Netball: Steel set to field Aussie shooter in ironic twist

Megan Dehn, who has played 20 tests for Australia, has been training with the Steel. Photo / Getty Images

The Southern Steel are poised to make changes to their squad following Monday night's round 10 match-up against the West Coast Fever in Perth.

It is believed the Steel have applied to transtasman league bosses for special dispensation to allow former Australian shooter Megan Dehn to join the side as cover for a pregnancy in the team.

The player concerned, who is in the early stages of her pregnancy, is set to withdraw from the squad next week.

Dehn, a member of the Steel side last season, will be the Southland side's second import, with former NSW Swifts shooter Leah Shoard also in the line-up.

It is not clear whether the league office will allow the Steel to have both Dehn and Shoard on their roster given Netball New Zealand's criteria for ineligible players allows for only one overseas-based import.

ANZ Championship general manager Anthony Everard confirmed he had received an application from a franchise related to the permanent replacement of a player, but was not willing to discuss the details.

However Everard said in special circumstances there was room for manoeuvring within the competition rules regarding ineligible players.

"The competition rules certainly do contemplate a variety of circumstances and our responsibility is to assess all applications strictly against what the competition rules do and don't allow, so that's what we've done in this case.

"The responsibility is now back on the franchise to consider our position and then announce any changes in due course."

There is also precedent for a New Zealand side being allowed to field two imports in the case of a pregnant player withdrawing from the team.

The Canterbury Tactix were last year granted permission to sign English shooter Rachel Dunn as a second import midway through last season following the withdrawal of former Silver Fern Jodi Brown.

The irony is, late last year the Steel weren't even allowed to sign one import, now they appear to have sneaked away with two.

The Southern franchise had already attempted to re-sign Dehn for the 2009 season, but the move was blocked by Netball New Zealand.

The Steel later reapplied for an import player on the grounds veteran shooter Donna Wilkins' comeback from maternity leave had been complicated by the difficult birth of her son.

In the meantime Dehn had signed with the Queensland Firebirds, so the Steel picked up Shoard.

Dehn, who has played 20 tests for Australia, later dropped out of the Firebirds squad for personal reasons.

Dehn has been training with the Steel and is expected to be officially added to their roster next week following the team's return from Perth.

The Steel may not be the only team forced to make changes to their line-up because of pregnancy. Another high-profile New Zealand player is also expecting her first child but has asked that the matter be kept private until she steps aside.