Mid Canterbury netballing star Kate Lloyd has moved from strength to strength in 2017, and has capped it off by signing with the WBOP Magic for the 2018 ANZ Premiership season.

Only just over a month since returning from the Netball Youth World Cup in Botswana with a gold medal, Lloyd has jumped ship from the Mainland Tactix to join the Magic.

Magic coach Marg Forsyth said Lloyd first came to their attention in a clash between the Tactix and Magic last season, where Lloyd came on at goal defence.

“We noticed she had range and mobility, and obviously she was in the U-21 squad that won the Youth World Championships in Botswana so we saw her there as well,” she said.

Forsyth said building a squad with a strong balance of experience and youth was important to build for the future seasons as well.

When it comes to developing for the future, Lloyd will have one of the most experienced defenders in New Zealand Netball to learn from, Casey Kopua, who will be entering her 15th season with the Magic.

“We are not only happy with what she (Kate) can offer on the court at the moment but what she can offer in the future as well,” Forsyth said.

“It is important for her to develop and for someone like Kate to be able to learn from someone like Casey Kopua is a really big thing for her.

“Being able to play, train and learn strategy from her is a great benefit for her as a player.”

Lloyd was called in to the Tactix squad at the start of 2017, and spread her time between the main team and the Beko Development league squad.

The WBOP Magic squad for the 2018 ANZ Premiership is:

Casey Kopua, Samantha Sinclair, Kelly Jury, Monica Falkner, Lenize Potgieter, Ariana Cable-Dixon, Sydney Fraser, Amorangi Malesala, Hayley Saunders, Kate Lloyd and Katherine Levien (nee Coffin).

By Jaime Pitt-MacKay © The Ashburton Guardian - 18 August 2017