Netball: New faces with everything to prove

Melissa Walker (left) and Paula Bailey.

MELISSA WALKER - NORTH

Some people have a pool in the backyard, others a tennis court, but not Melissa Walker.

She has a netball court, which gives some indication of her passion for the game.

Walker has replaced Yvonne Willering as coach of the defending champion North side. A side who went through last year's Scottwood Trust-sponsored championship unbeaten.

A daunting prospect to most but not to Walker, who was Willering's assistant last year.

"I thrive on that type of pressure," she said.

"For me it is all about the best that I can do. I have been planning this moment for the last five years coaching in the NPC. Win or lose I know that I have done everything I can possibly do to prepare."

Walker grew up in west Auckland. Her mother is well-known netball identity Sheryl Hyndman, who now co-coaches Samoa with Linda Vagana.

"My mum is sport crazy. At one stage she was a New Zealand soccer player but she had to pull out because she was pregnant with my sister. But she played basketball, tennis, netball, soccer ... she even dabbled in rugby league."

It was through her mother that Walker made her way into netball. A talented goal defence, she was a regular in west Auckland teams. Her playing and coaching career entwined early on as she helped coach at her club.

The first "big rep" team she coached was the Western Districts under-17s back in 1993. Since then she has coached a variety of representative sides plus the Auckland Deaf side and the New Zealand Maori team.

"I have been lucky I have had my mother. I have learned so much from her and being around people like Jan Lundon and Tania Karauria ... being in those people's shadows and watching them has helped me immensly."

Walker selected her team on Wednesday night. It includes Silver Ferns Leana de Bruin and Temepara George and Force players Angelina Yates and Kimberley Horton.

"I really just back myself, I had done my apprenticeship, I am ready for it."

As to why she has a netball court in her backyard, it all comes back to her father (Tom), rather than her mother, who passed away two years ago.

When building their home, Tom decided a netball court which could double as a tennis court was needed for his three children and their families.

"At Christmas the whole whanau comes up and there is a massive big tournament. It is not pretty, I tell you," Walker laughs.

The CV

Lives: Laingholm, West Auckland
Status: Married with three daughters.
Occupation: Recently completed a bachelor of sport and recreation. Works as Netball North's regional manager.
Coaching history:
2000-06: Baytex Panthers premier team
2000-02: Auckland Diamonds development side
2003-04: Northern Academy Elite Coach
2004: North Harbour Two assistant coach to Jan Lundon
2004-05: Auckland Deaf team
2005-06: New Zealand Maori Premier Team
2005: North Harbour assistant coach to Yvonne Willering

PAULA BAILEY - AUCKLAND WAITAKERE

If you had to name a handful of players who stood out in this year's National Bank Cup the Canterbury Flames' Jade Topia would be one them.

In her first season with the franchise the 19-year-old New Zealand under-21 representative withstood the pressure against some of the game's fiercest defenders and made the goal attack position hers.

And the person Topia would probably credit her success with is new Auckland Waitakere coach Paula Bailey.

Bailey has helped not only Topia but also rising players Katrina Grant, Alison Toi, Amenda Payne and Rawinia Everitt who she met at Howick Pakuranga's Eastern Netball Club.

"They have always been at the club and that is what you want to do, bring players through and encourage them to go for that level.

"I helped Jade get to Canterbury because she was behind Jodi [Te Huna] and Maria [Tutaia] in the Auckland mix."

If her effect on Topia is anything to go by then Auckland Waitakere could be in for great things in this year's national provincial championships.

A goal attack/goal defence, Bailey grew up playing netball at the Eastern Club alongside former Silver Fern Tracy Shortland.

Bailey's mother Lyn was heavily involved in netball in the Eastern Club and at provincial level.

It was she who nudged her daughter into coaching.

"She encouraged Tracy [Shortland] and I to give back to the club in a coaching role," Bailey said.

The pair started off coaching at the club and moved on to the Manukau under-21 side.

While Shortland now lives in Brisbane, Bailey has stayed at the helm of the Eastern premier side who this year won the Auckland competition.

With the Eastern team, Bailey helped develop players for the now defunct Counties Manukau Cometz side in 2000 and assisted Georgina Salter in the development of New Zealand under-21 players around the same time

She co-coached the Auckland B team in 2004 with her old teachers-college mate Joan Hodson.

Originally her goal this year was to remain with the B team. But after Judy Weston headed off overseas, Bailey was arm-twisted into taking the top team.

The side includes Silver Ferns Maria Tutaia and Anna Scarlett, former Silver Fern Jenny May Coffin and top defender Stephanie Bond.

"I am excited by it.

"The mix is there to do well but you don't really know until you hit the court."

The CV

Lives: Howick Pakuranga
Occupation: Director of Sport at Tamaki College
Coaching highlights:
2006: Auckland Waitakere Diamonds Academy
2005: Auckland Waitakere selector for upper North Island secondary schools team.
2004: Auckland Waitakere B side co-coach with Joan Hodson
2004-05: Auckland Waitakere under-21 coach
2000: Counties Manukau Cometz development
1998: Manukau under-21 coach

National Provincial Championships

* First round: September 15-17, Christchurch and New Plymouth.

* Week-long tournament: September 25-30, Trusts Stadium, Auckland.

The 12 first-grade teams have been split into two pools and will play a round robin competition within those pools. The first games in the round robin are on the weekend before the tournament. The Pool A games are in Christchurch, Pool B games in New Plymouth. The points will be carried through.

Pool A: Christchurch, North, Canterbury, Otago, Eastern, Wellington, Counties Manukau.

Pool B: New Plymouth, Waikato, Auckland Waitakere, Southland, Western, Bay of Plenty, Tasman.