently representing their respective nation at the elite level. All three goal keepers plied their trade in the SSN throughout 2020 and will once again take the court in 2021. These selections were based on each individual teams needs whether it be stability down back, X-factor or connections with the fellow defenders chosen.

Picks:

1st Jarrad – Shamera Sterling
2nd Taylah – Geva Mentor
3rd Sophie – Emily Mannix

Shamera Sterling

One of the most exciting defenders in the world at the moment the Jamaican livewire can explode out of the blocks and change the course of a game within an instant. She is one of those players that leaves no stone unturned when committing to an intercept able to light up the court with her speed and long limbs. Slight in stature, Sterling is a bag of bones but is not often outmuscled showcasing her core strength and netball nous to manoeuvre around her opponent and create tips. She provides that element of flair down back, able to do the flashy things exceptionally well such as bursting out of the circle for a huge intercept or applying strong hands over pressure on the shot to create doubt in the goalers’ mind. Sterling is one of a kind in the way she is able to contest a pass from behind her player time after time and cleanly get hands to ball credit to her athleticism, making her any easy choice for Jarrad.

2020 SSN stats:
37 intercepts, 104 deflections, 37 rebounds

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Geva Mentor

The England Roses and Collingwood Magpies defender is one of the most experienced goal keepers going around, leading the way with her consistent nature down back. She is a stalwart in any side she plays in credit to her read of the play and overall skill to dictate the play with her impressive movement and footwork. Mentor can cause confusion in the circle, providing a number of opportunities to regain possession and is equally as strong in the air as she is at ground level. Although not the flashiest player out on court, one thing that never waivers is Mentor’s determination and four quarter effort to grind out games and make life hard in the defensive goal circle with her shadowing movements and long reaching arms. Mentor is never far from the action and has the capacity to come steaming out for an intercept or cause some form of deflection thanks to her ball tracking abilities.

2020 SSN stats:
27 intercepts, 108 deflections, 25 rebounds

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Emily Mannix

Melbourne Vixens premiership defender, Mannix is a constant figure down back, able to play that lockdown role and provide an element of stability in a relatively versatile line-up. Mannix is never far from the contest and while she has the tendency to go out hunting does some her best work when able to solely focus on nullifying the goal shooter under the post with her constant niggle and space smothering game style. The goal keeper is a real menace in the air able to get up to high balls while her off the body work enables her to push her opponent up high and out of position. Mannix takes advantage of her long wingspan to block the vision of the goalers or get deflections on the shot while her rebounding prowess is another fundamental aspect of her game play.

2020 SSN stats:
32 intercepts, 58 deflections, 14 rebounds

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There is no shortage of fire power with the selected goal keepers boasting an impressive bag of tricks ranging from their intercepting ability to their skill to shut down players.  Sterling and Mentor are the typical goal  keepers that never stray outside of that defensive third while Mannix has the capacity to swing into goal defence if needed. Having forged a connection with Karla Pretorius at Sunshine Coast Lightning it was a no brainer for Taylah to select Mentor and pair the two together once again. for Sophie the decision to choose Mannix was to provide that element of consistency and stability down back to accompany a dynamic and versatile duo of Karin Burger and Katrina Rore. While for Jarrad flashiness and ball winning ability was key when selecting Sterling to join the likes of New Zealand Silver Ferns defender Jane Watson and Ash Brazill in wing defence.

To catch up on the rest of the selections tune into our other episodes:

Centre
Goal shooter
Wing attack
Wing defence
Goal attack
Goal defence

Click here to listen: Goal keeper