With selection looming this week, BIANCA CHATFIELD has picked her World Cup Diamonds; the team of 12, plus three training partners. A couple of near misses are particularly brutal.
Diamonds selection calls can be brutal, and I’ve been on both sides. It’s never a comfortable time as a player waiting for the phone to ring; Tuesday is D-day this time.
We’re blessed with so much talent here in Australia but I think last year’s Commonwealth Games was even tougher, because it was our first real insight into the plans and preferences of head coach Stacey Marinkovich.
And that’s why, ultimately, we have to trust in Marinkovich’s judgment, because she hasn’t given us any cause to question it so far. Her teams have won everything they’ve shown up to play. She hasn’t let us down yet. Everything she has done has worked.
With that in mind, here is my World Cup team. With zero selection experience at this level, I’m focusing on performances and combinations as my framework.
SHOOTERS
Steph Wood: No matter what Wood does in Super Netball, she is always at her very best when it comes to wearing the green and gold. One of the smartest players out there is definitely in. And will be pivotal if the Diamonds are to regain the World Cup.
Cara Koenen: I think Koenen has proven her worth many times over in the past 12 months. It’s a tough ask for many defenders to curb her moving game, with her added strength and court smarts, and lethal combination with Wood.
Kiera Austin: Not just through her performances with the Vixens but also the versatility she offers to fit in with a line-up, wherever they need her. In a full season post ACL operation, her timing is an asset, as well as her connection with Liz Watson and Kate Moloney.
Donnell Wallam: It would be a big call for the selectors to choose Wallam ahead of Sophie Garbin, but I think the Firebirds shooter has to be there. Why: her accuracy, creativity, strength in the air and ability to shoot long and own the pressure moments.
MIDCOURT
No surprises that this is the toughest part of the court to select. The source of many discussions, disagreements and fence-sitting leaves me with little confidence about who will make the final cut, but my middies would be:
Liz Watson: The captain. Doesn’t probably need any explanation but she is the general, the leader and the calmness amongst the chaos.
Paige Hadley: A lock, given her form, experience and her ability to cover WA and C.
Kate Moloney: Needs to be there, due to her versatility, superior fitness and passion to do everything possible to win. And similarly to Wood and Koenen, Moloney’s combination with Watson is a safety net to revert to when needed.
Ash Brazill: This is the toughest selection. But going on past Diamonds’ performances, a locked-down WD is important. While it’s hard to judge her form on what’s been happening at the Magpies, Marinkovich knows Brazill well and I think that the fact she was a prominent part of the Comm Games win will get her over the line, for a World Cup debut in her netball farewell.
DEFENDERS
Courtney Bruce: The engine of the defence end. The grit and determination and spice she plays with, along with her experience, can have a huge impact and often does.
Sarah Klau: The standout SSN defender this season, Klau is versatile, the most talented defender in the team and will be used to full capacity in Cape Town.
Jo Weston: Probably doesn’t get the big numbers when it comes to stats but has the experience, and Weston’s dogged one-on-one style of tagging defence is what she does best.
Sunday Aryang: Another interesting position but Aryang’s combination with Fever teammate Bruce, her ability to cover WD and elusive ball-winning skills will be the possible X-factor Australia may need. The fact she was at Comm Games also counts for a lot.
TRAVELLING RESERVES
Jamie-Lee Price: Based on her excellent season with the Giants, you would have to say this is the harshest non-selection. And I’m not even confident I’ve made the right call! I’m basing it purely on the fact I expect them to retain the Comm Games quartet. An ideal back-up though, and the brightest Diamond-in-the-making, who I expect to be there for many years to come.
Sophie Garbin: It is heartbreaking to see her miss out. Garbin has all the attributes to own the GS position and her past Diamonds performances might still be enough to put her in the 12. The Magpies experiment hasn’t helped, although we know that doesn’t count when playing out of position. I just think it’s a risk to include her in the 12, and I hope wherever Soph lands in SSN next season will be a place that helps her develop her game, rebuilds her confidence and allows her to play with the joy we see on her face when she is at GS.
Ruby Bakewell-Doran: An important insurance policy, who can cover GD, WD and GK, win ball and play a tagging role if needed.
Round 13 distinctions
SUPER NETBALL CROWDS
Sold-out stadiums witnessed every game in a round that had no bearing on which teams would make finals. That’s pretty phenomenal.
It’s a huge vote of confidence in the game itself, given all the media negativity around the sport in the past 12 months. As well as the smaller Brisbane venue being packed out, there were more than 11,000 in Perth, 9,300 in Adelaide and a full house of almost 10,000 on Monday at John Cain Arena.
It also reinforces the need for a bigger stadium in Adelaide, given the success of staging the Thunderbirds-Firebirds game at the Entertainment Centre, and I believe that’s the plan for the future.
But it can’t happen if the T-birds end up hosting the minor semi-final in a fortnight because the larger venue is already booked to host Disney on Ice.
MINOR PREMIERS: NSW SWIFTS
At least there’s one team heading into finals with momentum, strong performances and now nine wins in a row.
In contrast, what’s been eluding the other finalists — an exception being the Fever against the Giants on Sunday — is the confidence in what they’re bringing out on court and an unwavering belief in the ability to dominate a game from start to finish.
Well done to the Swifts; I didn’t think they had it in them after such a shaky start to the season. But if anything, they’re widening their winning margins and looking more formidable with every week that passes.
Six points clear now and definitely looming as the team to beat.
Pass
BELINDA REYNOLDS
The way the first-year Sunshine Coast Lightning coach has craftily managed the last few rounds, by putting the challenge to her team to treat each round as a final even when they were out of top four contention, has been so impressive.
Every player sings her praises and I was struck by the post-game interview with Mahalia Cassidy, who reiterated how much respect the Lightning group has for its coach.
Imagine the team they could have become if Reynolds had been at the helm for just a few more months? Or a couple of close results had gone in their favour?
It’s the way the former Fever assistant empowers her players to take charge and introduces emerging talent like Ash Ervin that really stands out.
Lightning will want to lock down as many players as they can for next season, and you get the feeling there won’t be many on the Sunny Coast who won’t be keen to stay.
Fail
STATE OF ORIGIN PROMOTION
Sounds like Marketing 101 but if you’re going to try to piggy-back on the NRL’s Origin concept, at least get your material right.
For last week’s state-versus-state promo, SSN used Kim Ravaillion (born and raised in NSW) as the poster-girl for Queensland and Allie Smith (a recently-relocated Victorian) as the featured Swift.
Ridiculous.
