KEY POINTS:
Herald netball writer Dana Johannsen has singled out six players from the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic and Adelaide Thunderbirds who will have a huge influence in the ANZ championship semifinal in Hamilton on Monday.
Natalie von Bertouch: Thunderbirds
Position: C
Born: 16/12/1982
Height: 1.75m
Nippy midcourter Natalie von Bertouch has had a fairly quiet season by her own high standards but is coming in to her own at the business end of the competition.
The 25-year-old seemed to take some time to settle in to her new role as Thunderbirds captain, while the shock retirement of her older sister Laura in the off-season meant von Bertouch had to develop new midcourt combinations with wing-attacks Alex Clarke and Emily Beaton. Von Bertouch was impressive in last week's semifinal win over the Melbourne Vixens, exerting a great deal of pressure on defence and was the key play-maker in the attacking end.
The skipper has the uncanny ability to pop up at the right time, and if the Magic aren't accurate they can bet on the Australian centre being there to pick up the scraps.
Mo'onia Gerrard: Thunderbirds
Position: GD/WD
Born: 15/11/1980
Height: 1.80m
Whether at wing or goal defence, Gerrard always manages to ake a huge impact. The Australian international is a punishing defender and has the ability to hassle and harry an opponent out of the game with her strong tracking. Always in the thick of the action, Gerrard plays a strong hand on attack as well, bringing the ball through the court with vigour.
With the Magic boasting a strong shooting end, Thunderbirds coach Jane Woodlands is likely to use Gerrard more at goal-defence on Monday in an effort to unsettle the likes of van Dyk and Tutaia.
Natalie Medhurst: Thunderbirds
Position: GA
Born: 20/01/1984
Height: 1.78m
Another of the Australian test players in the Thunderbirds line-up, Medhurst has been the most consistent performer for the Adelaide side.
It was ironic then that after shooting at over 90 per cent all season, Medhurst slipped up against the Vixens in the semifinal.
The silky goal attack made a horror start to the match, shooting at below 50 per cent for the first half before recovering to eventually finish with a 75 per cent accuracy rate.
If anything, this poor performance will probably count against the Magic as the rookie international will be eager to prove her class on Monday.
Along with being an incredibly consistent shooter, Medhurst is a strong mover around the shooting circle and has the ability to split opposition defences.
Irene van Dyk: Magic
Position: GS/GA
Born: 21/06/1972
Height: 1.90m
After playing her entire career at goal shoot, van Dyk has added another string to her bow after an unlikely switch to goal attack.
The veteran has shown she can produce the same deadly accuracy in whichever shooting position she plays.
In last week's semifinal against the NSW Swifts, van Dyk returned her third 100 per cent shooting game of the season, converting all 29 of her shots at goal - remarkable considering the intensity of the match and calibre of opposition. Since the former South African international has moved out of the circle, the entire Magic attack end seems to have a lot more precision and flow about it.
The test will be if they can maintain it across an entire 60 minutes.
Casey Williams: Magic
Position: GK
Born: 19/06/1985
Height: 1.88m
You need only look at the car parked in the Williams' driveway to get an idea of the calibre of player you're dealing with.
The 23-year-old underlined her billing as the best defender in the game after taking out the competition's MVP award last week based on points accrued during the round robin stage of the season. She got a brand new Holden for her troubles, but such is the competitiveness of Williams you get the feeling she will only be happy once she has a winner's medal around her neck.
Strong in the air with superb timing and an excellent ability to read the game, Williams tends to favour tall shooters who play a holding game. In that sense, Thunderbirds goal-shoot Kate Beveridge almost plays in to the hands of Williams with any lifted ball in to the Adelaide shooting circle likely to be gobbled up by the Silver Ferns star.
Laura Langman: Magic
Position: C/WD
Born: 16/04/1986
Height: 1.73m
Langman has made great strides in the centre bib for her side this year, with her feeding game improving markedly.
But it is the speed and work ethic of the young midcourter that are her greatest assets. Langman's impressive turn of pace ensures that the Magic lose very little in transition from attack to defence and vice-versa.
Having spent a lot of time in the wing-defence bib, the nippy midcourter plays a tight marking game and has a knack of pulling off vital intercepts.
