Inner Circle: One Kiwi side to feature in the transtasman league playoffs

Casey Kopua's side have silenced the critics by again being the only NZ side in the playoffs. Photo / Getty Images

Mystics
It's an issue causing major headaches for rugby codes, now netball is dealing with its first reported case of concussion in the ANZ Championship.

Mystics midcourter Nadia Loveday, 20, was forced to sit out her side's round 13 win over the West Coast Fever as she was suffering from the effects of a head knock she copped the previous week against the Pulse.

Loveday was flattened by Pulse captain Katrina Grant, who took out the diminutive midcourter with an ill-timed intercept attempt, making contact with the youngster's head.

The Mystics are awaiting the result of further tests before making a decision on whether Loveday will be available for their final round match against the NSW Swifts on Sunday.

With their midcourt stocks severely depleted, as both Erikana Pedersen and Elisapeta Toeava are still missing in action, Netball North under-23 midcourter Caitlin Riedstra was added to the match day 12 last week and is likely to take Loveday's place once again if she is ruled unfit. But it was shooter Bailey Mes who was handed wing attack berth on Monday, and after producing a stand-out performance she is again likely to be in the starting seven regardless of Loveday's fitness.

Mes offered impressive touches with her feeding into the circle and was influential on defence, shutting down Fever wing defence Shae Bolton.

Magic
From no-hopers to New Zealand's only hope. The Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic will once again be the only Kiwi side to feature in the transtasman league playoffs, having secured their seventh straight finals appearance. Heading into this weekend's final round the top four have already been determined, although there is still room for movement within that top four.

The Magic are the only team to have made the finals every year, but this year was the biggest surprise of all with many tipping Casey Kopua's side to be battling it out for the wooden spoon rather than the title. Yet despite a slew of off-season changes, the Magic team - a blend of experienced stars, recycled veterans and exuberant youths - are once again New Zealand's top-performing side.

The Magic can finish as high as second if they beat the Queensland Firebirds on Monday, but they will need their friends in the north to beat the NSW Swifts in Auckland on Sunday.

While their place is the playoffs is assured, the Magic need to produce a big performance against the Firebirds. Third and fourth on the ladder, the two sides are likely to meet in the first round of the playoffs next week and the Magic will be keen to make the Firebirds trek back to Waikato for the knock-out match.

Pulse
At this stage of the season there'll be plenty of teams ruing the ones that got away - none more so than the Central Pulse.

Yes, coulda, woulda, shouldas are a pointless exercise in sport, but still you can't help but look back on the Pulse's season and think things would have been much different had they nailed their early opportunities. Their one-goal loss to the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the opening round showed poor composure for such an experienced side, while their round four defeat to the Tactix was notable for their inability to adjust to the Canterbury side's game plan. Had those games gone their way they would have been assured a place in the top four heading into the final round.

Given the Pulse's struggles against the Australian sides, there are many on this side of the Tasman who are relieved the Wellington side won't feature in the playoffs this year.

One Kiwi commentator said it would be an embarrassment if the Pulse had made the finals considering the floggings the team have received at the hands of the Australian sides. They are 0 from 4 against the Aussie teams. The Pulse head to Perth to take on the Fever in the final round. But with the fixture marking coach Norma Plummer's last game in charge, the home side will be eager to send the veteran out with a win.

Tactix
Having sewn up their fourth wooden spoon in seven seasons, the Tactix will be eager to say goodbye to 2014 and turn their concentration to next year's campaign.

They secured the first piece of the puzzle this week with the announce-ment import shooter Mwai Kumwenda will be returning to the franchise in 2015. Kumwenda is a trailblazer for her country, becoming the first Malawi player to feature in the ANZ Championship, having been spotted by the Tactix management playing in the Australian national league in 2013. The franchise has been well rewarded for showing faith in the shooter, who was previously untested in the ANZ Championship, with Kumwenda the top-scorer in the league heading into the final round, averaging 42 goals a game.

The next big target for the Tactix will be a tall, experienced defender. This has been on their wish list pretty much every season, but despite making competitive offers to top-name Silver Ferns, they've been unable to lure any to the Canterbury region.

Outgoing coach Leigh Gibbs has done well to develop local talent such as Zoe Walker and Jane Watson, but the Tactix desperately need to inject more height into their defensive circle.

Steel
Having first broken the news of the Southern Steel's late season colour shift, Inner Circle can now exclusively reveal the team is remaining superstitious around the magenta strip and it will make an appearance for the final outing of 2014 against the Melbourne Vixens.

But it is still not known whether the Steel's other not-so-secret weapon, 1.98m shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid, will make an appearance. It is understood the Jamaican international took part in a light training session on Wednesday and will be put through a final fitness test today before a decision is made on her availability.

With the Vixens boasting one of the most formidable defensive combinations in the league in English import Geva Mentor and Australian international Bianca Chatfield, the Steel will need to have Fowler-Reid under the net to have any chance against the Melbourne line-up.

Meanwhile, several of the Steel players have been getting a taste of Southland farm life. Eager to stack their freezers with prime Southland lamb, Shannon Francois, Phillipa Finch and Jodi Brown ventured to Stacey Peeters' parents' farm near Gore. The only condition? They had to package it themselves. All three handled their duties as apprentice butchers extremely well.