Jane And Jaegers Left In Limbo As End Arrives

Newcastle Herald

Monday August 13, 2007

By RENEE VALENTINE

JANE Menzies was still coming to terms with the end of her journey with the Hunter Jaegers yesterday as she wondered what the next step in her netball career might be.

The Jaegers played their last national league match in Sydney on Saturday night and lost 75-51 to defending champions the Swifts.

There will be no Hunter-based team when the national league is replaced by a trans-Tasman competition next year.

The Trans Tasman Trophy will comprise five Australian teams and five New Zealand sides, and each side will have 12 players.

"We have absolutely no idea where we go from here," Menzies said. "Julie Fitzgerald [coach of the NSW team for the Tasman Trophy] has made contact with all of us to let us know that all of the Jaegers and Swifts players will be considered in the initial rounds of selection.

"But as for how that works and how it goes from there, we don't know. If players want to put their hands up for other teams, we don't know how that works either.

"It is a bit of a funny feeling because we don't know what lies ahead, even if there is going to be a tier-two competition and how that might work if there is."

Menzies has been with the Jaegers since they joined the competition in 2004. She moved to Newcastle to play with the competition's first regional team and ended up captaining them in their final season.

The powerful wing defence and Newcastle-bred goal attack Lara Welham both walked off the court on Saturday night with the most appearances for the Jaegers, 56 they played in every game for Hunter in all four seasons.

"Today it's not so bad, but after the game last night I was a bit emotional," Menzies said. "It is a big deal to be saying goodbye to it it's really sad to know you'll never be in that group of girls again or in Jaegers colours, and we tried to make the most of it."

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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