CONTINUING on from the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) postseason content, Draft Central has decided to broaden the horizons for the upcoming positional analysis series taking into account players from other competitions such as the Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) and ANZ Premiership. The next instalment compares a couple of exciting midcourters in Shannon Saunders and Serena Guthrie.

Serena Guthrie

There is no denying that Guthrie is one of the premier centres, not only in the VNSL, but across the globe given her explosive nature, ball winning capabilities and sheer athleticism. A real livewire for whatever team she suits up for, Guthrie is one of those players that can change the course of a game within an instant. Renowned for her closing speed and defensive pressure, Guthrie is accustomed to taking a big intercept or throwing her body at the contest to create a turnover. She is never far from the action and often dictates the flow and tempo of the game credit to her change in speed and skill to control the momentum through the centre. A linking player from defence to attack, Guthrie does not find it hard to transition the ball from one end of the court to the other such is her spatial awareness and class to let go of the ball with confidence. Her three-foot marking and nifty footwork enable her to be a menace especially in defence to pick up a wealth of loose ball and mount pressure on attacking units. Speaking of attack, Guthrie is just as dominant around circle edge, feeding the ball into the goalers with great precision and good timing to keep the defenders on-edge.

Shannon Saunders

An experienced campaigner, Saunders is a real workhorse through the centre that is able to have a profound impact both in offence and defence. Not the flashiest player out on court, Saunders is renowned for her consistency and leadership, often providing that steady head across the court. She has a high netball nous and is able to sense the moment to stand up and take control of proceedings. The 30-year-old is a threat around circle edge with her impressive vision into the circle and variety of passes enabling her to keep the defender’s guessing. Another key element of Saunders’ style is her strength both in the air and at ground level to ward of prying arms and take the ball strongly in the contest. Saunders has a good change of speed and is not afraid to release the ball from distance backing herself to deliver. She plays more of a space style defence given her New Zealand background which allows her to clog up space and create confusion to either pick up errant passes or allow teammates to swoop in. The Southern Steel captain is cool, calm and collected able to think her way through the physical pressure and use her sidestep to get around opponents and deliver.

Comparison

Both are regulars on the international and domestic scene, given their longevity and star power to consistently stand up to the pressure and deliver at a high level. With a high work rate and impressive level of endurance the two can run all day and everyday and cover the court well to get hands to the ball and reclaim possession for their respective sides. They are never far from the action and are real generals in both attack and defence thanks to their spatial awareness and netball IQ. Standing at a similar height, 178cm (Saunders) and 180cm (Guthrie), the two centres have somewhat of a similar style given their physique and general build, but also have a number of differences in the way they approach the game and their individual roles.

Guthrie has long been a formidable force through centre but has the versatility to push into wing defence when needed given her defensive tendencies and mindset. The Roses star is a real ball magnet, able to rip the ball out of mid-air thanks to her athleticism and impressive elevation. On the other hand, Saunders does not often stray out of her preferred position of centre as she does her most damage linking up the thirds and providing that run and carry.

Given that Guthrie did not play this season and the VNSL did not keep statistics in 2019, the most up to date statistics are from way back in 2018 where she proved to be a maestro with ball in hand for the GIANTS in SSN, racking up an impressive 373 feeds with 195 of them turning into goal assists. There is no denying that Guthrie has an uncanny ability to thread the needle and deliver the ball time and time again. Saunders is not far behind in the attacking sense racking up a whopping 337 feeds this season for the Southern Steel, showcasing her skill to release into the circle with pinpoint accuracy.

Defensively is where the major difference comes to the fore with Guthrie recognised for her flair and showman type temperament with the centre amassing 24 intercepts and 54 deflections while Saunders only recorded 10 and 19 respectively along with 14 pickups. Saunders is more of a dogged style of defender that wears her opponent into the ground credit to her court work and shadowing style of play to smother her opponent. In comparison, Guthrie goes out hunting using her aerial presence and strong hands to wreak havoc, win ball back and nullify her opponent that way.