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. Episode 4 takes a look at wing defence, with Sophie Taylor, Jarrad Gardner and Taylah Melki explaining their respective selections.

While the wing attack selections saw the Centre Pass team fairly confident in their decisions, it was a different story with wing defenders given the different prospects around the world and the respective versatility across all three major competitions – SSN, Vitality Netball Superleague and ANZ Premiership. With two midcourters already selected for each side, wing defence was the final puzzle piece to slot into place, and for Sophie, Taylah and Jarrad, it was a question of whether they chose a versatile option or specialised wing to shut down the opposition.

The statistics included reflect the last full season each respective player played in, not including any international commitments.

Picks: 

1st Sophie – Karin Burger
2nd Jarrad – Ash Brazill
3rd Taylah – Jade Clarke

Karin Burger:

An exciting and versatile prospect hailing from New Zealand, selecting Burger was a tactical decision for Sophie, who explained that her lower selections in the defensive goal circle impacted on her choice of wing defence to allow some extra versatility in her ranks. But versatility is not all that Burger offers, with an ability to track players and consistently impact play with her hands over pressure and flying leap. Burger has no issue traversing the court with her excellent footwork and clean hands, and very rarely draws contact calls outside the circle with her ability to guard her player but maintain that zone defence. That boost of versatility could prove crucial to get Sophie’s team over the line, with Burger able to fall back to goal defence with ease, with her leap allowing great rebounding and plenty of pressure over the shot.

2020 statistics:

57 centre pass receives, 37 deflections, 22 intercepts, 21 turnovers, 15 pickups

Sophie’s team: Serena Guthrie, Maia Wilson, Madi Browne, Karin Burger

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Ash Brazill:

It is safe to say that Jarrad was very happy that Brazill fell his way for wing defence, with the exciting defensive midcourter a real livewire in every way. With an ability to create something out of nothing time and again, Brazill is a must-need for any team with her constant hunt and never-say-die attitude. With excellent take off speed and vertical leap, there is no doubt that Brazill is one of the premier midcourt-defenders in the world, despite not playing a game in 2020 due to her ongoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) recovery, suffered in late February. As one of the most adaptable players on court at any given time, Brazill’s ability to continuously adjust to her opposition and the requirements of her team allows her to be a constant threat and a real livewire on court.

2019 statistics:

120 feeds, 84 goal assists, 68 deflections, 61 centre pass receives, 18 intercepts

Jarrad’s team: Paige Hadley, Jhaniele Fowler, Gina Crampton, Ash Brazill

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Jade Clarke: 

A veteran from the England Netball system, there is no doubt Clarke is one of the most consistent and experienced midcourters in the game, which is what made her such a steal for Taylah with the third selection. With clean hands and a great netball brain, Clarke never fails to impact both on and off the ball with her agility working wonders to adapt into plays and adjust per her opposition. What Clarke may now lack in speed, she makes up for in droves with her netball nous and leadership on the court, while her consistency sees her rarely out of the contest and excellent hands over pressure forces turnovers time and again. Clarke bolsters an otherwise mostly Australian-looking unit from Taylah, with her international flair sure to work in her side’s favour.

2020 statistics: *only played four games due to COVID-19 cancellation

Four deflections, two turnovers, one intercept

Taylah’s team: Kim Ravaillion, Cara Koenen, Liz Watson, Jade Clarke

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For the Centre Pass trio, there were a number of options that could have slotted into wing defence, with both the defensive minded and attacking minded style of defender viable selections here. Sophie’s selection indicated her requirement for a versatile back-line, with Burger allowing an extra rotation in there before looking to the bench, while both Jarrad and Taylah have gone for more midcourt-aligned wing defenders. Jarrad’s selection in Brazill is able to seamlessly rotate into centre, while Clarke is a true versatile midcourter with her ability to have an impact in all three midcourt positions. While wing defence can typically be seen from the outside as an unnecessary position, all three players selected are high-impact options who can consistently shut down their opposition and create exciting plays with their respective netball nous.

With four selections now complete and the midcourt effectively sewn up, the next position in contention in goal attack, which will complete the front-end lineup of each team. To catch up on the previous discussion surrounding the team’s selection, go back and listen to the episodes below.

Centre
Goal shooter
Wing attack

Click here for the latest episode: Wing defence