After first making the Silver Ferns team in 1996, Temepara Bailey had a long four-year wait before finally celebrating her on-court debut in 2000 against Australia in Newcastle.

Over the next decade, the explosive little midcourter more than made up for lost time as she went on to become one of the most influential players of her era.

At 1.70m she was among the shortest players in international Netball, however a lack of height proved no hindrance to her exploits on the court.

An instinctive and free-spirited player, Bailey was an exceptional athlete with a dazzling array of skills, the pint-sized pocket rocket got better with age as she continued to ply her trademark skills through the new era of semi-professional Netball and on the international stage.

A feisty bundle of energy, she was an integral member of the Silver Ferns where her sleight of hand and foot, impeccable vision and speed on attack and defence made her a danger to any opposition.

Elevated to the vice-captaincy of the Silver Ferns, a growing maturity added further fuel to her game as she became a key director of play through the midcourt.

The mother of two was a pivotal figure in many of the Silver Ferns most memorable wins, including the 2003 Netball World Cup – where she was sent off for two goals in the final for repeated infringing - and back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold medal triumphs in 2006 and 2010.