Exits change Harcourts' look

Harcourts will be fielding a new-look combination for their title defence in next season's Netball Wairarapa premier one competition.

Word yesterday was that at least three of the players who helped them to a 57-28 thumping of Wairarapa College in Saturday's grand final at the Colombo Rd courts in Masterton won't be playing at premier one level in 2012.

Player-coach Kelly Sargent revealed she and fellow shooter Geraldine Carroll, along with wing attack Carlene Karaitiana, would all be missing next year.

"We knew this would be the last time we'd be playing in a premier one final and we were pretty determined to make it count," Sargent said. "It was nice to get the result we wanted."

The good news for Wairarapa netball is that each of the trio won't be lost to the sport here with all of them planning to continue their involvement through coaching. Carroll also intends to further her refereeing ambitions.

Sargent said Saturday's final felt closer on court than the end result would suggest.

"They [Wairarapa College] never gave up trying. The score didn't reflect how hard they worked," she said. "It wasn't as easy as might it looked, no way."

As to her own side, Sargent said they had gone into the game intent on working as a team, especially on defence, an area in which they had been inclined to have lapses in concentration through most of their lead-up matches.

"Defence isn't only about two or three players, you have to have all seven aware of their responsibilities there," she said. "We picked up a lot of intercepts and tips through good teamwork, we certainly left the best to last in that respect."