Netball: Gregory tossed between teams

By Sarah Nealon

Switching allegiances from country to country then island to island has made netballer Lisa Gregory dizzy.

The Australian, who moved to New Zealand to play for Canterbury, will line up in the North side in tonight's Star Series final against South in Dunedin.

"I'm all over the place," she laughed. "I didn't care which side I got to play for as long as I got picked."

Gregory had never played alongside any of her team-mates in the North side. But she does not feel torn playing against her new home region in the final.

The 28-year-old has been living in New Zealand for less than a year, but she considers herself to be a fair-dinkum Kiwi.

Her fans say that she is on the verge of making the Silver Ferns. "My husband and I bought a house in Christchurch in September and there's lots of opportunities for me in netball, so why go elsewhere? As long as I keep playing netball we'll keep living in New Zealand."

Gregory has a lot to thank North coach Leigh Gibbs for. Gibbs, a true-blue mainlander, recruited Gregory for her Canterbury Flames team last season. Earlier that day the sports administrator had been told she wasn't wanted by the Adelaide Ravens in the Australian national league and thought her netball career was over.

A versatile player, Gregory has played at wing attack and goal attack in the Star Series. Her goal is not only to help North win tonight, but to impress the Silver Ferns coach Yvonne Willering and earn a place in next weekend's possibles-probables trial in Taupo.

"Of course you always want to play for your country, but I wouldn't mind becoming a Silver Fern."

Only one other Canterbury Flames player is in the final - defender Anna Veronese in the South side.

The South are clear favourites, remaining undefeated in the series, while North have won only one game out of three.

"We've worked really hard to build combinations," said Gregory. "I know the South is full of Silver Ferns, but I think it's going to come down to who desires the win the most."

All of the South team are fit to play after a rough and tumble encounter with England on Tuesday night. Defender Katie Fay will have her fingers taped after suffering a dislocation.

England, who were bundled out of the series, will play Georgina Salter's Talent2000 squad in the curtainraiser - their last game here before a three-test series against Australia next week.