Decision to go paying off for Dunn

Aliyah Dunn of the Pulse. Photo: Getty Images
Aliyah Dunn of the Pulse. Photo: Getty Images

Aliyah Dunn did not get away - she left.

The 18-year-old shooter is having a quite extraordinary rookie season in the ANZ Premiership.

The Southlander is the tournament's leading shooter and is flourishing having moved north to join the Pulse this year.

The time she is spending with Pulse specialist coach Irene van Dyk is certainly time well spent. The unflappable teenager has been popping in goals at an average of 37.44 per match and has helped her side build a healthy lead at the top of the competition standings.

While her form might have taken the public by surprise, her talent was plainly obvious to the franchises.

There were four teams clamouring for her signature this season, including the Steel which has been coping a bit of flak around the watercooler lately for not doing enough to keep the New Zealand under-21 representative.

But Dunn was able to help ease the Steel's burden. She wanted to leave.

''There was a lot behind the decision,'' Dunn said.

''But I think it was for the best. I wanted to experience life outside of Invercargill and living away from home.''

The opportunity to inflict some experimental mince dishes on a flatmate was a bonus. But a major attraction was the chance to work with Silver Ferns great van Dyk.

''That was definitely one of the big reasons as well as working with the amount of amazing [former international] players on the coaching staff. I just wanted to learn as much from them as I could.''

The Pulse is spoiled with Waimarama Taumaunu and Sandra Edge part of a talented coaching team led by Yvette McCausland-Durie.

Dunn was also able to reunite with fellow New Zealand under-21 players Tiana Metuarau and Mila Reuelu-Buchanan.

Her combination with Metuarau in the shooting circle has been a revelation and no doubt has increased her worth when her one-year deal comes to an end.

The former Verdon College pupil played for Netball South in the Beko League last season and acted as injury cover for the Steel.

She has not ruled out returning south to play for the Steel.

''Maybe at some stage I will but I'm just not sure at the moment what is happening next year.''

It seems unlikely she will return any time soon giving how well the season is going and how quickly her game has developed at the Pulse.

Dunn's passion growing up was actually basketball. It was not until ''year 12 or 13'' that she started taking netball seriously, so playing for the Steel might not have the hold over her as some of her southern-based fans would like to think.

It is unclear how much opportunity she would have got had she signed with the Steel considering the franchise appeared to rank Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Jennifer O'Connell ahead of her. And it is not the worst result for New Zealand netball to have one of the country's leading young shooters honing her craft alongside van Dyk.

It is a recipe which is working well so far.

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