It has been a disappointing year for the Southern Steel head coach, with her side failing to record a win in the ANZ Premiership.
The Steel now holds the competition’s longest losing streak of 18 games — three from last season and 15 this year — and became the first team in ANZ Premiership to go through the season winless.
The Central Pulse is the only other New Zealand team in the ANZ Championship — the former transtasman competition — and ANZ Premiership era to match that record, going through the inaugural 2008 ANZ Championship season winless.
The Steel picked up four bonus points, losing by five goals or less and showed improvements.
It struggled the most at the start of the season, coming off the shock loss of English Rose George Fisher who was ruled out with a knee injury.
It is not the way anyone predicted the season to go for the Southerners and Bloxham wanted to right her side’s wrongs next year.
"I would never want to finish like that," Bloxham said.
"I feel like this season has taught me so much as a coach that I am hungry to have another go next season and see what we can do with a more settled sort of lineup to go all the way through.
"I know that the players are really eager to see what we can do next year, especially after the season that we’ve had this year."
Asked if she backed the job her and the team did this year, she acknowledged it had not gone the way they hoped.
"You always have this master plan and I think when part of that plan gets pulled apart, you hope that what you’ve got underneath is going to hold up your team.
"When we lost George we probably thought ‘oh yeah, we’ve lost a shooter’.
"But I think when we lost her it became evident that not only was she a loss, but that’s where the Shannon Saunders factor came in, because it was that leadership at that attack end that we really did miss this season.
"However, I do believe that all of these players are going to be richer next year.
"It’s never the way that you want it to go, but again, plenty to be proud out."
She was proud of the attitude, belief and fight her players showed throughout the season.
They had improved immensely and she highlighted the second fixture against the Northern Stars, in which the Steel lost by only two — compared with the first meeting when the Steel lost 74-40 — as a turning point.
"The growth that we had in that week was huge.
"To get absolute clarity from everyone of what we needed to do and then to be able to execute that out on court, I think that was a real shift for us."
Players embraced the challenge of going again and playing out of position to get the side within reach.
"Somebody like Renee [Savai’inaea] who has been thrust into this wing attack position and she has done herself proud.
"The way that she has taken on the challenge and then really worked hard to improve her game in this back half of the season — I think that’s a real credit to the player that she is."
Bloxham goes overseas on June 14, linking up with the Welsh Feathers as a specialist coach for the Netball World Cup.
"It’s a wicked opportunity and I can’t wait, actually."
The Northern Mystics (33) wrapped up the minor premiership on goal differential after beating the Northern Stars 63-58 yesterday. The Central Pulse (33) is second.
The Stars (30) secured a much-needed bonus point to stay in third for the final playoffs spot.
However, the Mainland Tactix (27) have the opportunity to jump into third if it can secure a big win over the Mystics in Auckland tonight.
Either the Tactix or the Stars will play the Pulse in the elimination final next week. The Mystics automatically qualify for the final.
