Mental health big factor in surprise netball return

Former Silver Fern Anna Harrison always knew her body could cope with a comeback but she needed to consider if her mind was ready for another retirement.

After two years away from the game, Harrison had to evaluate whether returning to top-level netball with the Northern Stars in next year's ANZ Premiership was worth the mental toll it would take once it was all over.

The 37-year-old is physically fit but admits answering Stars coach Kiri Will's surprise call to take the court again took some serious thought.

"When you choose to leave your sport it is a tough time when you retire and you think it is over forever and I guess my initial thought was if I go back will I end up in those dark places of retirement," Harrison says.

Harrison says the mental challenges can be combated with awareness but she also knows she is not immune for those dark places.

Harrison made her debut for New Zealand as a 19-year-old against South Africa in 2002 and went on to play 88 test matches over a 15 year period, picking up two Commonwealth Games gold medals and becoming a World Cup winner in 2003.

A year after hanging up her international bib, she signed off from domestic top level netball in 2018, ending a long association with the Northern Mystics that began in 2011.

Returning to the court to help the Mystics' crosstown rivals develop their talent next season will take a little bit of getting used to.

"It will be absolutely weird playing them [Mystics], I started in Dunedin with the Rebels and then when I moved up to Auckland I played for the Diamonds and then when I came back from volleyball I played for the Mystics so I've always been in a blue dress.

"I'm still playing for Auckland but it will just be in a different colour, so it will be strange."

Some of Harrison's former team mates and opponents have also taken the news of her return hard.

"Some of the girls have said 'congratulations but I hate you'."

For Harrison the switch to a new franchise will provide new challenges and might even be a coaching apprenticeship.

Wills wants Harrison to have a mentoring role with the teams young defenders and to follow in the footsteps of former Ferns Leana de Bruin and Temepara Bailey, in providing experience off the court and a competitive edge on court.

"When you're on court it's a perspective you'll never have again and I think to be able to play with the younger ones, even though you might not say stuff, you can lead by example," Harrison says.

"I've always prided myself on leading by example and the intensity that I play with and the level I demand of myself, so I hope that rubs off in a good way on the younger players."

Harrison's drive to be the best she can be might need some tempering now that she is one of the older ones.

"[I need to be] making sure that I'm not setting my standard too high for what I can do now, unfortunately your body isn't as nimble and as flexible as maybe it used to be, but we'll see I'm still hoping that it is.

"But the reality is the body slowly deteriorates so I've got to make sure I keep that in check and playing to my strengths of the moment rather than maybe what they used to be and I need to figure out what they are and if they're the same."

Harrison was always an innovator on court. She was behind a move that involved one player lifting another to deflect a shot on goal, which became known as the "Harrison Hoist".

But she says she isn't dreaming up anything new to unleash on the shooting circle just yet.

"If something presents itself I am definitely all for trying things and thinking outside of the box,

"But I think my focus is just getting me right and performing at the level that I think I should be and at a level that will help those around me, but I've got to say if anything comes along we'll give it a nudge I'm sure."

The Stars are the first ANZ Premiership side to announce a squad for next year's competition and Harrison says the lead-in time to the next season will be beneficial.

Harrison is coming back to being on court after a stint on the sidelines doing television commentary during the 2020 ANZ Premiership, but she has not been away from netball completely.

In fact she even migrated to the opposite end of the court to play club netball on the North Shore.

"I trialled for the Shore Rovers earlier in the year as a shooter and I hadn't been that nervous about netball for a very very long time," Harrison says.

"So I've been shooting, when we're playing, for them which has been just awesome.

"Definitely the love of the game is still there and playing from the other side as a shooter has been invaluable and will be something I continue to do when I can - it's research I've been saying."

But disrupting the shooters in the ANZ Premiership is what Harrison is really looking forward to doing.

After two years away she has seen some slight changes in the way the game is played and she wants to make her mark again.

"What I've noticed is attackers are much more careful with the ball and that's really appealing for me to get back out there and see what I can create.

"Defence isn't just about reacting, I like to create the turnover so I'm looking forward to seeing if I can get those attackers to make some errors.

"I think [Silver Ferns coach] Noeline Taurua has come in and taught the attackers some pretty crafty skills and strategies to combat certain defenders so I'm looking forward to what damage we can do."

To even consider accepting Wills' call to come back, Harrison, who is a mother of three, says she needed to be able see a breakdown of when she would be needed at training to see if she could balance family life with netball.

Her youngest child was born last year and Harrison says with the support of family and some juggling of after-school care she will be able to make it work.

"It's a good schedule in terms of it's not as intense as I thought it would be," Harrison says.

"It seems a motto is quality not quantity, so when we're in there she [Wills] expects you to go hard which I'm all for."