The Thunderbirds Head Back to the Drawing Board

Coach Ryan and Erin Bell lead the charge in rebuilding the club with established vets

Once the sun had set on the ANZ Championship, the Adelaide Thunderbirds — coming off an ragged season under former coach Michelle Den Dekker — went straight to the drawing board, having lost interim coach Keppich-Birrell to the Magpies and its young stars to the league’s new expansion clubs.

There was a collective sigh from Adelaide fans as the team tried to pick up the pieces. The team lost both youth and experience, and the Thunderbirds opted to try and bag experienced veterans looking for an out at their old club. The result is squad that is a mixed bag of promising up and comers and established players wanting a fresh start.

You get the sense that Erin Bell — who re-signed for a year — is trying her utmost to prove herself a viable captain despite the ugly circumstances of last year. Rare it is to see the captain benched at all, but then coach Den Dekker decided to do it due to Bell’s lack of form. With the telling sign of team and coach chemistry coming after Den Dekker’s departure when Bell and her Thunderbirds saw an uptick in form.

Bell’s shooting stroke might be the cleanest and smoothest in the league, only marred by her shot selection and height from time to time. Yet, having a taller shooter to open up space under the post should see her look for more opportunities to pass for the better percentage shot.

One would think Bell would be wanting new shores after Adelaide’s dismal season, but, thinking looking beyond the game, her signing in Adelaide makes sense; Bell’s ties to the capital city are deep and it looks as though she genuinely likes being part of the club. The hiring of a new coach in Dan Ryan — like the Giants with Fitzgerald — added to the lure that kept Bell around.

With Chelsea Locke coming over from the Central Pulse, the Thunderbirds net a veteran wing attack who helped guide the Pulse through a similarly tumultuous year last year. Her passing ability and her presence at the top and side of the circle always allowed for pass out options for her GA and GS to utilise.

Karyn Bailey is another fantastic addition to the team. The 28 year old, is a cold-as-ice shooter who is consistent in her ability to shoot and rebound. Her knee issues plagued her in the later half of the ANZ Champs, but her unfazed attitude under the post and in the attacking circle frustrated the best defenders teams threw at her.

Keeping Jade Clarke, the most capped English netballer of all time, looks like it was at the top of the club’s list after the season finished. Her experience is vital in establishing a solid midcourt moving forward.

The signing of the league’s tallest shooter is an interesting proposition for the Thunderbirds, too. I haven’t seen much of Jane Cook’s play, but, in the game I managed to catch, she was almost impossible to defend against with her height confusing space and unbeaten on ball contests. With Brice leaving for the Giants, the Thunderbirds wanted to find a massive post presence and Cook could be the answer. I imagine, she will be coming off the bench while Ryan experiments with Bailey and Bell in the attacking circle.

But is Coach Dan Ryan the guide this team needs? Possibly. His time in the UK as a head coach of the Manchester Thunder allowed him to gain the experience needed. He had deep ties to Adelaide prior to his move in early 2015, so signing him is a smart move; he’s been tested and has a passion and excitement for the future of this team that seems genuine. Hopefully, that proves an infectious feeling for his team.

Teamlist: Erin Bell, Jade Clarke, Hannah Petty, Emily Burgess, Chelsea Locke, Karyn Bailey, Ama Agbeze, Malysha Kelly, Jane Cook, Fiona Themann