Elly McNerney7 Minute Read
Stacey Marinkovich and her team of selectors have locked in the team of 12 that will compete at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town next month.
The selection involved a few tough calls, with players putting their best foot forward during the Super Netball season to get the Diamonds call up which saw the hard calls having to be made. Due to the fact that there is such a short period between the Super Netball ending and the plane leaving for Cape Town, Marinkovich and the team would be looking to draw on as many pre-existing connections as possible.
For the first time, teams also have the chance to select three reserve players that can be brought into the squad of 12 at any point in time. If one of the three reserves are to be called upon, it would mean that the player ruled out can’t return to the tournament, which makes those decisions a little bit tougher.
ESPN takes a look at the Diamonds squad for the World Cup
Shooters
Looking at the list of goalers, Steph Wood, Cara Koenen and Kiera Austin arguably picked themselves through strong international and Super Netball form across the last 12 months.
Wood and Koenen have one of the best shooter-to-shooter combinations in Super Netball at the Sunshine Coast Lightning, with the pair bringing out each other’s strengths. While Austin, much like Wood, can be the playmaker goal attack when needed and can stand up in high pressure moments as we’ve seen for the Vixens this season.
Meaning it all came down to the battle between Donnell Wallam and Sophie Garbin for that final goal shooter spot.
A case could be made for either of them, with Wallam having a fantastic second Super Netball season while Garbin’s her international form speaks for itself.
Wallam once again put up a high volume of goals for the Firebirds scoring 669 goals for the season, second to the best goal shooter in the world in Jhaniele Fowler. While for Garbin, despite a tough season at Super Netball level she was one of the players who stepped up in game three of the Constellation Cup and really turned the tide to get that win.
Ultimately it was Garbin that was given the nod in the final shooting spot, while Wallam was named as the reserve.
Garbin has got a strong connection with Watson and Wood which was on show during the Quad Series and the Constellation Cup last year, while Wallam hasn’t with Watson and Wood sitting out the England Test last season which was the series Wallam got her debut in.
Although at times, looking unconfident going to post for the Magpies across the season, Garbin has proved time and time again that she can slip into the Diamonds environment with ease and get the job done when needed.
The idea to bring Wallam as the reserve may have shocked some, but it was a good decision. In the case that a goal attack was the one to get subbed out, you’ve got Koenen and if needed Garbin that would be able to step up. While if you’re losing one of Garbin or Koenen, you lose a strong presence under the post which is what Wallam would bring.
Midcourt
Much like the shooting end, the first two midcourt positions arguably picked themselves with captain Liz Watson and Swifts’ Paige Hadley getting their ticket to Cape Town. The leadership these two bring in the middle will be vital across the tournament and fans saw during the England Series and Quad Series what a fully fit Paige Hadley can do in Diamonds colours.
At times across the season, it looked like that specialist wing defence role was well and truly up for grabs with Amy Parmenter having another strong season. But we all know that Marinkovich likes versatility in her players and fans would only have to go back as far as this weekend to see what Brazill can do in centre when she’s needed to.
In the final match for the Magpies Brazill was instrumental at centre, having 17 goal assists and 28 feeds. The selection of Brazill means that the dual code star will bid farewell to the game in style, in her first Netball World Cup.
The final position in the midcourt could have arguably gone either way, with the battle between Jamie-Lee Price and Kate Moloney one of the toughest calls that the selection panel had to make.
Much like the battle between Garbin and Wallam, you could make a case for either. Moloney was instrumental in the Diamonds historic gold medal win at the Commonwealth Games last season, while Price’s Super Netball form this season has been hard to look past, with her defensive game one of the best in the league in the midcourt. Add that to her strong performances at the Quad Series and back end of 2022 and Price just edges past Maloney.
It was Price that got that final midcourt spot, and deservedly so, with the 27-year-old able to bring that element of something different into the Diamonds attack, while being able to be just as strong defensively. Price also has the big game experience, having been selected in the 2019 World Cup so is no stranger to the big stage.
Moloney got the call up as the travelling reserve for the midcourt with her combinations with Watson, Austin and Jo Weston incredibly strong which would allow for a seamless transition if called upon. While Moloney doesn’t often play out at wing attack, if that is in fact the position that needs to be covered through injury Marinkovich will have Austin who can cover that position.
Defence
When you’ve got the likes of Courtney Bruce, Jo Weston and Sarah Klau all proven performers at international level, it’s safe to say that the defence end will be in relatively good shape coming into the World Cup.
Bruce is the type of player that can get underneath the skin of her direct opponent which is something we’ve seen at both international level and with the West Coast Fever. With the Diamonds coming up against the likes of Eleanor Cardwell, Grace Nweke and Jhaniele Fowler, a player of Bruce’s calibre would be one of the first selected. Bruce has that strong read of the play which will allow her to pick the right moments to go out hunting.
Weston’s combination with Bruce is a real strength at international level, with the third Test in the Constellation Cup a prime example. Between Weston and Bruce, they were able to nullify the impact of Silver Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio which forced Dame Noeline Tarua to look to the bench. Weston is the type of player that puts in the work all game and as the game continues on comes up with the rewards.
Another player with similar characteristics is Klau, who can be similar to Weston who wears the players down or can come from the bench and make an immediate impact, like we saw in the final quarter of the Gold Medal Match in the Commonwealth Games.
At times it may have been a 50/50 call between Sunday Aryang and Ruby Bakewell- Doran. Aryang’s strong combination with Courtney Bruce would have been something that would have set her apart from Bakewell- Doran. As well as Aryang’s ability to cover wing defence if needed would have also tipped the scales in her favour, then when you can move Courtney Bruce out into goal defence, it creates a pretty strong first line of defence.
Having Bakewell-Doran as the reserve would bring in something different into the Diamonds camp if called upon. Which isn’t a bad thing, when you’ve got the tall trio in Bruce, Klau and Weston, the point of difference in Bakewell- Doran might be able to ignite that spark. Plus she’s no stranger to the environment having been the defensive training partner for last year’s Commonwealth Games, before making her debut later that year during the Constellation Cup.
Diamonds Squad
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)