2018 Team Preview: Northern Stars
Apart from coach Kiri Wills, there’s nothing new about the Northern Stars this year after a healthy injection of experience was added to their roster in the off-season.
Created specifically to become New Zealand’s sixth team for the launch of the ANZ Premiership in 2017, the South Auckland-based Stars encountered the expected teething problems of a breakout first season but Wills is keen to shed the newcomers tag.
``We’ve got to lose the whole ``new team’’ tag,’’ she said. ``Nobody’s going to cut us any slack on that this year and it’s time for us to really make a mark on the competition and show people who we are rather than keep falling into the trap of `we’re a new team’.
``We’ve got pretty exacting measures in terms of performance, standards at trainings and things like that, so as long as the girls are working hard we’ll be able to achieve those things. So, it’s no more about the new team, just the Stars and that we’re here to play.’’
With that approach in mind, Wills has been able to bolster her team with a quartet of internationals, including respected England captain Ama Agbeze at the defence end, experienced Silver Ferns midcourter Grace Kara, who will captain the Stars this year, and shooters Paula Griffin and Ellen Halpenny, who are making a return to elite level competition.
Married to a New Zealander, Agbeze brings a wealth of experience and maturity after recently leading England to the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal and will be a valuable addition.
``We’ve got some great young talent but you need to have the experienced ones around them,’’ Wills said.
``You always want to have a really good mix of experience to bring that youth through and that’s invaluable. The more experienced players are just harder, more demanding of themselves and of the team. They’ve got the mileage under their belts to be demanding and that’s what you need.’’
Guiding the NZU21 team to the World Youth Cup title last year, Wills is excited to be making the step up to this level sooner than she anticipated.
``There are very few professional roles out there for coaches and getting one of these is quite prestigious and quite significant in someone’s career,’’ she said. ``Post-World Youth Cup it was always going to be the next thing that I was looking out for but I didn’t think the opportunity would come around quite so quickly so I’m very pleased.’’
Another positive for Wills is the return to full fitness of exciting young defender Holly Fowler, who was an original signing for the Stars in 2017 but missed the entire season with a serious knee injury.
``We have been managing her quite carefully but she’s been playing, contesting and tracking really, really well. She’s available and raring to go,’’ Wills said.
2017 Placing: 5th
2018 Northern Stars:
Ama Agbeze, Olivia Coughlan, Kayla Cullen, Holly Fowler, Paula Griffin, Ellen Halpenny, Grace Kara, Fa’amu Ioane, Christina Oscar, Maia Wilson.
Gains: Ama Agbeze, Olivia Coughlan, Ellen Halpenny, Grace Kara, Christina Oscar
Losses: Leana de Bruin, Sulu Fitzpatrick (Pulse), Emma Iversen, Afa Rusivakula, Courtney Tairi, Malia Vaka
Coach: Kiri Wills
Assistant Coach: Temepara Bailey