Silver Fern Maddy Gordon. Photo: AAP / www.photosport.nz
Analysis - Maddy Gordon has put the Silver Ferns coaching team in a bit of a quandary because right now she's probably New Zealand's best player in two positions.
With two pinnacle events on the horizon, they will have to decide whether she is more critical at centre or the more technical position of wing attack.
Gordon was one of the Silver Ferns most consistent performers during the Constellation Cup series, which ended two Tests apiece.
The Australian Diamonds managed to grab the cup off New Zealand, courtesy of winning 'series decider time' by one goal in Christchurch on Wednesday night.
The Diamonds won the first two Tests by 17 goals across the ditch before the Ferns took Test three in Hamilton by nine goals, and the fourth Test 62-57 on the back of another big second half performance.
In the third Test, Gordon switched to WA just before half-time and made a huge difference by providing punch and clarity in the attacking third.
In the final Test, she moved to WA at half-time and did the same thing, feeding the ball beautifully into shooter Grace Nweke.
Gordon, who had two Suncorp Super Netball teams chasing her signature, will play for the Queensland Firebirds next year and they will be rubbing their hands with glee after watching this series.
Gordon would have to be the most complete midcourter in world netball.
The 25-year-old is also an excellent wing defence, stepping into that position during the series against South Africa, when Kate Heffernan was under the weather.
The question of who is the Silver Ferns' starting WA has not gone away since veteran Gina Crampton stepped away from international netball at the end of the 2023 Netball World Cup.
Since then the Silver Ferns have experimented with six different players in that position, including Whitney Souness.
During last year's international window Claire O'Brien had her moments before Kimiora Poi did a fine job at wing attack during the 2024 Constellation Cup.
But Poi only got a few minutes at WA during the first two Tests of the recent series.
There was a lot of anticipation around Peta Toeava's Silver Ferns' recall but she only got a few minutes at WA in the first two Tests before dropping out of the game day 12.
Mila Reuelu-Buchanan got the nod to start at wing attack by interim coach Yvette McCausland-Durie for all four tests but Gordon made a marked improvement to the attacking end when she switched into that position.
Gordon's history with the WA bib goes back to 2020 when she stepped into the position she wasn't familiar with for the Pulse. It led to her first Silver Ferns' call-up.
The somewhat frustrating thing about Gordon is that she could have cemented herself into the Silver Ferns earlier, but oddly missed out on a spot for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Instead, the selectors went with Whitney Souness, who traditionally played wing attack, but was thought to have all the attributes to make a great centre.
The Souness experiment didn't last long and by the 2023 Netball World Cup, Kate Heffernan was seen as the best option at centre.
Gordon made the World Cup team but got limited court time.
Maddy Gordon played WA for the Pulse in 2020, which led to her first Silver Ferns' call-up. Photo: Photosport
But post the World Cup, Gordon has established herself as the Silver Ferns starting centre and is the full package on both attack and defence.
But on recent evidence the Silver Ferns might need her more at WA.
The question that leaves is who then steps into centre and Kate Heffernan seems like the best option.
Heffernan, who started each test at wing defence, has great vision into the circle and combined seamlessly with Gordon at wing attack.
The shuffling of positions causes a domino effect but with Catherine Hall being such a revelation at GD during the series, there's more defensive options in-circle to allow Karin Burger to slide to WD.
Silver Ferns' coach Dame Noeline Taurua has got plenty of time to chew the fat on the Gordon dilemma over the rest of the year.
While Taurua has been reinstated as coach, the interim coaches will remain in place for the upcoming series against Scotland and England in the UK.
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