Netball: Tear free step up for young goal keep

Temalisi Fakahokotau. Photo / Sarah Ivey

As Temalisi Fakahokotau was being told she would be lining up for the Silver Ferns in next month's Constellation Cup series, she had only one thought in her mind: "Don't cry".

"I was just so shocked and excited I thought I was going to cry, but I didn't want to embarrass myself," the talented defender joked.

Fakahokotau's test call-up for next month's four-test series against Australia caps a stunning rise for the youngster, who came to the selectors' attention this year with a series of stand-out performances for the Northern Mystics in her first ANZ Championship season.

There was some talk before the Commonwealth Games that Fakahokotau, who turned 20 last week, could be a bolter for the Glasgow team.

Because of the tight turnaround between the transtasman league and the Games, the selectors opted instead for stability in the line-up. But it was always expected Fakahokotau's chance would come in next month's internationals.

Nevertheless, Fakahokotau said her selection came as a big surprise. She knew the withdrawal of veteran defender Anna Harrison, who is expecting her second child, had created a vacancy, but with so much competition for places in the defensive end, she never assumed she would be be chosen.

"I was just excited to be invited into trial, so my feeling was to just train hard, play hard and see what happens," she said.

"It's just been so full-on taking in all this new information I don't think making the Ferns has really sunk in yet."

At yesterday's team announcement Fakahokotau had yet to break the news to her family, preferring to wait until she got home to tell them in person.

One of nine children, Fakahokotau said she was especially excited about the prospect of playing in front of her home crowd in the fourth and final test in Auckland next month, and joked she might have to use a ballot to allocate tickets to her family.

At 1.83m, Fakahokotau is considered short for an international goal keep, but Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu said the physical presence she brought to the circle more than makes up for her lack of height.

"She is physically intimidating, so her height is quickly forgotten. Harking back to the era of [Vilimaina Davu] she kind of brings that same approach in that she is able to be a big presence on court. And for a very young netballer, she has a very wise, quite cunning netball brain," said Taumaunu.