The Netball Show
S7 Ep62: London Mavericks - Camilla and Kira (05th Sept 2024)
(upbeat music) - Hi, this is Nat Metcalf. Flyhawk have developed a unique 3D kit designer that's fully customizable. So if you're looking for a new kit for your team for the new season, visit flyhawk.com or email info@flyhawk.com with your ideas now. - Nation Player is the easy to use, one-stop radio and audio app. Download Nation Player now on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Nation Player, where on are you? - The net will show with Flyhawk. Raising the bar for Netball and winning sports. (upbeat music) - Netball show with Flyhawk. London Mavericks have announced their debut side and delighted to say that Camille Bucannon and Kira Rothwell joined me now. Happy squad announcement day, everybody. - Thanks Andy, yeah, it's a busy day for you too, right? - Be alright if it was just one team. Camille, let's help you first. Two noticeable departures, obviously, since last year, Georgia and Jordi as well. So was that one of the first places you looked at? - Yeah, I mean, those two, both Georgia retiring, Jodie stepping away for a bit. Obviously our captain and vice captain, we knew that we needed to recruit some leadership or build some leadership from within. So yeah, we knew the areas that we wanted to target and we're buzzing with who we've brought into the squad, but yeah, two huge names to lose, but we're really happy with the strength we brought in. - And when you look at it, that side includes Chelsea Blackman from Thunderbirds in Defence and also Emily Andrew as well as Shuler. How easy was it to get them to be part of Super League and join Mavs? - Yeah, easy peasy Andy. No, a lot of late night, early morning phone calls from Tamsin to Australia, trying to secure those guys, but it was all relatively smooth as smooth as it can be. Both players, you know, wanted to take a chance and move across the play in our league and they absolutely seemed like the right people, the right fit for this club. They're really ambitious, they're young and exciting players as well. So we knew that they were gonna fit within our club and it just worked out really nicely. - T's already said that half the squad's new, one of which is Izzy Phillips. What can you tell about her? What can she bring to the side? - Well, I think everybody saw last season what she can bring to the side. I mean, the kid has done amazing in her debut season for Pulse Reaching, you know, top four and being that starting position center, taken over from, you know, one of England's greatest ever players, Jay Clark. So she's incredibly exciting, but got a really mature head on her shoulders. But I think the most important, the exciting part is how much she's still got to go. She's, you know, she's a kid and she's got a head in the right places. So yeah, we're buzzing to work with her. Her personality is incredible. So yeah, working with these guys is gonna be fun. - Kyra, you would have been through that team selection. I suppose, what was it like this time around given reduction in teams and everybody's contract was up at once? Pretty hard? - Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I think this was definitely the hardest year and probably for a lot of players for similar and lots of reasons. I mean, everyone was available and lots of teams often want to go for the same sort of people. So you're often just sat there, waiting to see what happens, which is a weird position to be in because a lot of it's out of your control. But ultimately, we all ended up where we're happy. So. (laughs) - I'd like to think that a player of your ability as well would be someone that had maybe more than one of her. Now that everything's passed, was that the case? - In my heart, I always knew I wanted to stay here and I had lots of other considerations. - Good answer. - It was next for you. (laughs) - It was an easy decision in the end. I also had lots of other considerations around netball that I was trying to fit into my life and Mavericks were so supportive of that. So it was, yeah, an easy decision. - And when you throw up people like Tamsin and Mickey around the players, Mel Mansfield too as well, just having that coaching staff as well can only benefit your game. - Yeah, it's really exciting. I feel like they're all coaches that I know a lot about but have never been directly coached by. And so I think that's really exciting because I know they'll be able to give different things to my game, but also the team's game that can already add to what Camilla and Tamsin give us. - Next season, you'll be joined by Amelia Susie, and Izzy as well, who joined from Rhino's Stars and Pulse. So how do you think that partnership will work? - It's like the coaches have put a whole group of people together that might from the outside look like they haven't played together, but actually a lot of us have history together. Like Amelia Susie, I've played with them all the way through England age groups, Emma and Ellie too. So a lot of us have already played together. Izzy, for example, I play with a Prem. So there's a lot of us who already have those connections and then being able to do it in a high performance environment on the biggest stage, I think having those connections already will allow us to go far. - And we've already seen the likes of Tyler announced that Pulse as we call this so far, still waiting for the rest of the squad to be announced. So it just goes to show that Super League continues to attract the world's best. And as a player in it, facing them week in, week out must give you an extra bit of energy if you're facing the world's best. - Yeah, it's really exciting that people are now from Australia, for example, maybe New Zealand to starting to look at our league as somewhere that's almost equally as good as Australia in particular. And hopefully in the next few years, seen as almost, well, as good. I think it can only grow our league and make us better. And we want to be in the best league in the world and we want to make that here. So yeah, it is really exciting for the sport. - Come on the face of things. How are you expecting some of the new teams to develop? Obviously Birmingham Panthers, the likes of not the number for us as well. What are your thoughts on the new teams joining the league? - I mean, everyone's got an opinion about all the new stuff. - We're coming in. - Well, not well, I mean, but I've been in this game long enough to know that you've got to tread carefully. I mean, I wish everyone the best, that's first and foremost, but it's a jigsaw piece, pulling teams together. Every team's got incredible lineups. We know that's absolute strength in their 10 and they're what will likely be their site in sevens. But this game is about tactics, it's about strategy, it's about the changes that you can have for impact. So there's no, at this stage, knowing who's going to produce what, which is kind of part of the fun, like you kind of like to know a little bit that are known. But this is the exciting part about being in this league and being in this transition phase is that everything is a little bit unknown. You've got names, but until you see styles, until you see how people connect, until you see what their strategies are going to be, it is totally unknown. So, but that's part of the fun. That's why we do what we do. It's the competitive element. And yeah, we can't wait to try and figure some of this stuff out. - Are you happy that you've got the people to do it? - Oh man, the best. I mean, ultimately we wanted to make sure that we've got the best, the best staff, the best players, the best owners in, you know, management. And I absolutely believe that we have. So, let's get this train running. - Let's have a look elsewhere. Obviously, such else continuing involvement. Stormies are pleased that Bev Bostock, obviously, Super Emmy and Sophia as well, continuing their involvement in the league. So, developing the Super League players of the future, how important will that be for them? - Yeah, massively. And, you know, we've talked about wanting to make sure we've got people that know what it takes to be, be at the top, to be elite performers. And, you know, those guys have definitely all had a taste of it. Bev's had, you know, great success with the storm MPL and obviously, Sophia and Amy have had incredible careers themselves and in their own right there, you know, their coaching/teaching careers. So, we wanted to bring people in that know what it takes. We think that they're, you know, they're the right fit for the club. So, yeah, it's really important and they know they're going to do a great job. - Cookie, Greenweird Dunne was a combo that I enjoyed and I can't wait to see what you can and Greenweird are still doing. - Me too, I need me to. - Yeah, no, we'll be right. - And you can keep up to date at blundermavericks.co.uk. - The net will show is now also available via Sky HD, Sky Q, and Sky Glass. select states and we're on the podcast trail.
Camilla Buchanan and Kira Rothwell on the day London Mavericks reveal their NSL Superleague team for 2025