Steely resolve fails to halt Magic - June 28, 2010
Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel 42, First Windows and Doors Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic 50

By Kate Buchanan

The First Windows and Doors Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic repelled a gutsy challenge from the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel to keep its ANZ Championship title quest alive at Auckland Vector Arena tonight.

The 50-42 victory books the Magic a trip across the Tasman to face the NSW Swifts at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Sunday, with the winner securing the right to challenge the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the Grand Final a week later.

Based on tonight’s performance, the Magic will rate their chances against a wounded Swifts team who revealed kinks in their armour against the Thunderbirds on Sunday.

For the Steel, it’s time to reflect on a season of highs and lows – but one which ultimately can be deemed a success. Despite the loss of key personnel the calibre of Adine Wilson, Donna Wilkins, Katrina Grant and Megan Hutton heading into 2010, the Steel silenced the critics and earned a playoffs berth for the second consecutive year in the world’s toughest netball league.

Unfortunately, it was the Magic who emerged from the minor semi-final tussle victorious, despite a gallant effort from the Southerners.

While the usually clinical Steel struggled to maintain composure in the opening stages, the Silver Fern-laden Magic were in unstoppable form – with goal keep Casey Williams leading the charge.

Williams was at her inspirational best and had a worthy sidekick in Jodi Tod, forming a formidable combination which menaced the Steel attack.

With the dynamic duo snaffling vital possession, Magic simply had to thrust it into the safe hands of shooters Irene van Dyk and Jodi Brown, who finished the spell with perfect statistics.

Even the Magic attackers got in on the act, relentlessly hounding the Steel with a full court defensive effort – and reaped rewards.

Facing an 8-16 deficit, the southerners had no choice but to emerge from the break a different team – or effectively bid farewell to its title chances.

And it was an epic transformation. An 8-goal scoring spree thrust Steel firmly back into contention and narrowed the gap to just one.

Perfect timing from Steel defenders Leana de Bruin and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit claimed vital ball, while captain Megan Dehn’s accuracy couldn’t be faulted as she missed just one of her 25 shots during the game.

The Magic clung to a 24-21 advantage at halftime.

The introduction of wily young shooter Julianna Naoupu injected new life into the Steel attack, her crafty movement proving a handful for Williams and Tod to combat at times.

Five unanswered goals enabled Steel to snatch the lead for the first time just four minutes into the phase.

But uncharacteristic mistakes started creeping back into the Steel’s game and their hard work threatened to unravel.

As both teams battled to assert their dominance at what would prove a defining point in the game, it was the Magic who prevailed in the physical scrap.

Captain Laura Langman was a pivotal link through the midcourt, controlling the torrid pace of the game to suit the Magic strengths.

With Brown adopting more of a feeding role, van Dyk took charge under the post and increased the Magic’s advantage to 38-32 heading into the final stanza.

To the Steel’s downfall, the shooting maestro was too often left to her own devices – a dangerous scenario which enabled the Magic to stretch their buffer into an unassailable lead.

Steel coach Robyn Broughton lamented the physical nature of the game.

“I’ve noticed that all of the teams have all got more physical as the seasons gone on … so you have to be able to throw the ball under physical pressure and throw it accurately.

“It’s a lot more confrontational really– one-on-one.”

Had it gone too far?

“I’m thinking so, in my humble opinion, because I think you’re losing some of the skill,” Broughton said.

Players had learned to push the boundaries, Dehn said.

“You play to what the umpires call don’t you and every team has learnt that – you just keep going until they call you. It’s definitely very physical and it’s a shame because it makes the game very stop-start – you don’t generally get too many really nice passages of play,” she said.

Magic coach Noeline Taurua was singing from the same song sheet as her Southern counterparts.

“The game’s definitely changing … it’s very competitive. We’ve spoken to the umpires about competing for the ball and what’s competing and what’s just down right dirty,” she said. “It probably comes back to the control of the umpires and what they’re going to call and what they’re going to let go.”

Tod said the players were simply striving for possession.

“The competition’s so tight that you just want the ball and you’ll go out there and you’ll do everything – if you get called for something, you know when to back off,” she said. “The umpires, you just push them and see what you can get away with.”

Taurua believed the Magic’s opening dominance set the tone of the game.

“We absorbed, pushed through and then kept it on right through,” she said. “We haven’t been in that situation for a wee while and there was moments you could see in each others eyes, I think they were looking at each other going `oh, we’ve got game on’ but we kept tight and that was pleasing to see.”

The Swifts would be a totally different game to prepare for – but Magic were up for the challenge.

“It’s a different type of game – we’re going to be back to the Australia style so one-on-one and contesting for all of the ball,” she said. “What’s happened in the past has happened in the past and it’s being able to acknowledge that, learn from your mistakes but it’s still a whole new round. They’re still a classy outfit.”

Preparation would even include tackle bags at training.

“A lot of bag work …bags right in your face and just taking the space – man on,” Taurua said.

The Swifts faced a huge hurdle in bouncing back from last week’s shock loss to the Thunderbirds.

“I believe it is actually quite hard … confidence comes and it can go really fast. Then you rely on your team unity and the trust within the unit. Unless it’s strong, there will come a moment in time when you’re put under that same pressure and you will know whether you’re going to stand or not,” she said. “It does rock a team – it’s huge and it will show how strong their team unity is.”

Shooting Statistics:

Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel
Megan Dehn 24/25 (96%)
Daneka Wipiiti 11/17 (65%)
Julianna Naoupu 7/9 (78%)

Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic
Irene van Dyk 41/46 (89%)
Jodi Brown 9/11 (82%)