Netball’s dream team: Why Diamonds’ dominance is not as easy as it seems
By Carla Jaeger
The Australian Diamonds’ 12th world title was “all the more extraordinary” because of the recent turmoil in the background of Australian netball, according to champion Liz Ellis.
Ellis, Australia’s most capped netballer and a former captain, said while there was an expectation of success when wearing the Diamonds dress, the squad led by captain Liz Watson and coach Stacey Marinkovich had stared down this pressure and set aside ongoing uncertainty to deliver their biggest World Cup final win by margin in 28 years.
Australia hoists the netball World Cup aloft.Credit: AP
The relationship between the players and administration has soured over a series of public disputes. Most recently, the announcement of the World Cup squad was delayed because of a stand-off over a new collective bargaining agreement. The dispute reached a temporary truce, with the parties signing to extend the current CBA while negotiations continued.
“That in the background, and the demise of Collingwood [Super Netball team], and the fact that there are players in the Diamonds team who don’t know what they’re doing next year – it makes it all the more extraordinary,” Ellis said after Australia turned the tables on England.
Star defender Jo Weston told this masthead last month the prospect of having no income in the months ahead left the players in limbo.
The trophy completes Australia’s set after they claimed every other piece of silverware on offer in the past four-year cycle – the Constellation Cup, Commonwealth Games gold medal, the Quad Series and the England Test series.
It was a revenge win for the Diamonds after the Roses beat them in the preliminary stages of the tournament by one goal (56-55) in what was their first victory over Australia in 14 World Cup meetings.
Former Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander said the team is “always standing on the shoulders of the ones that have gone before.”
“Diamonds are built on a culture of success, high expectations and high performance. They’ve always got that internal pressure within the team to perform because of the legacy,” Alexander said.
For Ellis, who watched the 61-45 victory over England with her 11-year-daughter, that sentiment rings true.
“You feel that when you come in, and you put that dress on, and are aware of the fact that when you play for the Diamonds, there is an expectation of success,” she said.
“There’s pressure, which I think is really good because it gets you ready for the pressure of the big games.”
Another key to the success of the Diamonds is the Super Netball competition, which Ellis says gives the Diamonds the best possible training ground to prepare for the World Cup.
Alexander agrees: “We have the advantage of our players playing the world’s best competition, week in week out.”
The Diamonds were crowned world champions for the 12th time.Credit: Getty
But the Australian domestic competition is doing more than just preparing the Diamonds for success. According to Alexander, it adds to the global strength of netball, given the number of internationals who now play in the league.
“This World Cup was the most competitive of all time. Uganda beat South Africa – that’s big. Jamaica beat New Zealand in the bronze-medal play-off – that hasn’t happened [before],” she said. “Any of those firsts are part of the development of world netball, and Australia is a big contributor to that.”
Ellis added: “While England and Jamaica are getting stronger, their best players are playing against our best players week in and week out, so our best players get used to it and get better.”
“When you think about it, for the Diamonds, there is no better preparation than spending week in week out playing against the best international players in the world.”
Sunday’s victory in Cape Town might become more meaningful if the future of the Commonwealth Games remains uncertain after being plunged into limbo when the Andrews government withdrew from hosting the 2026 event in Victoria.
“It really puts the World Cup back firmly, fair and square, as the pinnacle event for netball,” Ellis said.
Alexander, who has long considered the two global events of equal importance, said: “If we haven’t got Comm’ Games as well, we’re going to have to look at perhaps having world champs every two years or something that like to keep global netball developing.”
“That’s going to be something very important for all administrators at the top of world netball to think about.”
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