At the height of our sweltering summer, the Silver Ferns were – like everyone else – at the beach. Except for them, a day on the black sand of Auckland’s west coast meant struggling up vertical dunes and heaving thick ropes above their heads.
No one could question the dedication and determination of our very best netballers as they set out on the start of a new era. There is a new coach on board – Janine Southby – and a bloom of new players, as well as some true evergreens.
As the team enter into battle against their Australian rivals in the ANZ Championships, five of the Ferns share their motivation, sacrifices, fears and dreams.
Storm Purvis
Born: 1993, Christchurch
Position: Defender
Team: Southern Steel
Home is where the heart is Although she’s lived in Dunedin for the past five years, Storm Purvis (pictured above) has only just settled in. With daily netball training and her university studies in media and marketing, it took four years to fall into a routine. “My life advisor will tell you, ‘Storm finally got there in 2015!’” the 22-year-old says. “I used to say to myself, ‘I don’t want to go to class today, I need this time to rest.’ But what I needed was routine. So I got out of the student slums and moved out to a home by the beach.” Storm grew up in Auckland, which she still considers home: “Well, home is wherever family is,” she says. She rates her parents, William and Fiona, as her biggest fans, and sister Claudia – a dressage rider – her best friend.
Million dollars hurt Storm is grateful – albeit reluctantly – for the days the Steel team trainer makes her feel the hurt. “You actually question, ‘What is it about netball I love?’ But then you feel like a million bucks after a training session. I’m talking half an hour afterwards. The only things I don’t like are the rowing machine and swimming. I can’t swim. But it’s a fantastic feeling being fit, and being in control of your health.”
Shining example The former New Zealand under-21 captain is fully aware that she’s now a role model to young netballers, especially in the south. “I have to keep reminding myself of how I looked up to the Silver Ferns when I was younger, and I realise how much you can influence young people. It’s really quite humbling.” Her own role model growing up was Ferns captain Casey Kopua.
A perfect Storm A niggling ankle injury slowed down Storm for much of last season, taking eight months to fully heal. But she soldiered on and was chosen in the Ferns squad for the first time late last year. Her goals for 2016? A consistent and injury-free season with the Steel, and to play her first test for New Zealand. “It’s my first year in the Ferns and I’m feeling confident. As long as I’m happy, I can focus on doing my job.”
Vinyl junkie A music lover, Storm has an old record player and a collection of vinyl albums that grows as she rummages through Dunedin’s second-hand shops. Her tastes are eclectic. “I love old 80s music, punk rock, really weird old bands like Sticky Fingers; but then I like modern bands like Six60. I just appreciate good music.” She’s building a better appreciation of her surrounds too; every weekend, when she’s not playing netball, Storm and her friends drive to discover a new beach or walking track. “One of my favourites is a little cove just after Brighton Beach that you can only reach at low tide. We’ll sit there under a blanket in winter. Otago is a beautiful place.”
Jessica Moulds
Born: 1989, Helensville
Position: Defender
Team: Canterbury Tactix
Breaking bad Everything was going swimmingly well for Jessica Moulds, until something snapped – her Achilles tendon to be exact. It was 2014, her first season with the Canterbury Tactix, and she was pinpointed as a future netball star, when a ‘gunshot’ went off in her left leg on court. Although she thrives on a challenge, this was a monumental one. “There were a few complications; it was a bad rupture. But I worked so hard to come back,” Jess says. She learned a lot about herself in the process. “I’ve become pretty resilient, and don’t let little things stress me any more. But I had to ask myself if the time and commitment needed were worth it.” Turns out they were: she drove herself to become one of the Tactix team’s top performers in 2015, earning her debut in the Silver Ferns.
A silver lining The rehabilitation time allowed Jess to focus her other career – as a dietitian. She now owns the Mission Nutrition clinic in Christchurch, where her philosophy is giving practical advice and education for a healthier life. She divides her week between the two pursuits. “I feel equally passionate about food and netball, and I wasn’t going to give one of them away for the other. Fortunately, sport and nutrition go hand-in-hand.”
Master of food A dairy farmer’s daughter from Northland, 26-year-old Jess has always loved food and learning how diet can improve performance. “Having that understanding has helped me get where I am,” she says. With a masters degree in dietetics, she writes a food blog and answers the odd question from team-mates about what they’re eating. “But I try to keep my roles separate; I want to be part of the team simply as a player. And I could never say to them, ‘Why are you eating that Tim Tam?’” – partly because her weakness is a good custard square.
Worth the weight Injury has given Jess a better understanding of her own body, and she thrives on working out. “I love feeling strong and doing weights. I can go into the hardware store and lift my own heavy bags,” she laughs. She’s happiest surrounded by like-minded athletes, also driven to achieve and be healthy. “You become a better person being around them. When I reflect back on every year I’ve played netball at this level, I see I’ve grown in some way.”
Hoop dreams Although she still loves donning gumboots on the family farm, the city life of Christchurch is now home for Jess. She’s bought a house there with her partner of 10 years, Andrew. On court this year she aims to be a “consistent, tenacious defender” and develop her skills as a leader. Playing her first game in the Ferns black dress sits near the top of the wish-list too. “It’s so rewarding when you get through these tough times and make the New Zealand squad. Then you can turn to those people who supported you when you were at your lowest point, and say, ‘Hey, look at me now.’”
Ameliaranne Wells
Born: 1989, Bundaberg, Australia
Position: Shooter
Team: Central Pulse
Success and heartbreak The past five years have been both uplifting and harrowing for gifted shooter Ameliaranne Wells. While her netball star was on the rise, particularly in her new home of New Zealand, her mother Denese was terminally ill in Australia. Denese died two days before Christmas last year. “My mum was my number-one fan. She was a huge part of my motivation for such a long time,” 27-year-old Ameliaranne says. “Moving away from her when she was sick was so difficult, but she never wanted to hold me back. I can truly thank her for the person I am today.”
From gold to black Born and raised in Bundaberg, Queensland, Ameliaranne moved to Wellington to play for the Central Pulse last year. But it never crossed her mind she’d be chosen to play for New Zealand – thanks to having a Kiwi father. “I was in a little over my head,” she admits of her 2014 Silver Ferns debut, ironically against the Australians. Fears that she may be given the cold shoulder in the capital, having already worn the green and gold in age-group netball, were quickly allayed. “I found my feet here; a real sense of belonging. It felt so natural connecting with the culture. I never imagined I would want to play for New Zealand so badly.” She doesn’t miss Queensland friends who give her stick: “They say, ‘You don’t bloody support the Kiwis now, do ya?’ But I always had. However, she does miss the weather and beaches, and “sometimes the food”.
All the fun of flair Adapting to the different way New Zealanders play netball has been a hurdle; the fast, tight and low Australian style has been all she’s known since starting at the age of 12. “Trying to transition into the New Zealand style of game is taking a little longer than expected! The big difference here is that everyone is able to play with their own individual flair while still fitting in with the team. They don’t do that in Australia. But, oh my gosh, I now love the fact we can embrace everyone’s style and flair.”
Learning Te Reo Outside of netball, Ameliaranne wants to discover more of her New Zealand ancestry. Of Ngapuhi descent, she’s studying Maori at Victoria University this year. “It’s my heritage, but I don’t know much of the language. I have family who speak fluent Maori, and I don’t know what they’re saying. I’m so excited to connect with my roots.”
The need to lead After the sorrow of the past few years, Ameliaranne feels she’s now “coming out the other side of the chaos”. Her goals have become clear. “I’m getting to a point where I love training, and a big goal for me is to be a leader on the court,” she says. “First with the Pulse, then slowly bringing it through to the Silver Ferns. I want to have the belief of my team-mates.”
Anna Harrison
Born: 1983, Westport
Position: Defender
Team: Northern Mystics
Fourth time around First playing for New Zealand 14 years ago, Anna Harrison is now in her fourth incarnation as a Silver Fern. Between each spell, she’s been a professional beach volleyball player and had two children (the youngest is just a year old). “I’m really proud to be back in the mix,” the long-limbed, unpredictable defender says. “I feel that I’ve earned my place back in the squad; they haven’t just put me in to make up numbers. When you’ve been out of the game – whether you’re injured or have become a mum – you ask yourself, ‘Can I still play? And do I really want to do it again?’ But having no expectations is the best thing that’s happened to me. I realise I really love this game.”
Sleep, baby, sleep The biggest challenge for Anna now is sleep deprivation. With her sport scientist husband Craig, she has a son, Isaac, two and a half, and daughter Georgia, a “lovely, but determined” baby girl. “More sleep would be good, but that’s part and parcel of being a parent isn’t it? A good night’s sleep will be one of my priorities this year,” says the player nicknamed ‘Scarlett’ (her maiden name). Looking as lean and lithe as she was when she won a world championship gold medal in 2003, the 32-year-old admits she feels no different physically. “It’s tiring, sure, but it’s all relative. I mean, a nine-to-five job today would exhaust me!”
A slow twitch Renowned for her devotion to training, Anna doesn’t necessarily enjoy every facet of it – like speed training. “I wasn’t blessed with fast twitch muscle fibres,” she admits. “So I have to work on my speed. But thankfully netball isn’t all about being fast.” She trades on being aerial, impulsive and having an uncanny knack for reading her rival’s next move. “I love the challenge, the intensity of the game, and pushing myself to my limits.”
The Harrison hoist It would be hard to find another netballer in the world who has a move named after them. But in 2012, Anna was lifted up by her fellow defender to try to block a shot at goal, and the controversial ‘Harrison Hoist’ was born. Will this be her legacy to the game? “I’d like to think people will remember me as a versatile player who was able to adapt. But the truth is, they’ll remember me for a move they tried to ban. But hey, it was special! I’d like to do something different again this season, so watch this space.” Dame Lois Muir, the matriarch of netball in New Zealand, once dubbed Anna a free spirit. “I like that; I need to hang on to that,” she says.
Fear and forbles Her biggest fear was that she wouldn’t be able to have children. “Family has always meant so much to me,” says Anna, who was raised on a farm in Karamea on the West Coast. And her biggest quirk? “I have to have clean feet before I get into bed.”
Leana de Bruin
Born: 1977, Bethlehem, South Africa
Position: Defender
Team: Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic
Staying on top It’s quite a feat to be at the top of your sporting game at the age of 38, and Leana de Bruin is proud to say she still keeps in step with the Silver Ferns newbies, like Storm Purvis, who is 16 years her junior. The most experienced member of the 2016 Ferns squad, the astute defender has played 104 tests for New Zealand, and 34 for her country of birth, South Africa. But over the years, some things have changed: “My recovery time is becoming more important to me. And I’ve got a lot more anal about eating the right stuff – so a lot more protein and fish oil to make these old bones stronger!”
Sharing the wisdom After taking her six-year-old son Caleb to South Africa at Christmas to visit family, Leana did some heart searching. “I had to ask myself: ‘Are you seriously going to give this another crack?’ And then I came back, played one game at training camp and thought, ‘This is why I’m here.’ I can’t give it away yet. I love teaching the younger ones, especially out on court. That passion for sharing knowledge is probably the main reason I’m still here.”
Mum’s biggest fan Being a single mum and an international sports star isn’t easy. But Caleb is her biggest fan. “He loves watching me play, cheering for me, and yelling at the ref,” Leana laughs. “His dad has been incredibly supportive too, even though we aren’t together now. I have heaps of friends who help me, and who I owe a lifetime of babysitting to.” Her close relationship with Caleb helps her to continue at netball’s highest level. “I spoke to him about playing another season, and he said, ‘Yes Mummy, you can play. You still love it.’ He shares the passion.” Although rugby is his real passion, and All Black Nehe Milner-Skudder his hero.
The ties that blind Leana’s greatest fear is receiving a call from South Africa with news that something has happened to her parents. “We’re so far away,” she says. When Leana first came to play in New Zealand in 2001 – following in the footsteps of her close friend, Irene van Dyk – it was an emotional time. She possessed a smattering of English (at home in Bethlehem she spoke Afrikaans) and had very little self-confidence. But netball coaches and new friendships helped her to settle, and make the Waikato town of Cambridge home.
Finding the fun Although motherhood has given her a new perspective on netball – worrying less about trying too hard – Leana admits she can still get “a bit serious” on court. That’s where the new generation of players shake her up. “When I get a little intense, I hear them laughing, and they remind me there’s still a lot of fun to be had.”
Words: Suzanne McFadden
