Sunshine Coast’s Laura Langman and Queensland Firebird Mahalia Cassidy are polar opposites on the career spectrum yet they have much in common after another revealing round of the world’s premier domestic netball league.
Both sparkled for their respective sides as Langman’s Lightning pummeled West Coast Fever in a record-breaking 80-55 win in Perth and the Queensland Firebirds scrambled to a 57-57 draw with Collingwood.
That Langman was the best on court against West Coast was no shock. The 33-year-old is a proven champion with two Commonwealth Games gold medals and three premierships to her name.
The centre teased the Fever with high balls, long balls and almost any other shape of feed you could imagine. Defensively, she grabbed an intercept and gobbled up space that West Coast’s midcourters would have otherwise darted into.
“You know she’s going to run, and run, and run for 60 minutes,” Channel 9 commentator Cath Cox raved about Langman.
Of greater surprise was the near flawless game from Cassidy.
The 23-year-old occupational therapist renewed the rivalry she shares with former Firebirds teammate Kim Ravaillion. Their training duels at club level during the 2015 and 2016 seasons were fierce.
And, on the occasions national coach Lisa Alexander invited Cassidy into camp to test her Diamonds mids, the youngster would strip some bark off Ravaillion then too.
Her energy against the Magpies was obvious, and just as impressive as her 29 feeds and 17 assists was her determined refusal to give away turnovers.
It was a rousing performance from a player tipped for big things before a serious knee injury in 2017 stalled her progression.
“She’s grown in leaps and bounds from last year,” Firebirds captain Gabi Simpson said.
“She used to give Rav a huge run for her money when she was here.”
Tackling Langman in the local derby on Sunday at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre will be a wonderful opportunity for Cassidy to demonstrate her taming of Ravaillion wasn’t a one-off.
They were not the only midcourters to command attention as the Melbourne Vixens and NSW Swifts registered consecutive wins for their clubs on Sunday.
Paige Hadley was a key contributor to the Swifts’ 18-goal dismissal of the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
And Alexander had to be doing cartwheels over the performances of Vixens Kate Moloney and Liz Watson who are leading candidates to feature for Australia at the World Cup in July.
Moloney was the Nissan Player of the Match, conspiring with Watson for a combined 51 goal assists and 83 feeds.
