Time in camp builds game
A COVID-forced lack of international competition could be a blessing in disguise for the Diamonds, who go into their final Commonwealth Games preparation having had a rare opportunity to overhaul and finetune their game.
While the cancellation of a home Constellation Cup against New Zealand’s Silver Ferns and tour by England’s Roses were initially seen as catastrophic for the Australian netball team, the opportunity to spend an extended period in camp has allowed the side to construct its perfect game.
It is something the Diamonds take into the Quad Series in London from January 16-20, where they will meet the Ferns, Roses and South Africa’s Proteas in their final four matches before the Commonwealth Games in July-August.
And like drivers road testing a new engine, the Diamonds hope to be firing on all cylinders in London.
Coach Stacey Marinkovich said the challenge now was to execute under pressure.
“(Our camp on the) Sunshine Coast was a great opportunity for us to actually start to really embed our on-court performance strategy and we were able to play against each other,” Marinkovich said.
“The only thing that has really shifted a bit is to be able to understand what that looks like against other styles of play and what is it that’s going to challenge us to take us away from our game plan.”
While the Diamonds have lost the past two major international tournaments – the 2019 World Cup and 2018 Commonwealth Games – going down by a lone goal in each final, they remain the No.1 team and have the luxury of exceptional depth.
It has allowed them plenty of competitive match play in house but Marinkovich conceded she has had to adjust the plans she had when first appointed Diamonds coach last year.
“It’s certainly been an environment where we’ve had to adapt our scheduling,” she said.
“But the content in what we’re trying to put in play has always been there, just the focus has been a lot more internalised in terms of the way in which we can prepare games-wise.”
Taking on defending Commonwealth Games gold medallist England and World Cup champion New Zealand will be a welcome challenge, however.
“People relish this opportunity and I think that’s something in the Diamonds, we’ve certainly (realised) – you can’t play international netball at the drop of a hat anymore,” Marinkovich said.
“So when you get this uniform, when you’re stepping out and going to hear the anthem, all those types of things, it’s an absolute privilege and that’s where the emotion and the passion for this competition is probably going to be higher than what it’s been before, because you haven’t seen these teams in the one arena for a considerable amount of time.”