KEY POINTS:
The Silver Ferns mixed form against Australia this year raises serious concerns as to how they will fare in the coming years when their transtasman rivals have their full complement of players.
While the ledger is square between the two sides this season with two wins each, there is no doubt Australian coach Norma Plummer is in the healthier position.
Plummer can rightly feel chuffed that her young side managed to sneak two wins against the Ferns without the services of veteran shooters Sharelle McMahon and Catherine Cox. With McMahon struggling with a knee injury through the regional season, Plummer made the gutsy call to rest her captain to prolong McMahon's career. She then lost Cox on the eve of the first test to an ankle injury.
With Australia already hit hard by the retirement of three key players following last year's World Champs, they were forced to battle on with an inexperienced line-up. Plummer blooded new players and experimented with combinations, and her willingness to do so means she will have an embarrassment of riches when McMahon and Cox return.
With Australia bleating about their youthful line-up, it was often over-looked that New Zealand were also a young side. The withdrawal of captain Julie Seymour and experienced defender Leana de Bruin from the final series against Australia put New Zealand's depth to the test. Steel midcourters Liana Barrett-Chase and Wendy Telfer were brought in, with Barrett-Chase in particular showing much potential. At the beginning of the season these two weren't even in the fold, but Aitken will be heartened by their rise. Likewise she will feel pleased with the performances of Casey Williams, Laura Langman and Maria Tutaia who are set to play crucial roles in years ahead.
But unlike her Australian counterpart, Aitken doesn't have the luxury of returning stars.
There are no guarantees that Adine Wilson and Jodi Brown, who have taken time out for motherhood, will want to return to the side, while midcourt dynamo Temepara George still remains coy about her plans.
It all comes back to depth.
If New Zealand are going to regain transtasman ascendancy more work needs to be done to develop the next tier below.
