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APRIL 19TH 2008 | | |  Donna Wilkins Assistant Coach 
Photo courtesy Southland Times
| | Netball changes challenging
Story by JANE MARSHALL - Reprinted courtesy of The Press | Friday, 18 April 2008
Teams are still coming to grips with several changes in netball's new trans-Tasman competition including the longer break at half time, says Southern Steel assistant coach Donna Wilkins.
The ANZ Championship enters its third round this weekend and Wilkins believes the lengthened break of 10 minutes at half time was proving difficult to adjust to.
"In a game where you're playing 15 minute quarters and then you get nearly a whole quarter off in between," she said. "It does interrupt the flow of the game."
Wilkins played when, in the National Bank Cup, the break was just five minutes but has also experienced lengthier intervals as a basketballer with the Christchurch Sirens in the Australian women's league. "I'm not sure what works best," she said. "But it's something that I think netballers are still coming to grips with."
She said the Steel had tried different tactics to best prepare them for the third quarter. They attempted to return to the changing rooms at the Acer arena in Sydney during half time of their first round match against the NSW Swifts.
"That didn't quite work because we found the the changing rooms had been locked so we had our meeting in the corridors," she said.
In round two they opted to remain on court in the atmosphere at TSB Bank Arena in Wellington. "We're still working out what will be best for us," Wilkins said.
In the coaching role, as assistant to Southland stalwart Robyn Broughton, Wilkins said it was a careful balance for coaches to address players but not to "overload" them with information during the longer breaks. But there were now also times when coaches had to stay mum which was proving just as challenging. New rules during injury breaks meant coaches and bench players were no longer allowed on court with only the team's primary carer to attend to the players needs. The Steel found out just how stringent those rules are when they were penalised in their thriller against the Central Pulse this week -- a game they won 52-50 in extra time. Wilkins said they had one of their centre pass-offs taken off them because one of their bench players had stood up and given drink bottles to players on court during an injury break. She felt it was a "big ask" for one person, to cater to team needs during the breaks.
"I guess it's a learning competition for everyone," Wilkins said. "I think Robyn (Broughton) and I are getting used to sitting there but for the players too, they want to help out their team-mates." But she said the team had been determined to take positives out of its first two matches despite a mixed start on the scoreboard, including a loss to the Swifts and nail biting victory over the Pulse. "It's good to have dealt with some of these issues early on in the competition."
Also the Steel's ability to withstand the pressures of extra time netball had been a plus, Wilkins said.
"No other team has been into over time yet and I'm quite pleased we've experienced it and come out on top."
The Steel face their third game on the road when they meet the Tactix at the Westpac Centre in Christchurch on Monday night.
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Photo courtesy Southland Times | | Great seats and great value Season Passes are available for the following Home Games:
Monday 5 May vs Northern Mystics Stadium Southland - 7.00 pm
Saturday 10 May vs Canterbury Tactix Stadium Southland - 2.30 pm
Saturday 31 May vs Central Pulse Stadium Southland - 2.30 pm
Saturday 7 June vs Melbourne Vixens Stadium Southland - 2.30 pm
Monday 16 June vs West Coast Fever Edgar Centre - 7.00 pm
Monday 30 June vs Magic Stadium Southland - 7.00 pm
Sunday 6 July vs Queensland Firebirds Edgar Centre - 5.30 pm
Tickets can be purchased from the Southern Steel booking offices at Stadium Southland in Invercargill and the Edgar Centre in Dunedin |  | Southern Steel gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following:
 | Mataura Licensing Trust, Skins, Strawberry Sound, Venture Southland, Dunedin City Council, The Southland Times, Otago Daily Times, Solid Energy, H&J Smith, Craigs, Allied Materials, McCallums Drycleaning, CH Faul, 100% Selectrix, Arthur Barnett, The Farry Group, Creation Signs, Yellow Pencil, Placemakers Invercargill, Plaza Supervalue, Trimbles Hair Design, Massage Therapy Centre, City Chiropractic, John Jones Steel, Southern Monitoring Services, Horleys, Skechers, Southland Real Estate, Envious Photography, Riverside Rentals, YMCA, Invercargill Passenger Transport, Everybodies Gym |
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