A list of past captains reads like something of a who's who in New Zealand netball -- since 1988, each under-21 captain barring one has gone on to captain the Silver Ferns. Ana Noovao, Julie Seymour, Bernice Mene, Adine Wilson -- all have delivered on youthful promise and developed into outstanding netballers and leaders.
Laura Langman, who captained the under-21s to victory at the 2005 world youth championships, has already racked up 41 caps for New Zealand since making her debut four years ago. Still only 23, she already plays an important leadership role in the Silver Ferns, and is earmarked as a player capable of taking on the captainbs role in the future.
Griffin, who turned 21 last month, has been in the Silver Ferns for the past two years. Although she has received limited court time while coach Ruth Aitken has carefully managed her development, Griffin's game at goal shoot and goal attack has matured and in this year's trans-Tasman league she showed impressive coolness and tactical nous at the always-pressured Central Pulse.
The importance of her season with the Pulse, who recorded their first win in two seasons of the league in the penultimate round of the competition, is obvious.
After making the move south from the Northern Mystics in search of more court time, Griffin said she improved and learnt with every game -- even if some of the lessons were on the wrong end of some painfully big losses.
"I've learnt so much this year, way more than before," Griffin told NZPA ahead of the team's departure for Rarotonga on Thursday. "It's just amazing how much court time can do. Situations develop out on court, and you can't learn from them if you're on the bench.
"I've learnt so much just playing every single game, and playing with new players and against new players." Her time with trans-Tasman championship tailenders the Pulse has had another unforeseen bonus.
"Being out on court with the Pulse this year has helped me to get my mouth moving. When things are difficult, people need to talk, and coming from the Pulse, it's been good to step into that and have a bit of a leadership role," Griffin said.
Still getting a handle on the captain's duties, and her approach to the role, Griffin said she has spent some time watching other captains and learning from them. Among her influences, she mentions former Silver Ferns Jenny-May Coffin and Adine Wilson, and the Pulse's captain this season, the forthright Cushla Lichtwark.
"Actions have a lot to do with it, but that means things you do off-court as well as on-court. I guess it's about being a role model, always being positive and finishing off by just showing it out on court, putting heart and soul into it."
Another Griffin has been watching closely has been evergreen Australian goal attack Sharelle McMahon, a player she admires and looks to as she tries to improve her game in that position.
"I still really want to improve my goal attack game. I've played goal shoot for quite some time, but I've never really played goal attack at that high standard where it's a lot to do with court craft and how you move the ball and balance the court.
"Sharelle's a good example of that -- she's an amazing player. She moves the ball so well, she's always open, drives well and is always there for her team." Although Griffin mentions the dangers posed by England and Jamaica as New Zealand begin the defence of their title next week with a match against minnows Barbodos on August 11, it's obvious that the old enemy, Australia, will be the ones to beat.
Led by experienced midcourter Madison Browne, the Australians have a swathe of trans-Tasman league-hardened players including Browne's West Coast Fever teammates Caitlin Bassett and Shae Bolton, but Griffin is confident her players have what it takes to win.
"Australia are going to be pretty strong, but we've got a lot of flair in our team and if we stick to what we're good at, using the zones and working the ball, we'll be fine."
