Netball: Aitken confident over Ferns

The dejected Magic console one another after their defeat in the preliminary final of the ANZ Championship. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken insists the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic's poor performances in the ANZ Championship does not automatically spell doom and gloom for the national side.

The Magic's season came to a disappointing end on Sunday night when they were bustled out of a preliminary final by a classy and well-drilled Adelaide Thunderbirds outfit.

The 14-goal loss was the Magic's third heavy defeat in as many weeks as they have struggled to foot it with the top Australian sides during the business end of the season.

Given the obvious talent in the Magic line-up, the team's form throughout the finals has bewildered many netball observers.

With five frontline Silver Ferns in Irene van Dyk, Casey Williams, Joline Henry, Laura Langman and Maria Tutaia, the Magic are the most heavily stacked team in the league and theoretically should be able to win the transtasman competition.

After all, this is virtually the same team that turned out for New Zealand and won both series against the Australians in last year's internationals.

Given the Magic's failings in recent weeks, many are now tipping the Silver Ferns to struggle during the international season.

The Magic's losses are not the main concern, but the nature of the defeats does not bode well for the Ferns' chances this season.

From the last match of the regular season, the Noeline Taurua-coached team have been well behind the pace.

The difficulties of dealing with the more physical Australian playing style came to the fore as New Zealand's all-star line-up tumbled to three straight defeats.

That round-14 defeat to the Thunderbirds - a 54-35 humbling - seemed to shake the confidence of the Magic's players and unsettled their rhythm going into the playoff series.

However, Aitken does not expect the Magic's poor season will have any hangovers on the national side.

She said although she was disappointed with the Magic's late-season form slump, she was confident the players would bounce back strongly for the Ferns.

"I think it is dangerous to say [the Magic] are a Silver Ferns team, I think it only needs a couple of people in there to change the whole dynamic, really," said Aitken.

She pointed out that a lot of people wrote off the Ferns' chances last year when the highly fancied Magic failed to deliver the ANZ Championship crown after a crushing defeat to the NSW Swifts in the grand final.

That Swifts line-up of last year, which featured just three Australian internationals, were arguably a lot weaker than the Thunderbirds team that demolished the Magic on Sunday night.

"Certainly last year there was a lot of disappointment after the loss to the Swifts, Aitken said.

"But we were really impressed with the way the girls came into camp and regrouped from that."

Aitken admits the idea of an all-Australian grand final does not sit well with her, but said it is a reflection of the strong depth across the Tasman.

The Magic were left battered by their visitors from Adelaide on Sunday and there were complaints after the match about "thuggery".

Magic co-captain Joline Henry said: "It is disappointing when teams have to resort to thuggery out there, like I believe happened tonight, and that the umpires allowed that."

Aitken will name a Silver Ferns squad of up to 18 players late next week, with the first national camp to be held in mid-August.

From that wider group a Silver Ferns squad will be selected for three matches against an Invitation World Team in August before two back-to-back series against the Australian Diamonds in September.