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Those signs included defeats of two Australian teams, Fever (Round 2) and Firebirds (Round 11), and an outstanding performance against eventual Grand Finalists, the Thunderbirds, in Round 4. Tied at 42-all after four quarters, the two teams fought out extra time before the Adelaide team prevailed, 53-48.
Tactix' performances against other New Zealand teams were more disappointing: they lost five matches to Steel, Magic and Mystics by an average of about two goals. Turning around these results may well be the key to boosting Tactix' standing in 2010.
After losing three 2009 players (Sonia Mkoloma, Jodi Brown & Kahu Waititi) to other franchises, and captain Julie Seymour to retirement, coach Helen Mahon-Stroud has not been afraid to make her own changes. She will put six new players in the red-and-black dress in 2010, as many as the Firebirds and exceeded only by the Mystics. Four of them are first-timers in the competition: former Silver Ferns defender Anna Galvan (nee Veronese) and the youthful trio of Hannah Poff, Chelsea Pitman and Ashleigh Smith. Gritty former Firebirds defender Peta Stephens will help to fill the large gap left by Mkoloma, and mid-courter Hayley Crofts joins the squad after a season with Pulse (2008), Southland and the 2009 NZU21 team.
They all join a group led by the experienced quartet of Silver Ferns Maree Bowden and Anna Thompson, and Canterbury stalwarts Victoria Smith and Phillipa Finch. The squad is completed by two young players who have already had two seasons with Tactix: 21-year-old Charlotte Kight whose rapid progress alongside Mkoloma last season took her into the Silver Ferns squad, and 19-year-old shooter Ellen Halpenny.
Tactix' 2010 season opens at home against Pulse, before they travel to Perth for Round 2 against Fever. They then stay home in Christchurch for the next three rounds to host the Swifts, Vixens and then Magic.
Slideshow Image: Tactix mid-courter Maree Bowden looks for her team-mates past West Coast Fever's Andrea Gilmore in Round 2 of the 2009 ANZ Championship. Tactix won the match 52-44. (PHOTO: Michael Bradley)
| CANTERBURY TACTIX 2010 | |
| PLAYER Italics=New to ANZ Championship |
2009 TEAMS |
| Maree Bowden | Silver Ferns, Tactix |
| Hayley Crofts | NZU21, Southland |
| Phillipa Finch | Tactix |
| Anna Galvan | Canterbury |
| Ellen Halpenny | Tactix, Canterbury |
| Charlotte Kight | Silver Ferns Squad, Tactix |
| Chelsea Pitman | |
| Hannah Poff | Canterbury, Canterbury U21 |
| Ashleigh Smith | NZ Secondary Schools, Southland, Southland U19, St Peter's College |
| Victoria Smith | Tactix, Canterbury |
| Peta Stephens | Firebirds |
| Anna Thompson | Silver Ferns |