The Australian Diamonds’ 2023 Netball World Cup team has been revealed, with a number of surprise selections amid tricky selection battles up and down the line-up.
In the midcourt, Ash Brazill has been given one last tournament with the retiring Collingwood star selected along with captain Liz Watson, Paige Hadley and Jamie-Lee Price.
The Giants’ Price, who showed excellent form through the Super Netball season, missed the Commonwealth Games as a reserve but has been elevated into the team ahead of the Vixens’ Kate Moloney, who moves to the reserves.
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Vice-captain Steph Wood leads the goalers along with Kiera Austin, Cara Koenen and Sophie Garbin, the latter getting the nod over reserve Donnell Wallam.
The Garbin-Wallam debate was in a sense the reverse of the Price/Moloney call, with Wallam showing much better form over the course of the Super Netball campaign but Garbin – who has been playing out of position – having the experience advantage.
As expected Sunday Aryang, Courtney Bruce, Sarah Klau and Joanna Weston were named as the defenders, with Ruby Bakewall-Doran as a reserve.
All three reserves will travel with the Diamonds side and be eligible for promotion to the playing list if necessary, but the player they are replacing cannot return to play in the tournament.
“We have incredible strength and depth in our squad, which is a credit to each player’s ability to perform in both the Diamonds program and the Suncorp Super Netball League,” Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich said.
“We are confident we have the versatility across our combinations, and I’m excited by the variations we can put out on the court in Cape Town.
“We have been building towards the 2023 Netball World Cup and we look forward to the challenge of taking on the world’s best.”
The side was selected by Marinkovich and national selectors Anne Sargeant OAM and Michelle Wilkins.
The Diamonds begin their World Cup campaign on July 28 against Zimbabwe.
2023 AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS WORLD CUP TEAM
Sunday Aryang (West Coast Fever/Western Australia)
Kiera Austin (Melbourne Vixens/New South Wales)
Ash Brazill (Collingwood Magpies/New South Wales)
Courtney Bruce (West Coast Fever/Western Australia)
Sophie Garbin (Collingwood Magpies/Western Australia)
Paige Hadley (NSW Swifts/New South Wales)
Sarah Klau (NSW Swifts/South Australia)
Cara Koenen (Sunshine Coast Lightning/Queensland)
Jamie-Lee Price (GIANTS Netball/New South Wales)
Liz Watson (Melbourne Vixens/Victoria)
Joanna Weston (Melbourne Vixens/Victoria)
Steph Wood (Sunshine Coast Lightning/Queensland)
Reserves
Ruby Bakewell-Doran (Queensland Firebirds/Queensland)
Kate Moloney (Melbourne Vixens/Victoria)
Donnell Wallam (Queensland Firebirds/Western Australia)