A Grand Final appearance and a third placing from two top four finishes, plus a Minor Premiership, make a great opening chapter to Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic's ANZ Championship history, but it's the story of victory they want to add this year.

With five current Silver Ferns in their squad, Magic, sponsored by Colourplus, had every reason to be confident about bringing the trophy back to New Zealand in 2009. After winning eleven of their first 12 matches, including a splendid seven-goal defeat of the Melbourne Vixens in Round 10 - the Vixens' only defeat last year - they were right on target to do that.  However, a 19-goal loss to the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Round 14 marked the start of a season-end slump that put Magic out of title contention.

The departure of Silver Ferns Maria Tutaia and Joline Henry to the Northern Mystics has left gaps filled by former Silver Ferns shooter Jodi Brown, and former Australian defender Peta Scholz who was outstanding in last year's World 7 team. Scholz' fitness, tenacity and rugged professionalism make her a valuable acquisition and her ANZ Championship debut will be keenly watched on both sides of the Tasman.

Two new signings from Bay of Plenty are experienced shooter Tanya Lund, who played for Magic in the National Bank Cup, and just-out-of-high-school defender Amy Christophers, a member of the successful 2009 NZ Secondary Schools team. A New Zealand junior women's volleyball team representative, Christophers has also competed in the heptathlon, triple jump and javelin at the national championships. Another defender, Kahurangi Waititi, who got only one game with Tactix last year, completes the list of new recruits, while 22-year-old Jess Tuki and 19-year-old Elias Shadrock return from the 2009 squad.

Magic retains abundant strength from last year's regular starting line-up, with the Silver Ferns combination of Casey Williams, Laura Langman and Irene van Dyk providing first magnitude star power through the court. Frances Solia and Jodi Tod are likely to complete the starting line-up with Brown and Scholz.

Magic must bring their very best form to the court right from Round 1, when they meet current champions, the Vixens, in Melbourne. In Round 2 they confront Steel in Rotorua, then Mystics in Auckland, Fever in Hamilton and Tactix in Christchurch before their Round 6 bye.

Slideshow Image: Casey Williams makes sure of a rebound for Magic against the Melbourne Vixens in Round 10. Magic won, 55-48.
(PHOTO: Michael Bradley)

WAIKATO-BAY OF PLENTY MAGIC
PLAYER Italics=New to ANZ Championship	2009 TEAMS
Jodi Brown	Tactix
Amy Christophers	NZ Secondary Schools, Otumoetai College
Laura Langman	Silver Ferns, Magic
Tanya Lund	Bay of Plenty
Peta Scholz	World 7
Elias Shadrock	Magic, Waikato
Frances Solia	World 7, Magic
Jodi Tod	Magic, Bay of Plenty
Jess Tuki	Magic, Waikato
Irene van Dyk	Silver Ferns, Magic
Kahurangi Waititi	Tactix
Casey Williams	Silver Ferns, Magic