Anna Scarlett returns to eye second gold

Fairfax

LOOKING FOR GOLD: Silver Fern Anna Scarlett, in action here against Samoa, is looking for a Commonwealth gold.

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Anna Scarlett's decision to turn her back on her Olympic dream and re-focus her energies on netball continues to pay dividends.

The 27-year-old lanky defender has made every post a winner since changing her Olympic dream for a Commonwealth Games one.

An excited Scarlett had her first start since coming back to netball and again impressed in the 62-40 win over Jamaica in Napier on Saturday.

Given one of the toughest defensive assignments in the sport – marking 1.96m Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken – was an obvious vote of confidence from coach Ruth Aitken.

Scarlett now finds herself in a tough battle with Leana de Bruin for the Ferns' goal keep bib.

With 41 test caps under her belt – but only two this time around – Scarlett has all the skills, but whether she is up to the speed and tenacity of the Australians remains to be seen.

She thinks she is.

"The upcoming test will be a good challenge for me," she said.

"It's been an amazing buildup, the way they've built it up, it's been a great stepping stone for us, especially for me, so yes, next week will be exciting for me."

The Jamaican style is clearly different from the Australians, more so at the attacking end where Scarlett, if selected, will need to be at her quickest to keep the experienced Australian shooters under control.

She showed enough in the aerial battle with Aiken to prove she's back to her best, but then again, she should be good in the air after time away with beach volleyball.

"I loved it it was awesome," she said. "First start in a few years; very excited and nervous.

"It went well at times, but there's definitely things to improve on."

She said improving her performances would come down to watching lots of match video.

The Westport-born defender, however, was determined to keep improving; making the side was only the first step in her comeback.

"[The pressure comes from] mainly myself, especially in the last week, I've been getting frustrated with myself because I want to be doing things and they're not happening as much as they should be."

But for someone who had nearly three years away from the top level, Scarlett's journey back to form is really something to marvel at, and she knows that.

"I need to take a step back and see how far I've come in the last month," she said.

"I suppose I'm happy with how I'm playing, but there's more I can do.

"Everyone's analysed the game to bits now so there's lots of data to get my head around.

"But it's still a game of netball and in terms of the basics, I know those pretty well."

It still sounds like there's a spot of disappointment that she won't chase her Olympic dream, but after two and a half years doing that, she claims there's no regrets.

And "a gold medal is a gold medal", Scarlett said, and a second Commonwealth gold will go a long way to replacing the Olympic one she'd dreamed of.

"I want to win back to back. So I'll be busting my ass to get gold."

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