THE 2023 Netball Quad Series is set to get underway this weekend, with Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa all set to battle it out in Cape Town, South Africa for the title. In the build up, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at each of the teams competing at the tournament and analyse their potential at this tournament.

In today’s final team preview, we are looking at world number ones and the reigning Quad Series champions, Australia.

Last year went just about perfectly for the Aussie Diamonds, and with a big year coming up they will certainly be hoping 2023 brings just as much success. Starting off the year winning the Quad Series against England, they then went on to retake their Commonwealth Games title after not defending it on home soil four years prior. Then it was back home to play in front of fans for the first time in over 1000 days, which saw them defeat New Zealand to win the Constellation Cup and defeat the English Roses in back to back series.

Coming into this Quad Series, the Diamonds are the ones with arguably the most pressure on their backs. They are the world number ones, they are the reigning Quad Series champions and they are the most recent major title winners.  

This series is also the start of another big year, with what is ahead no doubt weighing on the minds of at least a few people in the Diamonds camp. Now that they have won back the Commonwealth Games title, their next aim is to win back the World Cup title after finishing second in Liverpool four years ago.

Speaking of that squad, there are not too many changes from the squads that took to the court in the two home series at the back end of last year. However, there are a few. One of these, and the most recent, is Tara Hinchliffe, with the Lightning defender coming into the squad late to replace the injured Jo Weston. Ash Brazill is also back in the squad, after choosing to go back to AFLW and not contest either the Constellation Cup or Roses series.

Donnell Wallam, Amy Parmenter and Maddy Proud all featured in at least either the England or New Zealand series’ but have not made the squad for this series, while Gretel Bueta opted to sit out this series.

Australia Squad

Sunday Aryang, Kiera Austin, Ash Brazill, Courtney Bruce, Sophie Dwyer, Sophie Garbin, Paige Hadley, Tara Hinchliffe, Sarah Klau, Cara Koenen, Kate Moloney, Jamie-Lee Price, Liz Watson, Steph Wood