A new baby and a still-ineligible Australian have prevented Southern Steel coach Robyn Broughton having all her players in camp this weekend.
Ten of the Steel players have gathered with Broughton and assistant coach Marg Foster in Invercargill for their first small steps in the 2009 ANZ Championship campaign.
Absent - with leave - is new mother Donna Wilkins, who celebrated the birth of her first child, son Cooper Michael Wilkins, in Invercargill six days ago. Wilkins and baby were happy and healthy, Broughton said.
Shooter Wilkins, such an experienced and valuable addition to the Steel, hopes to return to the court in February.
Less pleasing for Broughton is the drawn-out saga of naming the 12th member of her squad.
The Steel hoped to bring back Australian shooter Megan Dehn but her selection was blocked by Netball New Zealand, which said Dehn's inclusion would prevent a local player getting an opportunity.
A second application to select an Australian player, believed to be former New South Wales Swifts attacker Leah Shoard, was also denied. The Steel has since appealed.
"We haven't been allowed our 12th yet, which is frustrating," Broughton told the Otago Daily Times yesterday. We need someone with a bit of experience. They're saying we can't block someone's pathway but to be fair, if you look over the years, I've always had young ones in my team.
"I really wanted Megan back because she was really popular and she added something to the team."
Broughton said she had no idea when the issue would be sorted.
"It's really frustrating because I would have liked to have had everybody here this weekend."
The Steel is holding a low-key camp with the emphasis on sorting out some administrative issues and getting the players together for some preliminary planning.
