The Southern Blast is set to finally return to Dunedin.
It has been two years since the National Netball League side — a feeder team to the Southern Steel — last played at the Edgar Centre.
No league games were played last year because of Covid-19, while the team has played in Invercargill and around the country this season.
Four games into the 2021 season, the Blast has claimed two wins. It remains a chance of making the final, but will likely need to win the remainder of its games to do so.
The first of those will be against Mainland at the Edgar Centre tonight, starting at 7.05pm.
Matches against Waikato Bay of Plenty and the Northern Marvels will follow in Dunedin the next two weekends, before the team finishes its campaign against Mainland in Christchurch.
The squad was a relatively new one — eight of its 16 players had not played at this level before.
Head coach Jo Morrison said the team was building well within that.
"I think we’re tracking really well.
"We’ve got a really young side, lots of new faces.
"So there were players that were in the team last year but we didn’t play.
"So it definitely is a whole new season this year.
"But we’ve been building really well each week.
"[We’re] just looking to keep building and keep that consistency for the whole 60 minutes."
Alongside the youth, the Blast was able to call on the experience of the lower-end Steel players.
Shooter Kiana Pelasio and defender Sarahpheinna Woulf had both been turning out for the side.
That helped expose the younger players to a higher level, while ensuring the Steel duo got some game time.
It also boasts the likes of Grace Namana, Georgia White and Laura Overton, who have all been around the Steel set up this year.
"I think that’s exactly what the NNL’s about.
"It’s great to give opportunities both ways.
"For Kiana, Sarahpheinna or whoever to get regular game time if they’re not getting it at the ANZ Premiership level, you don’t want to be sitting on the bench for 16 weeks.
"Then it’s great for the players in the NNL squad to understand and work at that next level of intensity. That’s what those girls bring to the group.
"They’ve been fantastic in that space."
