Nat Medhurst and the Jamaican connection

It was recently suggested to Nat Medhurst that she be made an honorary Jamaican, given that no other goal attack has provided such impeccable service to the current trio of Super Netball shooters produced by the Caribbean in a way that fearsome fast bowlers once were.

Honorary Jamaican? Natalie MedhurstCredit:AAP

What started, in many respects, with the enduring Romelda Aiken (and an honourable mention here to former Thunderbird Carla Borrego), extended in 2017 to current league MVP Jhaniele Fowler. The tradition continues with Medhurst’s latest partner, 195-centimetre Magpies recruit Shimona Nelson.

In the first game of her second season, 20-year-old Nelson scored 46 goals in the Pies’ 57-43 defeat of the defending champions, Sunshine Coast Lightning. Helping to set things up out front was Medhurst, the 35-year-old triple world champion surprisingly axed by the West Coast Fever at the end of 2018.

At the time, Collingwood were looking – still/again – to plug their gaping hole at goal attack, this time to supply and tutor Nelson, a former basketballer who spent her rookie year with Adelaide. In Medhurst, who was contemplating retirement, coach Rob Wright saw a clever veteran with vast experience of the Jamaican way.

“I’ve ‘done’ the three of them now,’’ laughs Medhurst of her history with Aiken, Fowler and now Nelson.

“I’m certainly not the most athletic player out there, but I think I’m able to use my smarts, in terms of whether it’s setting up myself or the other shooter, and I certainly think I’ve got a pretty good knack of being able to feed that type of player and being able to set them up nicely.

“Shimona’s incredibly exciting. You sort of have to remind yourself that she’s literally played one season and one game, so she’s very, very raw. She is incredibly athletic, so she’s great in the air and she will continue to develop her understanding of how to use her body strength and setting up really strong holds. She can move as well, and her balls skills, early on, are really quite impressive.

“She’s an absolute sponge, she just wants to learn, and Saturday’s game was the first win for her – having come from the Thunderbirds, who went through the season without a win. So that is something to get pretty excited about and build confidence on, and when she is confident and she is up and about, she’s incredibly hard to stop.’’

Keen to learn: Magpies recruit Shimona Nelson.Credit:AAP

Nelson’s size should also be an advantage today against the Queensland Firebirds’ circle defence in the first Super Netball game at Brisbane’s new 5000-seat state netball centre.

The Firebirds lost their opener to the Melbourne Vixens 73-61, with Aiken finishing on the bench and the frustrations of her shooting partner, Gretel Tippett, apparent as the visitors failed to capitalise on an 8-1 opening burst.

For their part, the Magpies were exceptional defensively in holding the Lightning to their lowest score ever, with Geva Mentor primed for her umpteenth duel with Aiken, and April Brandley to shadow Tippett, her dangerous Diamonds teammate.

“They are the most successful netball club over the last eight or so years,’’ said Medhurst, a Firebird from 2010-13, and MVP in the 2011 premiership year. “The biggest thing obviously is everyone knows their scoring power and you really need to try and nullify that.

“You look at their defence end and obviously with ‘Geitzy’ gone, she was a real general there, but youth can be very dangerous and it’s going to be a huge match-up.

‘‘They lost on the weekend, so they’ll be wanting to get a win on their home court, and at a new stadium as well.’’

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