Netball: Worrying growth on competition's sick list

Six of Liana Barrett-Chase's Steel teammates are nursing pre-season injuries. Photo / Getty Images

The ever-expanding netball calendar is a clear sign the sport has grown rapidly over the past four years.

But the negative spin-off of this is that there has been a sharp increase in the number of injuries, as coaches are still trying to grasp how best to manage player workload.

With both the New Zealand and Australian national teams embarking on international tours in January, several ANZ Championship stars returned home carrying niggling injuries, while others are still recovering from injuries picked up during a busy 2010 season.

As a result, a couple of high-profile players will start the season on the injury list and there are many more that will have to be managed through the early rounds of the competition as they battle various niggles.

Then there are another handful who are on the comeback trail after succumbing to serious injuries in 2010.

Steel

The Steel have been the worst hit in the pre-season, with six players - Liana Leota (calf), Leana de Bruin (shin), Natasha Chokljat (calf), Daneka Wipiiti (ankle), Wendy Frew (shoulder) and Sheryl Scanlan (foot) - all nursing various complaints. This has caused major disruption to their build-up to the season, but it seems the injury clouds are slowly clearing for the Southern side.

They should have most of the players patched up before their opening game against the Mystics on Monday, with the only doubt hovering over Chokljat and Wipiiti. A call is expected to be made on the pair over the weekend.

Pulse

The Pulse recruited one of the Steel's injury problems with shooter Jade Topia, who moved from Invercargill to Wellington this year, unlikely to take the court until the second half of the season after having surgery in the off-season to try to remedy a chronic back injury.

The Pulse have no plans to call in a replacement for Topia, so they will start the season with 11 players.

Mystics

The Mystics are managing injuries to a handful of players, but it is likely they will start the season with a full roster. Captain Temepara George looks to be back to full speed after having minor ankle surgery following the Commonwealth Games.

Grace Rasmussen has also recovered from her ankle complaint, but her sister Rachel has calf and back injuries that will have to be managed through the early rounds, giving young defenders Kayla Cullen and Jess Moulds a chance to step up.

Vixens

The Melbourne Vixens dream defensive line-up may be some way off in reality with Australia star Julie Corletto still struggling with ongoing knee problems and yet to resume full training.

English import Geva Mentor, missed the recent test series against the Silver Ferns with a back injury and has had limited time with her new team. But the Vixens are hopeful Mentor will be right for their opening game next weekend.

Swifts

Former Thunderbird Mo'onia Gerrard had an unhappy homecoming with the Swifts having battled with an ankle injury for much of the pre-season.

Vanessa Ware, who surprised everyone with the speed at which she came back from a knee reconstruction last year, suffered a late setback, injuring her back in early January. Ware is likely to miss this weekend's opener against the Thunderbirds, but is expected te return in the coming weeks.

* On the comeback trail

There were an unprecedented number of serious knee injuries in the league last season, with five players - Josie Janz (Fever), Peta Scholz (Magic), Chelsea Pitman (Tactix, now Firebirds), Sarah Wall (Firebirds, now Vixens) and Vanessa Ware (Swifts) - all forced to undergo a knee reconstruction after rupturing their anterior cruciate ligaments.

All eyes will be on how these players return to the court after coming through the long rehabilitation process.