More mature Philip in a shootout for Games

MELBOURNE Vixens netballer Tegan Philip says she will not take her second chance for granted before next year’s Commonwealth Games.

Australian mainstays Sharelle McMahon (118 Test caps) and Natalie Medhurst (86) have had a mortgage on the goal attack position for more than a decade. With both gone, Philip, 28, will have first crack in tomorrow’s Quad Series opener against England in Brisbane.

Gretel Tippett, Susan Pettitt and Stephanie Wood are the other three Diamonds in a fight to call that position their own.

Geelong’s Philip played all of her nine Tests in 2014 and was part of the Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning squad in Glasgow.

But she fell out of favour after below-par performances in the Constellation Cup that followed and then missed the 2016 season when she tore her ACL. She is now back in the squad after what she describes as her “best ever” season with the Vixens this year. for that bib in the Constellation Cup.

“Tegan’s really matured ... she wasn’t married, she hadn’t had her injury and those two big things that happened in her life have made a significant difference,” Alexander said.

Performances in the next two tournaments will decide who is named to defend gold on the Gold Coast next year.

“Realistically that is how it is, just three games to prove myself,” Philip said of the Quad Series against England, South Africa and New Zealand.

“I think I am a better player than I was; I’m more mature and the ACL injury means I don’t take it for granted now.” GEELONG’ S T EGAN PHILIP