The Silver Ferns needed all of their fans' fabulous support during a gruelling, but valuable 2009 season.
If the Silver Ferns were to choose a Latin tagline for their 2009 season it would have to be Palma non sine pulvere. It's usually translated as "No gain without pain", but New Zealanders know it better as "No spuds without digging."In 2009 the Silver Ferns did plenty of digging, with the goal of harvesting bumper crops in 2010 and 2011.
Scroll down for the Silver Ferns' 2009 Season Statistics.
The programme of eleven test matches in four countries across both hemispheres in the space of ten weeks was arguably the most gruelling schedule ever undertaken by a New Zealand netball team.
As one of the top six ranked countries in the world, they also took part in the inaugural World Netball Series in Manchester, England, which launched FastNet, an exciting new shortened version of the game.
The end result for the Silver Ferns was a five-win six-loss test record, the World Netball Series title and significant progress in building the depth, experience and combinations needed to win the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2011 World Championships.
Defensive diva Casey Williams (pictured left, with the World Netball Series Trophy) was named the 23rd captain of the Silver Ferns in July as the team prepared for their first challenge of the season - a three-test series against a well-credentialed World 7 in August.
The formidable World 7 line-up of experienced internationals from Australia, England, Jamaica and Samoa prevailed 48-44 in the 1st Test in Wellington.
Anna Thompson and Larrissa Willcox made their Silver Ferns debuts in the 2nd Test in Rotorua, but again the game belonged to the World 7, whose class, consistency and execution earned them a 53-44 victory and the Series win.
The Silver Ferns held their resolve in a thrilling third test in Auckland where Paula Griffin made her first start in an international. In a match of swinging momentum, a strong final quarter propelled the Silver Ferns to a 46-41 victory.
The Silver Ferns and world champions Australia provided the action during September as the old foes squared off in five encounters, three played in Australia and two in New Zealand. Showing real signs of improvement, the Silver Ferns made the best of starts to win the 1st Test in Sydney, 53-50.
In the 2nd Test in Melbourne Australia swept to a 42-30 lead at three-quarter time, before a stirring fightback by the Silver Ferns began to reel them in. The Silver Ferns won the last quarter 14-6, but it was too late, and the Diamonds held on to win 48-44. 
The stage was set for a 3rd Test showdown in Brisbane, and it turned out to be a classic defensive battle with the teams level on 18-all at half-time. Goal-for-goal was the second half pattern until the Diamonds got a crucial break and held on to win 36-33.
The margin was even smaller in the 4th Test in Invercargill as the two great rivals fought out another cliff-hanger. The decider was a single turnover and again it was the Silver Ferns who fell just short as Australia claimed a 47-46 win and an unassailable lead across the five tests.
There was nothing close about the 5th and final Test in Auckland, as everything clicked for the Silver Ferns, who paid the best possible tribute to shooting great Irene van Dyk, in her 100th test for New Zealand with a dazzling display. Van Dyk herself was in masterful form as the Silver Ferns strode to a handsome 52-36 win. The 16-goal difference in that match is New Zealand's third highest winning margin against Australia.
The Silver Ferns departed almost immediately for the World Netball Series where, after a slow start, they emerged triumphant in the shorter, faster version of the game where innovative rules include rolling substitutions, shooting from outside the goal circle and power plays test teams' fitness, technical ability and tactical awareness.
Efficient defeats of Australia, in the Semi-Finals, and Jamaica in the Final, added the World Netball Series Trophy to the Silver Ferns' luggage as they headed to Bath for the one-off test against England.
The Silver Ferns let a handy lead slip as England charged back in an enthralling second half to level the score at 51-all and send the match into extra time. However, the Silver Ferns made no race of it as they moved up a gear to dominate both periods of extra time, closing out the match with a comfortable 65-59 win, and a fine commemoration of Laura Langman's 50th test milestone (pictured, left).
Jamaica was the final stop-off for the Silver Ferns of 2009, and their long campaign finished with a two-test series in Kingston. Shooters Irene van Dyk (94%) and Maria Tutaia (97%) starred in the Silver Ferns' 61-56 1st Test victory against a competitive and committed Jamaica.
Despite a strong fightback, the Silver Ferns could not quell their resurgent opposition in the 2nd Test, won 53-50 by the Sunshine Girls, in only their second defeat of New Zealand from 44 encounters.
The 2009 international season confirmed that England and Jamaica, in particular, have advanced rapidly to develop world-class teams and the customary two-horse race between the Silver Ferns and the Australian Diamonds is now a thing of the past.
Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken and her assistant Waimarama Taumaunu made the best possible use of an intense and highly demanding season to lay the ground work for the bigger challenges ahead. From that perspective the year was a marked success with improvement evident from beginning to end. Building on that progress to forge a gold medal-winning team is now the immediate goal for the players and coaching staff heading into the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
| 2009 SILVER FERNS TEST MATCH PARTICIPATION | ||||||||||||||
| KEY: 0 = Named in the Match Team, but did not play; X = Not selected for the Match Team; * = Silver Ferns debut | ||||||||||||||
| TEST MATCH | Casey Williams |
Temepara George |
Liana Barrett-Chase |
Maree Bowden |
Katrina Grant |
Paula Griffin | Joline Henry | Laura Langman | Sheryl Scanlan | Wendy Frew | Anna Thompson | Maria Tutaia | Irene Van Dyk | Larissa Willcox |
| v World 7, 24 Aug - WGN | GK | C | WA | WA | GD | 0 | GD | WD | X | X | 0 | GA | GS | 0 |
| v World 7, 26 Aug - RRA | GK | C/WA | WA | 0 | 0 | 0 | GD | WD/C | X | X | GA* | GA | GS | WD* |
| v World 7, 29 Aug - AKL | GK | C | WA | WA | GD | GA | GD | WD | X | X | 0 | GA | GS | 0 |
| v Australia, 6 Sep - SYD | GK | C | WA | WA | GD | 0 | GD | WD | X | X | 0 | GA | GS | 0 |
| v Australia, 9 Sep - MEL | GK | C/WA | X | WA | GD | GA | GD | WD/C | X | 0 | 0 | GA | GS | WD |
| v Australia, 13 Sep - BRI | GD | WA | X | 0 | GK | GA | WD | C | X | 0 | 0 | GA | GS | 0 |
| v Australia, 20 Sep - INV | GD/GK | WA | X | X | GK | GA | WD | C | GD | 0 | 0 | GA | GS | 0 |
| v Australia, 23 Sep - AKL | GD | WA | X | X | GK | 0 | WD | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | GA | GS | 0 |
| v England, 15 October - BATH | GD | WA | 0 | X | GK | 0 | WD | C | X | 0 | 0 | GA | GS | 0 |
| v Jamaica, 20 October - KNG | GD/GK | WA | 0 | X | GK | 0 | WD/GD | C | X | 0 | 0 | GA | GS | WD |
| v Jamaica, 22 October - KNG | GK | C/WA | WA | X | GD | GS | GD | WD/C | X | 0 | 0 | GA | GS | WD |
| MATCHES PLAYED/IN TEAM | 11/11 | 11/11 | 5/7 | 4/6 | 10/11 | 5/11 | 11/11 | 11/11 | 1/2 | 0/7 | 1/11 | 11/11 | 11/11 | 4/11 |
| 2009 SILVER FERNS TEST MATCH SCORES & SHOOTING STATISTICS | |||||||
| KEY: 0 - Named in the Match Team, but did not play; * = Extra Time Match, 51-all after 4 quarters | |||||||
| MATCH | HALF-TIME | FINAL | Irene Van Dyk | Maria Tutaia | Paula Griffin | Anna Thompson | NZ TEAM SHOOTING |
| v World 7, 24 Aug - WGN | 25-22 to W7 | 48-44 to W7 | 26/30 (87%) | 18/23 (78%) | 0 | 0 | 44/53 (83%) |
| v World 7, 26 Aug - RRA | 23-16 to W7 | 53-44 to W7 | 26/29 (90%) | 15/21 (71%) | 0 | 3/5 (60%) | 44/55 (80%) |
| v World 7, 29 Aug - AKL | 24-22 to W7 | 46-41 to NZ | 29/33 (88%) | 9/13 (69%) | 8/11 (73%) | 0 | 46/57 (81%) |
| v Australia, 6 Sep - SYD | 26-23 to NZ | 53-50 to NZ | 37/43 (86%) | 16/20 (80%) | 0 | 0 | 53/63 (84%) |
| v Australia, 9 Sep - MEL | 27-19 to Aus | 48-44 to Aus | 34/38 (89%) | 3/4 (75%) | 7/12 (58%) | 0 | 44/54 (81%) |
| v Australia, 13 Sep - BR | 18-all | 36-33 to Aus | 16/22 (73%) | 2/6 (33%) | 15/22 (68%) | 0 | 33/50 (66%) |
| v Australia, 20 Sep - INV | 25-22 to Aus | 47-46 to Aus | 27/30 (90%) | 12/16 (75%) | 7/10 (70%) | 0 | 46/56 (82%) |
| v Australia, 23 Sep - AKL | 28-18 to NZ | 52-36 to NZ | 33/36 (92%) | 19/27 (70%) | 0 | 0 | 52/63 (83%) |
| v England, 15 Oct - BATH | 30-26 to NZ | 65-59 to NZ* | 36/38 (95%) | 29/31 (94%) | 0 | 0 | 65/69 (94%) |
| v Jamaica, 20 Oct - KNG | 31-29 to NZ | 61-56 to NZ | 29/31 (94%) | 32/33 (97%) | 0 | 0 | 61/64 (95%) |
| v Jamaica, 22 Oct - KNG | 27-21 to Jam | 53-50 to Jam | 19/23 (83%) | 22/26 (85%) | 9/11 (82%) | 0 | 50/60 (83%) |