July 27, 2024 • 9 mins
The Northern Mystics travel to Christchurch to take on the Mainland Tactix in the ANZ Premiership elimination final for a chance to play the Pulse for the title. Mystics goal shoot Grace Nweke joins Piney to preview the match.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
In the A and Z Premiership Netball season elimination final
this afternoon Tactics v. Mystics in christ Church from four o'clock.
Full commentary on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Malcolm Jordan and
Yvonne Willering have the call for you the winner, we'll
go on to play the Pulse in next weekend's Grand
Final and Wellington and just on that game, that game
(00:33):
sold out in two minutes. Tickets for that game, the
A Z Premiership Final Pulse against one of the Tactics
or the Mystics. Two minutes it took to sell those
tickets out. Terrific stuff. Let's bring in first of all
Mystics Shooter Grace. Weke Grace. You're defending champions, of course,
how motivated are you to try and get back to
another grand final and go back to back in the
(00:56):
am Z Premiership.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Really motivated. They're very play this game and we kind
of momentum with our group and we know we've known
since that Wasston Magic Couples to go that we had
to win every game to make it through to the
Hogs are going back to back, and so we're really
can't for today and really are good to keep going.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
What's been behind the excellent recent run, the you know,
the momentum you've built and the string of victories that
has got you into this position.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Yeah, I think it's kind a few factors we've always known.
We really value well bench, We believe we have a
strong tend ten or eleven to post as one in heaven.
Having our full team back how we has been matter
for us. Training really hard week and week out with
a really strong training environment. So the belief has really
been there from the start of in our group and
just kind of setting the ship during the struggles and
(01:46):
turbulent succeeds and has been so important for us to
be able to come up the other end feeling really
I guess the juvenated and reed to keep pushing on
to the finals.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Well, some of that disruption has been around you personally, obviously,
with the knee injury you picked up. Tell us about
the rehab and the recovery you went through in May
and June for the knee injury you picked up at
the back end of April.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, that injury was really unfortunate. I was feeling really
good throughout coming back to con through Concus and international,
it's seeing good in pre season, and so it was
a bit of a painful blow to get hit that
with a knee injury again and saying the kind of
same issue, so we kind of knew we had to
do again. It was ver exe months of the World
Cup injury, and so rehab took a little bit longer
(02:28):
than we thought. I think I kind of play it
down in my head and was kind of was hard
actually to be sitting out of the season for that
long during that really key middle part. But we have
an amazing team of videos ANDFNCY and staff across lists
and to looker into as a massive and supporting Maericans play.
So I'm very lucky to have them to help me
get that.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Separately, so did having the same injury or effectively the
same injury at the World Cup last year and having
to rehab from it again this year did that help?
Did you? Did you know what the milestones were, for example,
on the way to a full recovery.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Yeah, it's definitely in four next steps. I think having
had that similar injury, it was quite different. This injury
was a little bit less to there, and you know,
we've done the rehab, so we kind of knew what
I should be hitting leg crestinks worlit while. So it
was cool to be able to know what to tack.
But it also kind of played in my mind of
it because you kind of it's at there, we did
everything right last time, and I've still reinjured, or you
(03:20):
do everything right and you still you might not feel
the same, and so it's a bit of and I
guess that's like atical warfare sometimes with these kind of things.
But just again, great stuff and really happy to be
back so soon.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, I don't want to just talk about the injury,
but just one more question on it in terms of
in terms of being patient around your return, because I
guess you just want to get back out there, right.
I would imagine that's how you feel. How hard is
it to be to be patient but also to be
deeply motivated to get back out there as soon as possible.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah. Absolutely, it's a bit of give and take with
that kind of stuff. Like for me, I was really
really itching to get her out. Then I found it
really hard to be on the side. And it's usually
watching the girls, you know, off a few games and
have some hard times, but in the back of my mind,
I know that it's a bigger picture. I know that
I want to be able to play that back in
the season. That's what I'm conning for. I know that
it's international duty this year, there, the next season and
(04:09):
the rest of my career, which I hope will be
long in injury free. And if I rushed myself back
and end up doing a serious injury or crying surgery,
or end up just keep continually re injuring the same
injury and being out for eight to twelve weeks every
couple of tours or campaigns, and I'm no good to anyone,
And so it was really, I guess, just taking that
time to really reassess and believe in what we're doing
(04:30):
and just have time to.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Get better outstanding. Well, you returned in around twelve four
games back, four wins, and in each of them the
team has scored sixty plus points. How much have you
enjoyed returning and making an impact.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
I loved it. I've loved it. Being injured really kind
of changed bit bit, and so I'm just really enjoying
it well at the moment, loving playing for the minister
something being on court and just being part of the
team with girls I've known for a long time, so
during those wins with them, for the group, we have
a particularly.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Special How much do you embrace the responsibility of being
the main source of points for the teams that you
play in.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, I'm beginning to relish it. I think I feel
that that is my job and it's my strength, and
so I'm enjoying, you know, my role there, and i
love putting the goals up. I'm a bit greedy, if anything,
so sometimes we make jokes not being but as a
ball hoog, and you know, we have some great goals
tacks who can play the ball as well, so I
think I'm willing to share that responsibility as anything. We've
got some really strong skid and unque here, so anyone
(05:27):
can do the job.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
A lot of teams, though, have a fairly simple defensive
strategy when they play the mystics, and that is basically
stop grace. How do you deal with the attention you
inevitably get in the shooting circle.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, I think I kind of learned over the years
to take it in my stride. One of my coaches
help for me a lot of time that you know
in play that quite physical or argue with dirty next
to me, that is kind of like a sound of
respect that that's all they've got to give me. And
so I've kind of I've had to work a lot,
you know, mental skilled lives to take the hits and
not take it personally and really get things go reset
(06:01):
myself every quarter. Otherwise you still do start to build
up a bit of frustration anger, and that's been a
cheap shot undern or a bad take which ends up
being an offensive contact in a turnover. And so yeah,
it's it's been really hard sometimes because people when it's persistent,
always dangerous. But that's just part of the game and goalt,
especially with my style, so I'm really willing to just
embrace it. And you've got to keep you in me
(06:22):
to keep performing well in those moments.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That's such an interesting situation for you to be in though,
right because I got to imagine that you would be
getting that there would be the potential to get frustrated
when you're targeted, you know, illegally, maybe things aren't getting
called against you. Has it been hard to keep a
cool head on occasion?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Absolutely? Cool cool head? I don't know there's anything to
gain from loving my head, and the umpire is never
going to reverse the call. So wherever is made is made.
And I think I think I've learned this year that
speaking out about what Tends are doing is not going
to help me either. And so yeah, the defense to
do their thing I can do mine is we really
(07:01):
have to devisee above and let it go so we
can laugh about it in the shed. So I would
getting grumpy on court, but it's really not worth It's great.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I guess Tactics have had a good season. You're on
their home patch, of course, this afternoon. How do you
assess the threat that they pose for you today?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
You know they're at home by carpets. We're not go home.
They have been leading the whole season and they you know,
having a great team, and so they'll be looking to
win this like we are. And I think we I
think we know as a group that we can take
this game. And they're gonna throw out all the stops
and make the prey changes possible in their attacking the
(07:39):
unit as well as effectively. You know, they've got a
very strong defense. But we feel very confident what we've
got and I think we want more, and so I
think that will happens a lot tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
All right, can't wait to see how it plays out
just before you go. As netball innovates this concept of
a super shot, a two point shot gets discussed a lot.
I know a lot of your goals are from right
under the hoop, and you know obviously you know, But
would you be a fan of the of the two
point shot in the a m Z Premiership.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yes, interesting question, I think especially it's something that we
need to think about. I'd love to see the three
point shot an angel. I think it would changing up
a bit, even if it is in the last quarter
or last five minutes of the game. I don't know
how that was implemented, but it would both me to
have to go in my game. I'd have to learn
how to shoot well or look for my goal packs
in those moments. And I think it really keeps again.
(08:26):
It's funny, you know, you watch the men's series and
our ZPMs can come back at any moment because those
two points have really changed the score larger than against
pass before. So I think it's exciting and I think
netfore you have to keep looking at the end of
that you know, we have to keep the sports out
of and want to keep people coming to play our game.
So of course there has given take with going back
to the you know, doing it goal for international, but
(08:47):
I think it's an opportunity to get more eyes on
aim D would be to change that shooting kind of boundary.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, we'll see where that goes. The first point of
business for you guys is the safternoons elimination final. All
the best, Grace, thanks for taking the time for a chat.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, thanks so much for very time.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
No, thank you for yours. Grace saw the best this afternoon,
Grace Wake get out of the Northern Mystic's in charge
of stopping her, or certainly partially anyway is Tactics defender
Karen Berger. So how they feeling as they look to
host this game and get another crack at the Central Polse?
Who remember a week ago they played effectively what was
a straight shootout for hosting rights for the Grand Final.
(09:26):
The Polse won that game and we'll host the grand final.
The Tactics now have to go the other way through
the elimination final. How they feeling. Karen Berger's on the
show right after this.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport Podcast with Jason Vine
from News Talk ZB.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
In the A and Z Premiership Netball season elimination final
this afternoon Tactics v. Mystics in christ Church from four o'clock.
Full commentary on Gold Sport and iHeartRadio. Malcolm Jordan and
Yvonne Willering have the call for you the winner, we'll
go on to play the Pulse in next weekend's Grand
Final and Wellington and just on that game, that game
(00:33):
sold out in two minutes. Tickets for that game, the
A Z Premiership Final Pulse against one of the Tactics
or the Mystics. Two minutes it took to sell those
tickets out. Terrific stuff. Let's bring in first of all
Mystics Shooter Grace. Weke Grace. You're defending champions, of course,
how motivated are you to try and get back to
another grand final and go back to back in the
(00:56):
am Z Premiership.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Really motivated. They're very play this game and we kind
of momentum with our group and we know we've known
since that Wasston Magic Couples to go that we had
to win every game to make it through to the
Hogs are going back to back, and so we're really
can't for today and really are good to keep going.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
What's been behind the excellent recent run, the you know,
the momentum you've built and the string of victories that
has got you into this position.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
Yeah, I think it's kind a few factors we've always known.
We really value well bench, We believe we have a
strong tend ten or eleven to post as one in heaven.
Having our full team back how we has been matter
for us. Training really hard week and week out with
a really strong training environment. So the belief has really
been there from the start of in our group and
just kind of setting the ship during the struggles and
(01:46):
turbulent succeeds and has been so important for us to
be able to come up the other end feeling really
I guess the juvenated and reed to keep pushing on
to the finals.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Well, some of that disruption has been around you personally, obviously,
with the knee injury you picked up. Tell us about
the rehab and the recovery you went through in May
and June for the knee injury you picked up at
the back end of April.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Yeah, that injury was really unfortunate. I was feeling really
good throughout coming back to con through Concus and international,
it's seeing good in pre season, and so it was
a bit of a painful blow to get hit that
with a knee injury again and saying the kind of
same issue, so we kind of knew we had to
do again. It was ver exe months of the World
Cup injury, and so rehab took a little bit longer
(02:28):
than we thought. I think I kind of play it
down in my head and was kind of was hard
actually to be sitting out of the season for that
long during that really key middle part. But we have
an amazing team of videos ANDFNCY and staff across lists
and to looker into as a massive and supporting Maericans play.
So I'm very lucky to have them to help me
get that.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Separately, so did having the same injury or effectively the
same injury at the World Cup last year and having
to rehab from it again this year did that help?
Did you? Did you know what the milestones were, for example,
on the way to a full recovery.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Yeah, it's definitely in four next steps. I think having
had that similar injury, it was quite different. This injury
was a little bit less to there, and you know,
we've done the rehab, so we kind of knew what
I should be hitting leg crestinks worlit while. So it
was cool to be able to know what to tack.
But it also kind of played in my mind of
it because you kind of it's at there, we did
everything right last time, and I've still reinjured, or you
(03:20):
do everything right and you still you might not feel
the same, and so it's a bit of and I
guess that's like atical warfare sometimes with these kind of things.
But just again, great stuff and really happy to be
back so soon.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yeah, I don't want to just talk about the injury,
but just one more question on it in terms of
in terms of being patient around your return, because I
guess you just want to get back out there, right.
I would imagine that's how you feel. How hard is
it to be to be patient but also to be
deeply motivated to get back out there as soon as possible.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Yeah. Absolutely, it's a bit of give and take with
that kind of stuff. Like for me, I was really
really itching to get her out. Then I found it
really hard to be on the side. And it's usually
watching the girls, you know, off a few games and
have some hard times, but in the back of my mind,
I know that it's a bigger picture. I know that
I want to be able to play that back in
the season. That's what I'm conning for. I know that
it's international duty this year, there, the next season and
(04:09):
the rest of my career, which I hope will be
long in injury free. And if I rushed myself back
and end up doing a serious injury or crying surgery,
or end up just keep continually re injuring the same
injury and being out for eight to twelve weeks every
couple of tours or campaigns, and I'm no good to anyone,
And so it was really, I guess, just taking that
time to really reassess and believe in what we're doing
(04:30):
and just have time to.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Get better outstanding. Well, you returned in around twelve four
games back, four wins, and in each of them the
team has scored sixty plus points. How much have you
enjoyed returning and making an impact.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
I loved it. I've loved it. Being injured really kind
of changed bit bit, and so I'm just really enjoying
it well at the moment, loving playing for the minister
something being on court and just being part of the
team with girls I've known for a long time, so
during those wins with them, for the group, we have
a particularly.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Special How much do you embrace the responsibility of being
the main source of points for the teams that you
play in.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
Yeah, I'm beginning to relish it. I think I feel
that that is my job and it's my strength, and
so I'm enjoying, you know, my role there, and i
love putting the goals up. I'm a bit greedy, if anything,
so sometimes we make jokes not being but as a
ball hoog, and you know, we have some great goals
tacks who can play the ball as well, so I
think I'm willing to share that responsibility as anything. We've
got some really strong skid and unque here, so anyone
(05:27):
can do the job.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
A lot of teams, though, have a fairly simple defensive
strategy when they play the mystics, and that is basically
stop grace. How do you deal with the attention you
inevitably get in the shooting circle.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, I think I kind of learned over the years
to take it in my stride. One of my coaches
help for me a lot of time that you know
in play that quite physical or argue with dirty next
to me, that is kind of like a sound of
respect that that's all they've got to give me. And
so I've kind of I've had to work a lot,
you know, mental skilled lives to take the hits and
not take it personally and really get things go reset
(06:01):
myself every quarter. Otherwise you still do start to build
up a bit of frustration anger, and that's been a
cheap shot undern or a bad take which ends up
being an offensive contact in a turnover. And so yeah,
it's it's been really hard sometimes because people when it's persistent,
always dangerous. But that's just part of the game and goalt,
especially with my style, so I'm really willing to just
embrace it. And you've got to keep you in me
(06:22):
to keep performing well in those moments.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
That's such an interesting situation for you to be in though,
right because I got to imagine that you would be
getting that there would be the potential to get frustrated
when you're targeted, you know, illegally, maybe things aren't getting
called against you. Has it been hard to keep a
cool head on occasion?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Absolutely? Cool cool head? I don't know there's anything to
gain from loving my head, and the umpire is never
going to reverse the call. So wherever is made is made.
And I think I think I've learned this year that
speaking out about what Tends are doing is not going
to help me either. And so yeah, the defense to
do their thing I can do mine is we really
(07:01):
have to devisee above and let it go so we
can laugh about it in the shed. So I would
getting grumpy on court, but it's really not worth It's great.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
I guess Tactics have had a good season. You're on
their home patch, of course, this afternoon. How do you
assess the threat that they pose for you today?
Speaker 3 (07:18):
You know they're at home by carpets. We're not go home.
They have been leading the whole season and they you know,
having a great team, and so they'll be looking to
win this like we are. And I think we I
think we know as a group that we can take
this game. And they're gonna throw out all the stops
and make the prey changes possible in their attacking the
(07:39):
unit as well as effectively. You know, they've got a
very strong defense. But we feel very confident what we've
got and I think we want more, and so I
think that will happens a lot tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
All right, can't wait to see how it plays out
just before you go. As netball innovates this concept of
a super shot, a two point shot gets discussed a lot.
I know a lot of your goals are from right
under the hoop, and you know obviously you know, But
would you be a fan of the of the two
point shot in the a m Z Premiership.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yes, interesting question, I think especially it's something that we
need to think about. I'd love to see the three
point shot an angel. I think it would changing up
a bit, even if it is in the last quarter
or last five minutes of the game. I don't know
how that was implemented, but it would both me to
have to go in my game. I'd have to learn
how to shoot well or look for my goal packs
in those moments. And I think it really keeps again.
(08:26):
It's funny, you know, you watch the men's series and
our ZPMs can come back at any moment because those
two points have really changed the score larger than against
pass before. So I think it's exciting and I think
netfore you have to keep looking at the end of
that you know, we have to keep the sports out
of and want to keep people coming to play our game.
So of course there has given take with going back
to the you know, doing it goal for international, but
(08:47):
I think it's an opportunity to get more eyes on
aim D would be to change that shooting kind of boundary.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Yeah, we'll see where that goes. The first point of
business for you guys is the safternoons elimination final. All
the best, Grace, thanks for taking the time for a chat.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, thanks so much for very time.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
No, thank you for yours. Grace saw the best this afternoon,
Grace Wake get out of the Northern Mystic's in charge
of stopping her, or certainly partially anyway is Tactics defender
Karen Berger. So how they feeling as they look to
host this game and get another crack at the Central Polse?
Who remember a week ago they played effectively what was
a straight shootout for hosting rights for the Grand Final.
(09:26):
The Polse won that game and we'll host the grand final.
The Tactics now have to go the other way through
the elimination final. How they feeling. Karen Berger's on the
show right after this.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine. Listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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