Bridging the gap to big league

OPINION: One of the biggest issues facing netball officials in this country at the moment is the huge gulf between ANZ Championship and provincial netball, writes Brendon Egan in this week's Nothing But Net.

Speaking to Southern Steel rookie Hayley Saunders this week, it really hit home to me just how massive the leap is from Lois Muir Challenge and NPC provincial netball to the world's premier club netball competition.

Players all of a sudden go from having one or two training sessions a week, to having to train almost every day of the week as semi-professional netballers and adjusting to the huge step up in competition.

When eventually selected in an ANZ Championship side, they arrive completely shellshocked because the standard and professionalism of the two competitions is so far apart. Many sit on the bench all season long, because they are simply unable to make the transition immediately.

I think the time has come for officials on both sides of the Tasman to sit down and work out how the disparity between provincial and ANZ Championship netball can be bridged.

Trans-Tasman netball sides are allowed to select two training partners to train with them, which is not a bad idea, but I'd like to see that number extended.

Australian rugby league has led the way in bringing players through the system in the past with their successful reserve grade competition and now Toyota Cup under-20 format, and I think netball could copy that model.

I believe each ANZ Championship side should have a development team made up of emerging young talents, which could include players from the elite side who do not see much court time. The development team would train with the elite team and travel with it and play the curtain-raiser to the main fixture at ANZ Championship matches.

If players were excelling in the development team they could be called up into the elite team during the season as is the case in the NRL.

This is something that in the long run would firmly benefit New Zealand and Australian netball.

If things keep going the way they are at the moment, the problem is going to only deepen.

» The latest addition to the Southland Times sports department, Brendon Egan is a transplanted Cantabrian who is still in mourning for the Ranfurly Shield. Brendon’s main interests are basketball and football and having spiky hair.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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