Diamonds coach wary of Jamaicans

AUSTRALIAN netball coach Lisa Alexander is considering a last-minute scouting mission to New Zealand to assess the dangerous Jamaicans as she beds down the side’s final Commonwealth Games preparations.

The world champion Diamonds will enter Gold Coast’s Games in April as red-hot favourites to win their fourth title from six appearances after multiple defeats of England, South Africa and New Zealand since August.

But Alexander is wary of the Jamaicans, who Australia will play in their final pool game on April 11 for the first time since a 67-56 World Cup semi-final victory in August 2015.

The Sunshine Girls will play in a final tune-up tournament against the Silver Ferns, Malawi Queens and Fiji Pearls in late March, with Alexander hopeful of attending.

“They’ve flown under the radar a bit but they’re playing well from what I’ve seen and I may go (to New Zealand) to get a better look at them,” she said.

“Between them and South Africa, who have really improved, we’ve got a tough draw.”

Alexander yesterday con- firmed the Diamonds would play four practice matches against Super Netball outfits and base themselves on the Sunshine Coast in the lead-up to the Games.

Australia will play the West Coast Fever in Canberra on March 15 and 16 before games against the Queensland Firebirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning on March 29 and 30.

The matches will be useful for returning defender Laura Geitz, who missed the last Super Netball season while having her first child. Australia opens its Commonwealth Games campaign against Northern Ireland on April 5.