Former Silver Ferns Leana de Bruin, 48, and Casey Kopua, 40, came out of retirement last weekend as injury replacements for the Northern Stars v Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic clash.
Others ex-players, including former Adelaide Thunderbirds defender Kate Walsh, who has signed as a replacement for the Stars, and netballer-turned-rugby player Grace Kukutai, have suited up this season.
It has sparked an outcry with some fans loving seeing the ex-players, while others questioned the depth in the sport.
The Otago Daily Times put questions to NNZ this week, including asking if retired players returning blocked opportunities for the next generation and what message their involvement sent to training partners/NNL players; if it raised concerns about player depth; and if there would be a review of the rules post season regarding retired players filling injury gaps.
NNZ responded with a statement.
‘‘Netball New Zealand is committed to clear development pathways for players across the game,’’ the statement said.
‘‘Selection decisions in the ANZ Premiership sit with individual franchises.
‘‘Their goal is to win the ANZ Premiership, and selection decisions are theirs to make. The current regulations allow for the return of former players, and teams are operating within those rules.
‘‘We also see real value in developing athletes being able to train and compete alongside experienced, high-calibre players. Exposure to that level of performance, preparation and professionalism plays an important role in accelerating development.’’
Stars coach Temepara Bailey told the New Zealand Herald every franchise faced different scenerios in bringing through younger talent.
She said they needed to have experienced players around them to be successful.
‘‘There’s age and stage through this process. We do have young ones coming through and have included them in our Stars environment. So you’ll see the benefits of that in probably the next two or three years, where they will be ready and available at the ANZ level.’’
Magic coach MJ Araroa declined to comment, but team relationship manager Gary Dawson issued a statement, the Herald reported.
‘‘The decision to bring Casey Kopua in as an interim player was made by the coaching staff based on their assessment of what the team needed at that point in time.
‘‘Coaching decisions around player selection are made with full knowledge of the squad and what each player brings. We fully support our developing players and remain committed to their growth within the programme.’’
