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A chance well taken – Borlase comes out of the shadows and into the spotlight
Linda Pearce – THE SUNDAY AGEAn incident from Jenny Borlase’s netball infancy says much about the determination that has characterised a dual world championship-winning career. She had barely reached her teens when her coach in small- town South Australia answered the reluctant defender’s repeated pleas to be switched to attack. It was an opportunity that young Jenny Kennett, as she was then, was not about to let slip.
And so, each night, she could be found shooting 100 goals at the old asphalt courts in Cummins, a sheep and wheat farming community near the Western Australian border where her parents ran the local supermarket and raised three daughters. Although, admittedly, there may not have been a lot else to do in Cummins. “Girls played netball in winter and tennis in summer or else you’d go to church,” she recalls with a laugh. Borlase was unwittingly laying the foundations for a shooting career highlighted by a key on-court role at this year’s world titles after many years as a bit player.
Indeed, Birmingham will not merely be remembered for Australia’s seventh crown from nine attempts but, in a personal sense, as the scene of Borlase’s coming of age. When Vicki Wilson, Queensland’s champion and long-time custodian of the Australian goal shooter’s bib, was cut down by a knee injury just before half-time in the crucial preliminary game against New Zealand, Borlase, 28, found herself answering a call she had somehow known would come.
“In my preparation I’d been doing absolutely everything right,” the South Australian captain said during this week’s national championships at Waverley. You don’t know what could happen at world championships and I just had this feeling for some reason that I was going to get my opportunity. “I didn’t know how. Vicki has played so well over the past few years and really dominated that position, so it was just a matter of waiting, waiting, waiting. I was prepared to be patient. I didn’t know how or why it could happen but I just had this funny feeling, this sense that I would get a chance. And thankfully I was ready for that opportunity.”
But first, Borlase says, she had felt sick as she watched Wilson carried from the court. Next, her Garville and Australian teammate Natalie Avellino dragged her on to a neighboring court for a warm-up and some words of encouragement. Then came the big moment, the one she had been waiting for since breaking into the national team in 1989 and sitting out as third-choice shooter behind Wilson and Catriona Wagg during the 1991 titles in Sydney. The pressure was immense in a tight contest eventually decided by one goal, but Borlase says she discovered an inner calm and confidence to respond with a percentage above her standard pass mark of 85.
A week later, in a lop-sided decider against South Africa, she finished with 38 goals from 41 attempts, and no one was more excited to be on court to savour the final moment. “Jen made the commitment to herself at the beginning of the year that she was going to give it her utmost and make 1995 a very worthwhile year, and through circumstances beyond her control it’s worked out very well in the end,” says coach Jill McIntosh. “Who knows what would have happened if Vicki didn’t sustain the injury? I don’t know, but you’ve got to be ready for when an opportunity opens up, and I think Jen was primed.”
Primed by years as an interchange player and the knowledge that she was far better equipped this time than in her bench- warming days of ’91. Primed by the fact that when she did finally get a chance to start in last year’s series in New Zealand, it had been out at her less-preferred position of goal attack. Primed by a hard-won reputation as one of the world’s most consistent shooters at club and national level. Primed to do justice to all the hard work it had taken to get this far.
For when Borlase arrived in Adelaide in 1985 to study dental therapy, she had plenty of netball catching up to do. Basic skills like the dodge had to be taught by then Garville coach and leading umpire Chris Burton. She was tall and had an endurance base and the shooting skills honed back in Cummins, but by an age when many of her contemporaries boasted years of specialist coaching in state junior teams, Borlase was also raw and gangly with much still to learn.
That she has done, while admitting her defensive skills, vision and passing could still improve to match her accuracy, strength, agility and aggressive attack on the ball improved with the help of former coach Joyce Brown. So, a decade on, she is happily married to Port Adelaide footballer Darryl Borlase, has been a member of two world champion teams and plans to be around for No. 3 in Christchurch in 1999.
“It was like a dream come true to actually be on court when the whistle blew and to be part of the team that won back-to-back,” she says. “That was my dream and I guess that’s what happened for me. It’s just amazing and I couldn’t have been happier, really. Now I just basically want to enjoy the game. I’d perhaps have to say that in the past I’ve been really serious about it and perhaps too focused, but I really aim to have a great time and make the most of any more opportunities that come along.”
From Netball Australia
From ournetballhistory.org.uk
England at the 1995 World Championhips https://www.ournetballhistory.org.uk/content/events/international-competition/world-cup/1995-world-netball-championship-birminghamEngland squad https://www.ournetballhistory.org.uk/content/events/international-competition/world-cup/1995-world-championship-squad
From SilverFernsTV
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From Netball Fan
From Sebastian Luckai
From Sebastian Luckai
Summary from World Netball https://netball.sport/events-and-results/netball-world-cup/birmingham-1995
1999 – 10TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (CHRISTCHURCH, NZ)
The 10th World Championships were held in Christchurch, and after the shock of Birmingham, normal service was resumed as New Zealand met Australia in the final. But this was only after the Kiwis survived a giant struggle with Jamaica in the semi-final, eventually winning 55-53.
The decider was set to be the last game for two Australian champions, captain Vicki Wilson and Carissa Tombs (Dalwood). But the Kiwis dominated the first three quarters, and led 34-28. Wilson (15/26) was having a nightmare game, and that’s when coach Jill McIntosh made the decision to bench her.
Once again, Jennifer Borlase was her replacement. She entered the game for the last quarter, joining youngster Sharelle McMahon who had come on during the third. The new combination worked well and it wasn’t long before the six goal margin had disappeared.
The match then developed into an intense goal for goal battle. With time running out, New Zealand goal shooter Donna Loffhagen, who had in fact been the most reliable shooter on court to that point, inexplicably missed a close range penalty shot that would have put the Kiwis in front.
The ball was rebounded by Liz Ellis who sent it down court. After a passage of passes, and a mad scramble for the ball on the floor, Shelley O’Donnell got the ball to McMahon, who sank the winning goal with not a single second to spare. Cue incredible scenes of jubilation from Australian players and total devastation for the New Zealanders. They couldn’t believe it.
During the 1990s, the Silver Ferns had lost to Australia three times in world cups and the margin on each occasion was one solitary goal. How different things could have been. They must surely have been wondering if they would ever claim the big prize again.
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From INF
1st – AUSTRALIA
BORLASE, Jennifer
DELANEY, Jacqui
ELLIS, Liz
FINNAN, Sharon
HARBY, Kathryn
ILITCH, Janine
MCMAHON, Sharelle
O’DONNELL, Shelley
SANDERS, Rebecca
SQUIRE, Peta
TOMBS, Carissa
WILSON, Vicki (Captain)
Coach: Jill McIntosh2nd – NEW ZEALAND
CHARTERIS, Belinda
COLLING, Belinda (Captain)
HARDCASTLE, Sonya
HARPER, Adine
LOFFHAGEN, Donna
MENE, Bernice
NICOL, Lesley
ROWBERRY, Anna
SEYMOUR, Julie
SUAFOA, Lorna
TAIRI, Teresa
VAGANA, Linda
Coach: Yvonne Willering3rd – ENGLAND
ASPINALL, Karen
ASTLE, Alex
CARPENTER, Lyn
CLARKE, Heather
LONSDALE, Helen
MANUFOR, Hellen
MKOLOMA, Sonia
MURPHY, Olivia
MURTAGH, Fiona
NEVILLE, Tracey
NEWTON, Amanda
SIDDALL, Naomi
STANLEY, Lisa
Coach: Mary BeardwoodCOMPETITION FORMAT:
26 Teams. 2 rounds of preliminary games to form a top 16 with 2 groups of 8 teams, with the top teams then going on to 1/4 finals, semi finals and a final.ELIMINATION ROUNDS:
Fiji, Northern Ireland, Singapore and Wales progressed to the top 16. Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Vanuatu and Zambia played off for positions 17-26.MAIN GROUPS ROUND:
(Teams 1-16)GROUP A
England 63 def Fiji 33
Western Samoa 60 def Malawi 46
Australia 91 def Singapore 32
Jamaica 82 def United States 34
Fiji 68 def Malawi 45
England 90 def United States 39
Jamaica 76 def Singapore 40
Australia 74 def Western Samoa 38
Fiji 61 def Western Samoa 43
Singapore 75 def United States 50
England 76 def Malawi 38
Australia 47 def Jamaica 42
Fiji 71 def Singapore 44
Western Samoa 71 def United States 36
Australia 59 def England 44
Jamaica 84 def Malawi 36
Jamaica 61 def Western Samoa 39
Australia 69 def Fiji 39
England 77 def Singapore 42
Malawi 64 def United States 45
Jamaica 69 def Fiji 51
Australia 91 def United States 27
England 63 def Western Samoa 44
Singapore 65 def Malawi 57
Fiji 90 def United States 32
Western Samoa 61 def Singapore 53
Jamaica 62 def England 59
Australia 75 def Malawi 32Group order:
1. Australia
2. Jamaica
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Western Samoa
6. Singapore
7. Malawi
8. United StatesGROUP B
New Zealand 90 def Canada 22
Cook Islands 59 def Barbados 50
Trinidad & Tobago 78 def Canada 32
South Africa 88 def Northern Ireland 25
New Zealand 73 def Wales 27
Trinidad & Tobago 64 def Northern Ireland 40
South Africa 70 def Barbados 28
Cook Islands 51 def Wales 32
Canada 49 def Northern Ireland 34
Barbados 52 def Wales 34
New Zealand 74 def Cook Islands 43
South Africa 85 def Trinidad & Tobago 30
Wales 65 def Northern Ireland 39
Barbados 72 def Canada 31
Cook Islands 62 def Trinidad & Tobago 52
New Zealand 68 def South Africa 39
Cook Islands 64 def Canada 39
Trinidad & Tobago 47 def Barbados 46
New Zealand 92 def Northern Ireland 26
South Africa 80 def Wales 31
Cook Islands 91 def Northern Ireland 32
Trinidad & Tobago 70 def Wales 33
New Zealand 71 def Barbados 35
South Africa 84 def Canada 26
Barbados 51 def Northern Ireland 26
Canada 48 def Wales 43
South Africa 68 def Cook Islands 46
New Zealand 74 def Trinidad & Tobago 41Group order:
1. New Zealand
2. South Africa
3. Cook Islands
4. Trinidad & Tobago
5. Barbados
6. Canada
7. Wales
8. Northern IrelandQUARTER FINALS
Jamaica 76 def Cook Islands 46
Australia 87 def Trinidad & Tobago 34
England 44 def South Africa 42
New Zealand 81 def Fiji 38.
CLASSIFICATION MATCHES:
25/26 Playoff: Nuie 51 def Vanuatu 30
23/24 Playoff: Cayman Islands 42 def Hong Kong 32
21/22 Playoff: Sri Lanka 53 def Tonga 49
19/20 Playoff: Malaysia 48 def Scotland 37
17/18 Playoff: Zambia 57 def Papua New Guinea 44
15/16 Playoff: USA 62 def N. Ireland 39
13/14 Playoff: Canada 58 def Wales 57
11/12 Playoff: Malawi 62 def Singapore 52
9/10 Playoff: Samoa 67 def Barbados 42
7/8 Playoff: Cook Islands 64 def Trinidad & Tobago 54
5/6 Playoff: South Africa 57 def Fiji 49.
SEMI FINAL 1:
AUSTRALIA 54 (Wilson 31, Delaney 19, McMahon 4)
ENGLAND 44 (Astle 32, Carpenter 7, Neville 5)
(20-10, 32-19, 44-31, 54-44)Starting lineups:
AUSTRALIA: GS Wilson, GA Delaney, WA O’Donnell, C Tombs, WD Squire, GD Harby, GK Ellis
ENGLAND: GS Astle, GA Neville, WA Aspinall, C Murphy, WD Sidall, GD Mkoloma, GK Newton.
SEMI FINAL 2:
NEW ZEALAND 55 (Loffhagen 44, Colling 11)
JAMAICA 53 (Davis 40, Francis 13)
(13-16, 28-25, 40-39, 55-53)Starting lineups:
NEW ZEALAND: GS Loffhagen, GA Colling, WA Rowberry, C Seymour, WD Nicol, GD Charteris, GK Mene
JAMAICA: GS Davis, GA Francis, WA Watkins, C Bryan, WD Wiles, GD Pitterson, GK Gordon.
3/4 PLAYOFF:
ENGLAND 57 (Astle 38, Neville 19)
JAMAICA 43 (Davis 24, Francis 19)
(12-15, 24-27, 44-37, 57-43)Starting lineups:
ENGLAND: GS Astle, GA Neville, WA Lonsdale, C Murphy, WD Siddall, GD Mkoloma, GK Newton
JAMAICA: GS Davis, GA Francis, WA Watkins, C Bryan, WD Wiles, GD Pitterson, GK GordonFINAL – NEW ZEALAND v AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA WON 42-41
(13-13, 23-21, 34-28, 41-42)NEW ZEALAND:
GS Loffhagen
GA Colling
WA Rowberry
C Seymour
WD Nicol
GD Charteris
GK MeneChanges:
None.Shooting stats:
Loffhagen 30/42 (71%)
Colling 11/20 (55%)
TOTAL 41/62 (66%)AUSTRALIA:
GS Wilson
GA Delaney
WA O’Donnell
C Tombs
WD Squire
GD Harby
GK EllisChanges:
During 3rd Q. McMahon GA (Delaney).
4th Quarter.. Borlase GS (Wilson).Shooting stats:
Wilson 15/26 (58%)
Delaney 12/18 (67%)
Borlase 9/13 (69%)
McMahon 6/8 (75%)
TOTAL 42/65 (65%).
FINAL PLACINGS:
1. AUSTRALIA
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Jamaica
5. South Africa
6. Fiji
7. Cook Islands
8. Trinidad & Tobago
9. Western Samoa
10. Barbados
11. Malawi
12. Singapore
13. Canada
14. Wales
15. United States
16. Northern Ireland
17. Zambia
18. Papua New Guinea
19. Malaysia
20. Scotland
21. Sri Lanka
22. Tonga
23. Cayman Islands
24. Hong Kong
25. Niue
26. VanuatuEuphoria as Australia grabs title
Linda Pearce – The Sunday AgeTHE dominant team of the 1990s tonight won the last international of the century, Australia pipping New Zealand 42-41 in one of the great netball contests, to retain the world championship. Players who were supposedly too old, and vulnerable after so long at the top, proved themselves still capable of beating the next best there is.
The result was reminiscent of the great 1991 final Australia won 53-52 in Sydney against New Zealand. But the style was far different. The Australians trailed by six goals at three-quarter-time when captain Vicki Wilson was benched for the last quarter of her 99th and final Test and the cause looked all but lost.
But the new shooting combination of Jenny Borlase and Sharelle McMahon was better able to pierce the tight New Zealand defence, and a goal to McMahon with just seconds on the clock to capitalise on a rebound from gallant goal keeper Liz Ellis after Donna Loffhagen missed the sitter that might have sealed it for New Zealand, somehow pinched Australia’s third world title in a row.
We stole it,” said defender Kathryn Harby, perhaps Australia’s player of the tournament. If I was them I’d be absolutely shattered, and we’re the extreme contrast: totally elated and can’t believe it’s almost a repeat of ’91. I didn’t play in ’91, but if it feels like this it’s just total euphoria. It’s what you dream about.”
It was Australia’s eighth world title from the 10 played, although the 1979 title was shared with New Zealand and host nation Trinidad and Tobago. Their third victory was the last for both Wilson and her former deputy Carissa Tombs, who had announced their retirement earlier in the year. It may also see out the likes of Shelley O’Donnell and Jenny Borlase.
Australia has lost just three matches since reclaiming the world crown from New Zealand in 1991, but the last was a 12-goal defeat by New Zealand on this court in February. It was far tighter this time, but in front of a super-charged pro-Kiwi crowd of more than 7000, the visitors capitalised on some New Zealand shooting nerves when the going got tight. Somehow, they escaped with an unlikely triumph.
I don’t know how we did it,” said Ellis. When we were six down it was just a feeling that we had to do it. We’ve got people in our team who will never be here again and we just knew what it had to do it and it happened.”
The only sour note was the manner of Wilson’s departure, dragged for Borlase at the last change after shooting a miserable 15 goals at 57 per cent, including just one from six as Australia fell behind in the third quarter.
It’s all over, we won and that’s all that counts,” Wilson said later. Me personally, it’s probably the worst I ever played, but the team did really well. What a great way to go out, with a world championship win. it was just reminiscent of 91, one goal to seal it, a pressure shot and Sharelle came through.”
New Zealand’s strength has been its defence, marshalled by Bernice Mene and executed in zone style down the court. Australia struggled from the start to get clear at the centre passes and waged a constant battle to thread the ball into its shooters.
Yet its own defence of rookie wing defence Peta Squire and circle pair Harby and Ellis helped it stick level 13-13 at quarter-time and keep within two at the half. Loffhagen was the big threat under the New Zealand post, with goal attack Belinda Colling held to 11 goals at 55 per cent.
Clinical Aussies all class in crunch
Bill Casey – Newcastle HeraldSHE was costing them the game, so they took her off. Who cares whether it was her last game? Who cares whether she has been the very guts of netball for years? A record-breaker. The captain. A super goal-shooter for 15 years in internationals. The be-all and end-all of the game, I suppose. Too bad. You’re having a bad game. Off. Benched.
It won it for them. The very clinical professionalism of the callous indifference to Vicki Wilson’s feelings. The Australian women’s netball team is the most professional Australian team of them all. More professional than the rugby league Kangaroos, far more than our cricketers, and certainly more than the Wallabies.
The netballers are a mighty team. They know winning is what it is all about. Not ‘doing the right thing’. It’s so easy to overlook the hard decisions. It’s just as easy to hide on the coach’s bench as it is to hide on the field of play.
On Saturday night the Australians beat New Zealand 42-41 to win the world championship in Christchurch. That’s each championship of the ’90s. Three of them. They beat New Zealand by a point in 1991 and South Africa in Birmingham in 1995.
So don’t think it’s only New Zealand. We don’t say ‘it’s only New Zealand’ when it’s the All Blacks. Think of the Australian celebrations when Australia beat the All Blacks. As many countries play netball as play cricket. Or rugby league. And hard-nosed coaching is what it is all about.
It all started off with Joyce Brown, who in my opinion was the greatest achieving coach Australia has produced. Of anything. She had the team until 1994 and made the Australian netball team a superb unit. The present coach, Jill McIntosh, kept her nerve on Saturday night when Australia was six down and Gone to Gowings.
Wilson had missed four easy shots in the third quarter. It was her last game but McIntosh couldn’t be motherly, matey. No. McIntosh had a job to do, a responsibility to not let down other people. Players, a country.
She had already thrown the youngest girl on the bench, Sharelle McMahon, into the game and decided Adelaide’s established hardhead Jenny Borlase was the player to replace Vicki Wilson. She and McMahon did the job.
Afterwards, they said it was a perfect way for Wilson to finish her career. They didn’t mention her faults in the game, but only her overall career. Wilson has always been part of the most professional team in Australia. She knew McIntosh had made the right decision.
She made two comments afterwards. “One of our best wins. Probably my worst game.” She could have made a third. We’re not playing a game for mothers and daughters. We’re playing world-class sport.’ That’s how this Australian team has changed the face of netball.
Devastated Colling accepts blame for loss
Richard Boock – New Zealand HeraldBelinda Colling blames herself for New Zealand’s heart-breaking one-goal loss to Australia in the world netball championship final. The Silver Ferns captain cast a lonely figure long after Australia snatched a 42-41 win with the last shot of the match on Saturday night, successfully defending their title for the second time following a stunning fourth-quarter reversal.
Still looking dazed after the last, dramatic moments of the game, when Australian substitute Sharelle McMahon nailed the winning goal on the stroke of fulltime, Colling suggested she would never forgive herself for not securing the title. “I thought I played appallingly,” she said after being presented with her runners-up medal. “I don’t think I had a good tournament at all, and it’s hard to say why. I obviously needed to be out there leading by example and I’m pretty disappointed that I wasn’t able to.”
Runaway favourites to meet in the tenth championship final, the two teams mounted huge defensive games which took a toll on both sets of shooters, with Colling and Donna Loffhagen initially struggling no more than Vicki Wilson and Jacqui Delaney.
If anything, the Ferns’ defence – led impressively by Bernice Mene and Lesley Nicol – was the most influential, with Delaney and then Wilson struggling for position and accuracy, allowing the hosts to maintain a small lead for most of the match. In front of a capacity, 7000-strong crowd New Zealand crept into a 23-21 halftime lead, and by the three-quarter mark had established a six-goal (34-28) cushion and a clear chance to knock over Australia.
However, revitalised by new shooting blood, the defending champions stormed through the final quarter on the back of an eight-goal run, the more settled attack-end pouring intense pressure on their Kiwi counterparts – who were kept scoreless for six minutes.
Loffhagen’s miss under the hoop with just seconds left allowed Australia to set up McMahon for the winner, but Colling was adamant her shooting partner should not be blamed. “Donna’s shot at the end could’ve put us one up,” she said. “But we shouldn’t have put her in that position in the first place. The game can’t be about one shot. For 60 minutes there’s heaps of things within our control – so we shouldn’t just focus on the last thing that happened.”
Australia’s papers wasted no time in celebrating the win. “Best in the world” and “Oldies claim golden victory” were headlines that dotted the Sunday papers, with a photograph of the beaming victors dominating the back page of the Herald-Sun.
They paid tribute to coach Jill McIntosh, who had the courage to change her shooting combination, including Wilson, when her side trailed. “The move paid huge dividends as the Kiwis choked at the death,” the Daily Telegraph reported.
Although New Zealand centre Julie Seymour was named the official player of the tournament, the Telegraph named defender Kathryn Harby as its MVP. “We stole it,” Harby said. “If I was them, I’d be absolutely shattered, and we’re the extreme contrast, totally elated. This is just total euphoria, it’s what you dream about.”
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