Ameliaranne Ekenasio wants Grace Nweke to be a Silver Fern again.
She's called for Netball NZ to make Grace eligible for selection even though she's playing in the Aussie domestic competition.
Former Silver Ferns captain and Inside Netball co-host Anna Stanley spoke to D'Arcy Waldegrave about this on Sportstalk.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News talks'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's talk some netball now the case of Grace and
we're joined u by Format, Silver Ferna and a Stanley.
Good evening, Good evening, Darcy.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
It's nice to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
And it's wonderful to have you in studio with us
as well, especially considering what's going on in netball at
the moment. And this is something that has affected lots
of sports and different organizations have dealt with this eligibility,
I suppose you'd say in a different way. Of course,
the latest one are through Amelia and Echanasio. Not entirely
(00:43):
happy with what Netball New Zealand are doing with Grace Wicker.
Where do you stand on this?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Where do I stand on this? I think she should
be given an exemption. I think she will probably end
up being one of our best silver Ferns. Ever, the
fact at twenty three that she has, you know, the
amount of caps she has to her name, the fact
that she is just such a pivotal role in any
team she plays, and she's just gone to Australia and
the Swift seven lost a game because they've got grace
(01:11):
at the back, who's doing everything that a goal shooter,
you know, does. She can shoot. She's athletic. So initially
that what everyone seems to think is that there's a
rule with a netwhen he'sellen, is that you have to
have played one hundred caps. But there is no rule
that says that some media has picked up on it
and everyone else has run with it media media. So
(01:33):
in fact, it just happens to be the two that
got the exemption to play in the Australian League a
few years ago, Laura Langman and Maria Filal. They had
played one hundred caps, so I think maybe it just
got a little bit lost in translation there that you know. Yeah,
so the ruling is that you if you go to
Australia and play, you then cannot play for the Silver Ferns.
(01:55):
Now why has she gone? I kind of agree it's
a nothing year for netball in this country. Calm Games
is next year, so she'll want to probably look at
coming back next year if they haven't changed the rule
and given her exemption by the end one.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
If the common games are still going, sorry.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Netball is there. They are one of ten sports that
are going. So we do know that netball will be
in the comm game, so you know, it was a
year for her to do it. She wanted to go
and grow her game. We're best to do it than
up against the best defenders in the world. And that's
what the Sun Corpse Super League is. It is, you know,
touted as the best competition in the world. But New
(02:33):
Zealand need to have a good, strong look at that
rule because you know, without Grace we lose so much.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Will you look at the fact that you'll keep using
this term. It's because I love it to be it.
You need to see it and they want players like
that in the local league so the young athletes can
look to them and go yes. So does that affect
that at the bottom line or is it more likely
the younger players or the people who are aspiring to
greater heights see Grace playing for the Silver Funs and
(03:04):
go I want to be that.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, Well they don't. They want to that. This is
what we need. We need players out there being role
models for our young kids. And for Grace to be
playing in that silver Fern dress as well as she
plays is amazing for that next crop of players coming through.
So the risk is her going to Australia and playing
for the Swifts, is that she does not come back.
(03:25):
She goes over there and she goes why would I
want to leave? At the moment, we know she's loving
it over there. You know, it's a it's a it's
another level up from the competition here. It's very elite.
You know, week in week out they're getting coming up
against some big, big, big games, big big hustles. And
the risk is that she goes, well, actually I might
(03:46):
stay over here, hey, play for a couple of years
and be eligible for Australia. That is the risk, right,
And we don't want to write.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Any thing had come out of your mouth, but no,
you're right, it may indeed happen. But what about what
about parity? What about being fair? What about well, one
rule for her, one rule for others? How do they And.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
That's where it gets tricky. And I understand if you're
on the board at NITWO New Zealand, or you know
you work with a knit one New Zealand, they've got
to have some measures in place. But there's got to
be exception to the rules across in life. Like I think,
sometimes we're just two PC try and keep everybody happy.
It's well, actually, she's one of the world's best shooters,
so therefore one of the world's best shooters surely should be.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Able to get an exemption if you can run up
this hike. Exactly, it's not about how many tests you've played,
it's about how good you are, and we've seen that
with New Zealand rugby. That's getting a bit blurry. That
line too, isn't about how because they don't want to
lose the talent out of sheep we've lost at an MPC.
So that's why you look back to the AMS Premiership
and where that's going. Of no idea with broadcast rights
(04:51):
and the like as well, but a body blow or
an acceptable punch in the face.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Punch in the face.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Look, I think they need to have maybe just a
rule where you know, two to three players max. So
then that we're keeping most of our silver ferns back
here in New Zealand playing in the competition. They're visible
because you're right, you know, we don't want all our
top players to go to Australia or go to the UK,
so I get that. You know, Netwin New Zealand have
got to have some measurable rules around it, but you know,
(05:23):
maybe two to three players and allow them to go
with the exemption of being able to play for the fans.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Well, if you don't have the Ferns playing in the Premiership,
you're also going to water down the quality of that.
So you're defeating yourself again because all of the best
Ferns are going. Hey were to go and playing Aussie
it's a much better competition. So if you're limited to
two or three, you might be able to pull the
damage back. But what about the players themselves, how do
(05:51):
they feel about this?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, there were a few players that applied for the
right to go to Australia and a couple were denied,
so but I think the majority of them, you know,
we're happy to stay here. It's a pretty hard competition
to get into in someun court. You know, there's some
pretty good players over there, pretty good.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Do you remember we had the competition between Australia and
New Zealand or would you rather not remember?
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Rather, they are so I think a lot.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
You know, they'd probably only want to take a handful
of our silver fans because to be fair, you know,
they've got some pretty great players over there. So I
would say, you know, if we had three silver ferns
that would go over yes, they would get in, but
there's probably quite a lot that if they applied, Australia
might not.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I don't know whether they'd want them because they've got
such huge depth over there. You know, you look, we
compete pretty well over here in New Zealand when we
come up against Australia at that at that silver fern level,
but our depth under theneath is not as good as Australia.
It's a bigger country. They've got more players that play it.
They've got twenty million. It's a numbers game. But we
need to have our best silver ferns back here playing.
(07:01):
We need they need to be visible for that younger
generation coming through because there are so many sports now
competing against netball. You've got rugby, you've got sevens, you've
got basketball and a major threat.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, yeah, it's huge. Jenny Wiley CEO, she's into it right,
but she's saying, no, the board have got to make
that decision. How much sway do you think she has?
Could she lean on them?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
I think she's got she's got a lot of sway
and from what we're hearing is that I think it's
going to be sooner rather than later that the exemption
will be will be made for Grace to come back.
That's what we're hearing. So let's hope so because I
think that is that is the sensible decision.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
You look to other sports, and you look to cricket,
and they have been extraordinary in this space. Maybe some
people say they've gone a little too far, but they
have been very pragmatic about this. Look if we say no,
they're gone. So we've got to work something so too
far for netball to do something like that.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
It's also a numbers game. You look at rugby, they're
allowing these players to go off and have sabbatic calls.
But again, we don't have the big numbers in netball.
You know, game you've got twenty two, Netball you've got
you know, you've got under half of that. So we
just don't have the numbers to say yes, go and
and then perhaps come back. So we want to retain
as many as we as we can here with the
(08:20):
exception of a few and yeah, when you've got a
shoot her that shoots ninety percent of the goals in
any game, she plays in that is an exception to
the rule. I mean, we talk that we compare her
to Irene van Dyke. You know, Irene was and still
is one of our best goal shooters to have played
the game.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
She made it look simple. That was how hard can
that be? Look at what she does.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
But Grace at twenty three is playing just as good
as Irene was at the end of her career, so.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
She could surpass her now much further. Kids.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
That's the scary thing is that for her size, she's
extremely athletic. You know, she's she's strong, she holds, holds
very well. She's a good kid, she's smart. She's obviously
going to have to look after her body because she's
been hammered quite early on, and I'm sure she'll have
the wrap around support that will allow her to have
that longevity in the game.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
b from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Darcy Waldegrave
from News talks'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Let's talk some netball now the case of Grace and
we're joined u by Format, Silver Ferna and a Stanley.
Good evening, Good evening, Darcy.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
It's nice to be here.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
And it's wonderful to have you in studio with us
as well, especially considering what's going on in netball at
the moment. And this is something that has affected lots
of sports and different organizations have dealt with this eligibility,
I suppose you'd say in a different way. Of course,
the latest one are through Amelia and Echanasio. Not entirely
(00:43):
happy with what Netball New Zealand are doing with Grace Wicker.
Where do you stand on this?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Where do I stand on this? I think she should
be given an exemption. I think she will probably end
up being one of our best silver Ferns. Ever, the
fact at twenty three that she has, you know, the
amount of caps she has to her name, the fact
that she is just such a pivotal role in any
team she plays, and she's just gone to Australia and
the Swift seven lost a game because they've got grace
(01:11):
at the back, who's doing everything that a goal shooter,
you know, does. She can shoot. She's athletic. So initially
that what everyone seems to think is that there's a
rule with a netwhen he'sellen, is that you have to
have played one hundred caps. But there is no rule
that says that some media has picked up on it
and everyone else has run with it media media. So
(01:33):
in fact, it just happens to be the two that
got the exemption to play in the Australian League a
few years ago, Laura Langman and Maria Filal. They had
played one hundred caps, so I think maybe it just
got a little bit lost in translation there that you know. Yeah,
so the ruling is that you if you go to
Australia and play, you then cannot play for the Silver Ferns.
(01:55):
Now why has she gone? I kind of agree it's
a nothing year for netball in this country. Calm Games
is next year, so she'll want to probably look at
coming back next year if they haven't changed the rule
and given her exemption by the end one.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
If the common games are still going, sorry.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Netball is there. They are one of ten sports that
are going. So we do know that netball will be
in the comm game, so you know, it was a
year for her to do it. She wanted to go
and grow her game. We're best to do it than
up against the best defenders in the world. And that's
what the Sun Corpse Super League is. It is, you know,
touted as the best competition in the world. But New
(02:33):
Zealand need to have a good, strong look at that
rule because you know, without Grace we lose so much.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Will you look at the fact that you'll keep using
this term. It's because I love it to be it.
You need to see it and they want players like
that in the local league so the young athletes can
look to them and go yes. So does that affect
that at the bottom line or is it more likely
the younger players or the people who are aspiring to
greater heights see Grace playing for the Silver Funs and
(03:04):
go I want to be that.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
Yeah, Well they don't. They want to that. This is
what we need. We need players out there being role
models for our young kids. And for Grace to be
playing in that silver Fern dress as well as she
plays is amazing for that next crop of players coming through.
So the risk is her going to Australia and playing
for the Swifts, is that she does not come back.
(03:25):
She goes over there and she goes why would I
want to leave? At the moment, we know she's loving
it over there. You know, it's a it's a it's
another level up from the competition here. It's very elite.
You know, week in week out they're getting coming up
against some big, big, big games, big big hustles. And
the risk is that she goes, well, actually I might
(03:46):
stay over here, hey, play for a couple of years
and be eligible for Australia. That is the risk, right,
And we don't want to write.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Any thing had come out of your mouth, but no,
you're right, it may indeed happen. But what about what
about parity? What about being fair? What about well, one
rule for her, one rule for others? How do they And.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
That's where it gets tricky. And I understand if you're
on the board at NITWO New Zealand, or you know
you work with a knit one New Zealand, they've got
to have some measures in place. But there's got to
be exception to the rules across in life. Like I think,
sometimes we're just two PC try and keep everybody happy.
It's well, actually, she's one of the world's best shooters,
so therefore one of the world's best shooters surely should be.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Able to get an exemption if you can run up
this hike. Exactly, it's not about how many tests you've played,
it's about how good you are, and we've seen that
with New Zealand rugby. That's getting a bit blurry. That
line too, isn't about how because they don't want to
lose the talent out of sheep we've lost at an MPC.
So that's why you look back to the AMS Premiership
and where that's going. Of no idea with broadcast rights
(04:51):
and the like as well, but a body blow or
an acceptable punch in the face.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Punch in the face.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Look, I think they need to have maybe just a
rule where you know, two to three players max. So
then that we're keeping most of our silver ferns back
here in New Zealand playing in the competition. They're visible
because you're right, you know, we don't want all our
top players to go to Australia or go to the UK,
so I get that. You know, Netwin New Zealand have
got to have some measurable rules around it, but you know,
(05:23):
maybe two to three players and allow them to go
with the exemption of being able to play for the fans.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Well, if you don't have the Ferns playing in the Premiership,
you're also going to water down the quality of that.
So you're defeating yourself again because all of the best
Ferns are going. Hey were to go and playing Aussie
it's a much better competition. So if you're limited to
two or three, you might be able to pull the
damage back. But what about the players themselves, how do
(05:51):
they feel about this?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, there were a few players that applied for the
right to go to Australia and a couple were denied,
so but I think the majority of them, you know,
we're happy to stay here. It's a pretty hard competition
to get into in someun court. You know, there's some
pretty good players over there, pretty good.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Do you remember we had the competition between Australia and
New Zealand or would you rather not remember?
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Rather, they are so I think a lot.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
You know, they'd probably only want to take a handful
of our silver fans because to be fair, you know,
they've got some pretty great players over there. So I
would say, you know, if we had three silver ferns
that would go over yes, they would get in, but
there's probably quite a lot that if they applied, Australia
might not.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
I don't know whether they'd want them because they've got
such huge depth over there. You know, you look, we
compete pretty well over here in New Zealand when we
come up against Australia at that at that silver fern level,
but our depth under theneath is not as good as Australia.
It's a bigger country. They've got more players that play it.
They've got twenty million. It's a numbers game. But we
need to have our best silver ferns back here playing.
(07:01):
We need they need to be visible for that younger
generation coming through because there are so many sports now
competing against netball. You've got rugby, you've got sevens, you've
got basketball and a major threat.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, yeah, it's huge. Jenny Wiley CEO, she's into it right,
but she's saying, no, the board have got to make
that decision. How much sway do you think she has?
Could she lean on them?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
I think she's got she's got a lot of sway
and from what we're hearing is that I think it's
going to be sooner rather than later that the exemption
will be will be made for Grace to come back.
That's what we're hearing. So let's hope so because I
think that is that is the sensible decision.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
You look to other sports, and you look to cricket,
and they have been extraordinary in this space. Maybe some
people say they've gone a little too far, but they
have been very pragmatic about this. Look if we say no,
they're gone. So we've got to work something so too
far for netball to do something like that.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
It's also a numbers game. You look at rugby, they're
allowing these players to go off and have sabbatic calls.
But again, we don't have the big numbers in netball.
You know, game you've got twenty two, Netball you've got
you know, you've got under half of that. So we
just don't have the numbers to say yes, go and
and then perhaps come back. So we want to retain
as many as we as we can here with the
(08:20):
exception of a few and yeah, when you've got a
shoot her that shoots ninety percent of the goals in
any game, she plays in that is an exception to
the rule. I mean, we talk that we compare her
to Irene van Dyke. You know, Irene was and still
is one of our best goal shooters to have played
the game.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
She made it look simple. That was how hard can
that be? Look at what she does.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
But Grace at twenty three is playing just as good
as Irene was at the end of her career, so.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
She could surpass her now much further. Kids.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
That's the scary thing is that for her size, she's
extremely athletic. You know, she's she's strong, she holds, holds
very well. She's a good kid, she's smart. She's obviously
going to have to look after her body because she's
been hammered quite early on, and I'm sure she'll have
the wrap around support that will allow her to have
that longevity in the game.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
b from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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