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Netball New Zealand admit they are "very concerned" they are playing a role in developing young Australian talent after their decision to allow the Southern Steel to sign former NSW Swifts shooter Leah Shoard.
After denying two earlier applications from the Steel to sign Australian players, Netball NZ yesterday relented and gave them the go-ahead to contract 22-year-old Shoard. But it took the difficult birth of Donna Wilkins' first baby to convince them to do so.
Netball NZ had originally blocked the Steel's efforts to sign the young shooter, but after Wilkins gave birth by caesarean section at the end of last month, the Southern franchise submitted a second application.
A caesarean delivery requires a longer recovery time, and Steel chief executive Julie Paterson said that given there was a strong chance Wilkins would not be ready to take the court come the beginning of April, they asked Netball NZ to reconsider their decision.
"We were very concerned that Donna would feel under pressure to be ready by April 1 and that because of the caesarean she may not be fit by then," said Paterson.
Shoard, who made just one appearance for the Swifts this season, was not wanted by the Sydney club next year and was not picked up by any of the remaining Australian franchises. Yet Paterson believes the former Australian Under-21 player offers greater value than some of the young up-and-coming Kiwi players.
"To be frank, we don't think that there are any players left in New Zealand. We did look extensively throughout New Zealand for a player that has had a reasonable amount of court time - that has been our concern."
Netball NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said she was very reluctant to allow an overseas player to come in at the expense of local talent, which is why the Steel's original application to sign Shoard was denied as well as an earlier application to re-sign former Australian shooter Megan Dehn.
However, Castle said that with Wilkins giving birth by caesarean it "changed the landscape significantly".
"Had Donna been okay she was more than likely going to be starting and therefore [the import] would be sitting on the bench. Now that's likely not going to be the case it makes it slightly different because it would force the Steel to throw a very inexperienced player on the court."
Netball NZ's priority has always been to protect the development pathways for young up-and-coming players, and Castle said it was a major concern a young Australian player had been given the opportunity at the expense of a local.
"We're very concerned, absolutely, and it's certainly not our ideal scenario," said Castle.
"At the end of the day we then felt given the rest of the teams have named their sides, and the Pulse are in the final negotiations with their players, that there really wasn't another shooter left that was of high enough standard to play in the ANZ Championship."
The Steel's fight to sign Shoard is just the latest of a number of controversies surrounding Kiwi franchises attempts to sign ineligible players over the first two years of the competition.
Castle admits the rules are messy and said there was likely to be a change to the criteria ahead of the 2010 season.
