Netball: Who makes the Silver Ferns Commonwealth Games team?

Analysis – When Dame Noeline Taurua names the Silver Ferns team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Wednesday, it will be her first team reveal in around two years.

Taurua’s 2025 was fractured by an ugly period for the sport, when the Silver Ferns coach was stood down, after concerns were raised by players about the team environment.

Despite being reinstated, Taurua didn’t coach a single test last year. The Silver Ferns’ opening game at the Commonwealth Games on 25 July will be her first game back in charge.

So who is likely to be named in her team of 12?

Shooters

Grace Nweke is a lock-in as New Zealand’s front-line strike goal shooter. Nweke has just finished as the second highest goal scorer in the Australian league, in her second year in Suncorp Super Netball (SSN).

Amelia Walmsley will be seen as her strongest back-up at goal shoot, plus she can play goal attack if required.

While the Southern Steel’s Aliyah Dunn is having a great season, she has played just as well in previous years and not been recalled to the Silver Ferns for various reasons so it’s hard to imagine that she would now.

Dunn outscores Walmsley as the most prolific shooter in the ANZ Premiership, but Walmsley has spent a bit of time at goal attack for the Stars so that’s not surprising.

Former captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio would be a lock-in for goal attack if she made herself available for selection but that seems unlikely.

The 35-year-old stepped away from the Silver Ferns in the middle of last year, saying she needed a break. In April, Ekenasio told RNZ that she didn’t think her body could withstand a tournament schedule.

It would also be a surprise if Te Paea Selby-Rickit, who hasn’t been available for the Silver Ferns since the 2023 World Cup, put her hand up for selection.

In the absence of those veterans, Georgia Heffernan has emerged as the frontrunner, on the back of composed performances against England and Australia last year when she was recalled to the Silver Ferns.

Martina Salmon, who got her Silver Ferns debut last year, is likely to get the nod in the fourth shooting position.

Salmon has put up the most shots of any goal attack in the ANZ Premiership. Her height, versatility, and confidence to go to the post, should give her the edge over the likes of Filda Vui and Amorangi Malesala.

Former Silver Fern Maia Wilson is open to selection after previously making herself unavailable. Wilson has had a strong season and could be useful as a reserve.

Midcourt

World class midcourters Kate Heffernan and Maddy Gordon pick themselves. The pair have earned fans across the Tasman with their debut seasons in the SSN competition.

Of the handful of players in contention for the two remaining spots in the midcourt, Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and Kimiora Poi look like the frontrunners.

Both are able to cover centre and wing attack, have international experience, and Poi in particular has a strong defensive game.

The pair though are under an injury cloud with a calf injury to Poi and knee niggle to Reuelu-Buchanan keeping them out of the last part of the domestic season.

Claire O’Brien, who lost her place in the Silver Ferns last year, has had a strong ANZ Premiership, leading the competition for centre pass receives and is second for feeds.

Peta Toeava was recalled to the Silver Ferns for a third time last year but barely got on court. Whitney Souness was hoping a season in the SSN would boost her chances of a recall but she had a tough season at the struggling Giants.

Defence

Experienced defenders Kelly Jackson and Karin Burger performed well in their first seasons in the SSN and will be shoo-ins for another pinnacle event.

Before Taurua and her fellow selectors presented their team to the NZ Olympic Committee on 1 June, the most brutal calls would have come down to the last two spots in the defensive end, with a number of players producing eye-catching domestic campaigns.

The added complication is the injury to young gun Catherine Hall, which put her Games aspirations in serious doubt. Selectors have the option to name Hall, subject to medical clearance, giving her until the eve of the Commonwealth Games to prove her fitness.

If Hall is picked, Carys Stythe, Parris Mason, and Phoenix Karaka, will be fighting for the fourth defensive position.

Stythe, 22, has elevated her game to a whole new level this year, leading the competition for deflections. Mason is another young gun who has the attributes to excel on the international stage.

In recent weeks, 70-test veteran Phoenix Karaka has pulled out all of her game smarts with timely performances for the Mystics.

With the Netball World Cup just over a year away, selectors might favour going with a Mason or Stythe, knowing they are likely to grow exponentially in that time.

Potential Silver Ferns Commonwealth Games team

Shooters

• Grace Nweke
• Amelia Walmsley
• Georgia Heffernan
• Martina Salmon

Midcourt

• Maddy Gordon
• Kate Heffernan
• Kimiora Poi
• Mila Reuelu-Buchanan

Defenders

• Karin Burger
• Kelly Jackson
• Catherine Hall* (subject to medical clearance)
• Carys Stythe

Reserves:

Maia Wilson, Claire O’Brien, Parris Mason, Phoenix Karaka

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