Ten years ago today, Anna Harrison and her fellow Mystics defenders stunned the netball world when they unveiled a move that would become known as the “Harrison Hoist”. Were you watching it all unfold and what did you think?
On Sunday, May 20, 2012, in what was otherwise just a regular run-of-the-mill Sunday afternoon ANZ Championship match between Melbourne Vixens and Northern Mystics, something happened that caused a huge commotion and created much discussion. During the match, Vixens’ shooters, most notably Karyn Howarth (Bailey), had several shots at goal blocked spectacularly by Mystics defender Anna Harrison.
At first, people wondered how Harrison was doing it. She was getting spectacular height with her jumps. Commentating on television, Dan Ryan and Sue Gaudion were amazed like the rest of us, unaware of what was really happening. After a while, however, it became obvious that it was Harrison’s defensive teammates, Kayla Cullen and Jess Moulds who were in fact lifting her up and allowing her to get such elevation.
The move, originally called the chairlift, and later dubbed the “Harrison Hoist”, was the subject of much debate. Was it in the spirit of the game? Opinion was divided, but in general, most fans loved it. The rules of netball were later changed to eliminate goaltending, which is the act of blocking a shot that is on its way down through the ring, something that Harrison did to great effect on that day.
Tactically, shooters gradually learned to deal with the hoist. After all, with one defender lifting another up, it means there is a shooter free in the circle. As a result, for several years, the move was rarely used. But it has made a comeback in recent times with mixed results. Try as they might, no defender since (including Harrison herself) has been nearly as successful as she was on that incredible Sunday afternoon in May 2012.
