Morrison was part of a fabulous era in Otago netball.
Between the Otago Rebels and the Otago team that year, more or less the same group of players won 22 consecutive games to win the Coca-Cola Cup and the Caltex Cup.
Morrison (nee Steed) played international netball for both England and New Zealand but remembers that year very fondly. Members of the team are still close 14 years on and were excitedly texting each other yesterday as their contemporaries tussled with Waikato during the final in Tauranga.
"I texted Annie [Anna Rowberry], Bill [Belinda Colling] and Katie [Fay] to tell them we were playing in the final and they texted back straight away saying 'That's so exciting'," Morrison said.
"We are still all very good mates today. It was an awesome feeling winning that competition because we had not won it [outright - Otago shared the title with Canterbury in 1961] since 1932."
The 60-54 win against Wellington was celebrated long into the night but some of the finer details now escape Morrison's memory.
She does recall Dame Lois Muir was actually the Wellington coach and young Jodi Brown (Te Huna) anchored the attack end. Brown was named Otago captain this season but had to pull out when she was recalled to the Silver Ferns.
"It was a pretty awesome final but I can't actually remember it that much, to be honest."
Let the record show Steed, as she was then, scored 44 goals from 56 attempts. Colling came off the bench, replacing Adine Harper, and scored 14 from 19 to help seal the win.
Lesley Nicol starred in a midcourt which featured Rowberry, Victoria Edward, and Belinda Blair and Fay formed a formidable defensive duo. Of the starting seven, Fay was the only athlete not to play international netball.
Quite simply, the Otago team was world-class that year but Morrison believes the current Otago team is pretty special as well.
"There are definitely a few names in the squad I can see going all the way," Morrison said.
"It is so exciting for Otago. We've won the under-21s two years in a row and now we've won the nationals, which is just awesome."
Morrison last played for Otago in 2009 and works for Otago Netball as the game development officer.
