The Mainland Tactix might be the fourth team that Greer Sinclair will suit up for, but it will be the young defender’s first full-time contract in the ANZ Premiership.
From Tāmaki-Makaurau (Auckland), Sinclair had the unusual situation of pulling on the playing dress for both the Waikato/BOP Magic and Northern Mystics last year while simultaneously a training partner for the Northern Stars, due to the nature of the season with COVID-19 causing disruptions.
Her first experience of ANZ Premiership netball was back in 2020 when she was a training partner for the Magic before spending the last last two seasons in South Auckland with the Stars.
Sinclair has the enviable position of having the experience of not only Silver Fern defenders in Karin Burger and Jane Watson to learn from but also England Rose Laura Malcolm, who has joined the team this season after winning the Super League last season with Manchester Thunder.
“That was one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Tactix so badly, was having two international defenders. It’s pretty amazing. They are just a wealth of knowledge. I’ve learnt a lot from them – its only pre-season so I still have so much to learn.
“She (Laura) has been around for 11-12 years of high performance netball so she is a very smart player. She brings in a different side of the English style, and has already brought in a few different structures that we don’t do here in New Zealand so that is cool to add to our toolbox.”
At the recent pre-season tournament held in Ōtaki, the Tactix were the only team to finish the three days undefeated, but Sinclair says they still have plenty to work on, for the season starting next week against the Stars.
“We have an amazing team culture down here, we get along really well on court and off court. We really want to use those wins in Ōtaki to build on that momentum and see what else we can do with it.”
Likely to spend this season switching between wing defence and goal defence, Sinclair is determined to start the season off strongly for her new club.
“With my last three years in the ANZ, its been a bit inconsistent, what team I am in, what team I will be playing for, if I will be getting a contract. But with this being my first proper contracted season where I have started at the beginning, I am just looking to prove myself and make an impact from the start of the season.
“Before when I was a training partner I wasn’t really part of the 12, where as now I am part of the team full-time and I want to aim to make that starting seven. But there is always room to improve.”
For Marianne Delaney-Hoshek, head coach of the Mainland Tactix, Sinclair’s variety of options is one of her strengths.
“Greer brings that extra height into the wing defence position but also offers plenty of versatility through the midcourt and is also an option for the defensive circle. We’ve seen her play goal defence and goal keep, so it certainly gives us plenty of possibilities.
With the season opener just around the corner, it will have a bit more on the line for Sinclair, as first up she will be facing her former team, the Stars, at Pullman Arena.
“With most of the teams, you tend to have some connection to but especially coming up against the Stars as my old team, it will have a little bit of something else. You just have to go out there and play. It will be tough, I will just get out with Tactix and give it to them.”