Vitality Netball World Cup - New Zealand v Barbados - Shannon Saunders. Photo: Allan McKenzie / SWPix.com / photosport
The Southern Steel are determined to return to winning ways this year with the help of old faces, including stalwart and former Silver Fern Shannon Saunders.
Saunders, who gave birth to her first child last February, said her journey back to being fit enough to play ANZ Premiership netball had not been too bad.
"I stayed very active throughout my entire pregnancy, which I think helped. And then you do a lot of walking when you have a new-born baby trying to get them to sleep so I found that got me pretty fit pretty quick.
"It's been good to seek out advice [on what to expect] but then also just trust in my instinct, and I kind of know my body best and what I need to kind of get back to ANZ level of fitness."
Saunders will have to wait one more week for her return to court, as she gets over a very minor knee issue with the Steel taking a cautious approach for their first game against the Tactix on Monday.
Saunders always had a reputation as one of the fittest players in the country and that put her in good stead.
"I've been very fortunate that I haven't found it that hard getting back to kind of full fitness, but you definitely have a lot less time to get things done, but it's made me much more efficient with my training. And I think all those years of training, I actually don't need to do heaps anymore. Like my body kind of knows what to do and what it needs, so I'm pretty lucky."
The Steel had a miserable 2023 after losing strike shooter George Fisher to injury and went through the season without a win.
Shannon Saunders has been a Steel stalwart. Photo: Photosport
It was a tough watch for 33-year-old Saunders, who joined the Steel in 2012.
"Obviously they had a really tough season, so it's been nice to kind of get back in the environment and just hopefully help out and get some wins on the board this year."
The 90-test Silver Fern is based in Nelson and will commute once a week down south, where the team will "smash out" trainings over a few days. Named as vice-captain, Saunders will support new captain Kate Heffernan.
Gina Crampton was the Silver Ferns starting wing attack until the end of last year's World Cup, when she headed overseas on a sabbatical.
Saunders, who debuted for the Silver Ferns in 2013, was more than a handy backup to Crampton when the Silver Ferns needed impact.
How keen is she to get back into the national side?
"That's definitely a 'to be confirmed' thing at the moment. I'm just kind of juggling what it's like commuting and being away from my daughter a wee bit during the season, and I'll just see how I play and if I even think I'm up to that kind of level again. I'm just really looking forward to enjoying my season with the Steel."
Saunders went along to a Silver Ferns camp in December last year and spent a little bit of time on court.
Shannon Saunders was an excellent impact player at the 2019 World Cup. Photo: © Photosport Ltd 2019
"That was kind of my first time back out on court doing any netball training, so that was definitely a good insight to where I needed to get to.
"My main priority now is my daughter and making sure that everything she needs is kind of taken care of. And I think the main factor will probably be time away from her, I don't know if I can cope with having like, weeks and weeks away from her, so that will probably be a massive factor in my decision making. But yeah, I just want to make sure that I can play good netball that I'm proud of, and just the enjoyment and then see what kind of comes from there."
Saunders is expected to slot mostly into wing attack for the Steel, while Silver Fern midcourter Kate Heffernan is likely to spend much of the season at centre.
Injury set-backs mean the Southerners will be without Fisher again, but some familiar faces have returned to the Steel including Taneisha Fifita, Abby Erwood and shooter Jen O'Connell.
O'Connell, who was part of the title winning side in 2017 and 2018, had a season-ending knee injury in 2020 but the 1.93m tall shooter has been playing in basketball's Tauihi league.
"She's come in really excited and keen to kind of stamp her mark at that goal shoot bib, and you think when we won the Premiership she was the goal shoot, she's played some amazing netball for us. So I'm excited to help her get back to that stage.
Shannon Saunders playing against the NZ Men's team. Photo: Photosport
"She's enjoying being back in the team environment and I think with everyone that's come back in, they've had a few years away and matured, had some life experience and just very grateful for the opportunity.
"It's exciting because it feels new but then it's very familiar, like we've all played together before. But it's a really easy group, everyone's very self-sufficient and knows what we need to do perform, so I'm really excited to get started."
Saunders has noticed the growth in Steel goal attack Georgia Heffernan, who took on a big workload last season and earned her Silver Ferns debut earlier this year.
"She had an absolutely massive year last year, and I'm looking forward to this year hopefully to be able to take a bit of the load off, and just let her focus on kind of performing week in and week out and being that really consistent goal attack. Last year, she was trying to do so much and help in so many areas down the attacking end and she did incredible, but it will be nice to try and kind of help ease her load."
Dame Noeline Taurua was reappointed as Silver Ferns coach last week. Saunders said she was a huge asset to netball in New Zealand.
"It's exciting, she's got such a young group at the moment with so much potential and talent that like it's scary to think where they're going to get to in four years.
"I'm very excited to kind of watch that and see what she brings and what she does differently to kind of challenge this group that she's currently got."
The Steel play the Tactix in Christchurch on Monday.