Wilson upbeat at first Silver Ferns camp

Australian netball great Vicki Wilson is relishing her first camp as Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu's assistant.

Australian netball legend Vicki Wilson is slotting into her job as Silver Ferns assistant coach as comfortably as she wears her new black tracksuit.

The former champion shooter, who signed on in May to join coach Waimarama Taumaunu's team, is in Auckland this week for her first New Zealand camp.

"It's been terrific," she said on Wednesday.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed being back out on court with the calibre of athletes we're dealing with."

She says she and Taumaunu, opponents during their Test days, have similar views on New Zealand's approach to retaining the Commonwealth title in Glasgow next year.

"We're very much on the same page as to what we need to do to win in the Commonwealth Games," she said.

Queensland-based Wilson sees her role as adding her tactical knowledge to the Silver Ferns mix, particularly on attack.

"That's why it's great to be able to watch the girls under pressure in this environment and see what what they can produce - the space they find, their ability to work as as a unit," she said.

"You can't beat the best seat in the house."

Wilson's contract with Netball New Zealand runs through to the 2015 world championship in Sydney.

The Silver Ferns' most immediate assignment is their defence of the Constellation Cup, with the five-Test series against the Diamonds beginning in Invercargill on September 15.

Wilson collected 104 caps between 1985 and 1999, and won three world titles and a Commonwealth Games gold medal, before going on to coach the Queensland Firebirds.

She admits she's not sure what her emotions will be when Advance Australia Fair begins to ring out in Stadium Southland.

"I suppose I'll have to wait and see on that one."

But she's adamant about where her allegiances lie over the next two years.

"When I decided this was for me, I was very comfortable with that decision," she said.

"I still am. This is very much my team and I'm working very hard to achieve the goals of the Silver Ferns."


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world