Netball: Diamonds forget shellacking to focus on polished start

By DAVID LEGGAT

When the Auckland Diamonds netball team look back at last year's Coca-Cola Cup semifinals, they shudder at the memory of the tonking they received from the Otago Rebels.

It was a case of falling one hurdle short of the final - again - but when the national league starts tomorrow, the Diamonds will have an early chance of atoning when they play the Rebels in Dunedin.

A win there will achieve two objectives. Not only can the Diamonds make partial amends for last year's semifinal - and they have never beaten the Rebels in the league - but it will also give captain Nicky Read the flying start to the competition she wants.

"This time you've got to get up from the start. We want to get that initial win under our belt because this year's going to be so close. The teams are a bit more evenly spread," she said.

And that means less chance to recover lost ground when the nine-team round-robin competition reaches the business end.

The Diamonds have a strong spine to their line-up, with Lorna Suafoa back from a stint across the harbour bridge in defence, Read looking after mid-court and the dazzling Jamaican Elaine Davis to dominate the goal circle.

Read admitted she was rapt when she heard the 1.90m Davis was spending the season in Auckland.

"It's awesome. She's a great target to get the ball to. We knew her ability, she's aggressive and hungry for the ball. The other girls have fitted in really well round her."

So what is the key to getting to the final, and then bringing some silverware away from the formidable southern challenge?

"Mental toughness and the belief we can do it," Read said. "Sometimes we've had the belief in ourselves, but thought maybe the other team still had the edge.

"We've got quite a balanced team, we've got the experience there."

The North Shore-based Force are armed with a new coach, Australian Maria Lynch, and quality running through the team, from Linda Vagana, Teresa Tairi and Temepara George - last season's mid-courter of the year while at the Cometz - and Australian under-21 squad member Elise Middleton.

They have high hopes of also taking their challenge beyond the semifinal stage.

The Force kick off with a trip to Taupo to play the Waikato-based franchise the Magic on Sunday, while in the other two games, defending champions the Southern Sting play the Capital Shakers, with South African dead-eye shooter Irene van Dyk the key figure, and the Cometz play the Flyers in Papatoetoe.