Early season movement - Langman off to Mystics

With the 2013 barely done and dusted the player movement has commenced with a hiss and a roar. This is certainly the first post of many about the recent signings in what has kept my fellow netball tragic's glued to our technology to await the latest signings. 

During the season the announcement by BOP/Magic coach Noeline Taurua that she would be leaving the club after a decade of coaching, many predicted that some of her big name Silver Ferns would also follow suit and choose to begin the 2014 season in a new environment.

First cab off the ranks was champion midcourter Laura Langman announcing she has parted ways with Magic and will be a Mystic next season. Not a total surprise amongst my fellow netball tragic's, out of all the NZ franchises's the Mystics really did have a wee hole that needed to be filled in the midcourt as mentioned a few times this year after Temepara Bailey's retirement.

Laura will commute from Hamilton to Auckland to be apart of the franchise, saying "Im Waikato born and bred...but at the end of the day i had to look at my objectives that i want to tick...and i felt the Mystics was a good match for that".

Langman will be a fantastic addition to the Mystics set up with their midcourt being slightly under developed this season. Mystics CEO Julie Patterson has shared the clubs thoughts about signing Laura "She knows all of the players...competed with or against during her career. Being able to combine with Maria down the attacking end, and Kayla and Anna in defense gives us some real strength in the midcourt".

The Mystics really did struggle in attack with the usual midcourt flow causing timing issues for the team. Laura will be a great steadier for the team, her usual high work rate will be much needed and a great asset to the franchise. 

On the other side of the coin it will be interesting to see who the Magic recruit to fill the massive gap left by Langman's departure. As one of the best centre's in the competition it will not be an easy task for the incumbent midcourter to fill whoever that may be.