DESPITE how things went for the Australian Diamonds in their recent Constellation Cup series against New Zealand, things could not have been more different for the Australian Kelpies, who clean swept their series with the Kiwis after a 71 to 39 goal win in game four yesterday.

Speaking after yesterday’s match, star Kelpies’ defender Josh Byron could not have been happier with how that match and the series as a whole had gone.

“It’s been a big lead up over four months before that, Selection Camp, National Championship, so it really is a 12 month cycle for us and it’s obviously really rewarding to get a clean sweep after all 12 of us have put in such a huge amount of work,” Byron said.

“This is the first year we’ve played four test matches, until now it’s been a three match series, so that’s obviously a really great evolution of the men’s game for us and this is the pinnacle event for us, and having the opportunity to be the curtain raiser to the Diamonds and play in front of crowds and in televised environments is fantastic and such a great opportunity.

“Its something that we really appreciate and are extremely grateful for, and it’s something that we don’t take for granted and understand that there’s a lot of people that have come to watch. for us that have given us this platform.”

The series was not on the line in yesterday’s match, but Byron said that the Kelpies certainly did not treat the match like a dead rubber.

“I think international netball, despite what a scorecard says, there’s no such thing as a dead rubber right? You never want to lose a game, especially against the Kiwis,” Byron said.

“It’s such a fierce rivalry, and we knew that they were going to come out firing. They’ve been building throughout the series with a fairly new look team. They’ve got a great core of players and are showing some really good signs, and we have no doubt that they’ll continue to improve and challenge us as the years go on.

“So it was all about coming back to our processes and what we were going to be working on and execute in line with our game plan.”

Yesterday’s match was also the final match for the Kelpies for star shooter Jerome Gillbard, who fittingly scored the final goal of the match.

Byron confirmed that the star shooter is a much loved member of the group that will be missed, and his retirement gave the group extra motivation to get the win.

“Jerome holds a really special place in our hearts and we’ve had the privilege of playing alongside him for a very long time,” Byron said.

“A number of us have played with him through the junior ranks and junior teams for the best part of a decade.

“Jerome’s a really special person to us and we wanted to make sure we sent him out on the right note, and knowing Jerome, we knew he was going to do his job because he always does, and that’s what makes him so fantastic and such an asset to our environment, and we’re going to miss him dearly, but it’s a really exciting time for him to move into the next phase of his life.”

The strength of Byron’s on court partnership with Alastair Punshon was a really noticeable part of the Kelpies’ win, and the fact that the pair have played together for a long time across multiple levels of the pathway very evident.

“So Al and I have played in Aussie teams together since 2013 from when we were in the under 17s. When I was in NSW before I moved to Victoria I was actually a goaler, so I’d battle against him,” Byron explained.

“Ever since we came into the Kelpies environment in 2018, we’ve been a defensive duo, and we’ve been able to kind of mould that over time and having that at a state league level, and then a state level, and then at Kelpies level as well is really special. Al is one of my closest friends, we’ve had a really great relationship for a long time, so to be able to share the court with him and share those moments and continue to build our relationship on court is really special and something that I’ll cherish for a long time.”

Another obvious strength of the Kelpies’ game was their speed in transition, which Byron explained is one part of the type of netball the side wants to play.

“We have a brand that we want to put out there and that comes down to that quick but also controlled play,” Byron explained.

“We understand that we can’t go a hundred miles an hour the whole time. It is about tempo control, but we know we thrive and we can move that ball quickly and get some really strong speed through the ball. So it’s just about having those angles and the good thing of having that core together for a number of years now is that we’ve been able to build those connections, which is always really helpful.”

Despite the growing profile of the Kelpies, the players still face a lot of challengers their Diamonds’ counterparts do not, namely around the financial side of things, but Byron explained that it is about the broader picture for all of the Kelpies’ team members.

“Every single one of us plays this game because we love it with everything we have and I think the way that we play out there and the passion that we show is a testament to that,” Byron said.

“We’ve made some massive strides over the past few years thanks to the support of Netball Australia and the way that the relationship between Netball Australia and AMMNA has grown, which has allowed us to have these amazing opportunities versus pre COVID when we were unknown, playing behind closed doors, maybe with a live stream.

“So we’ve taken some massive steps. We know that time takes time and things take a while and we’re just so excited to have these opportunities where we are and hopefully we’re forging a path so that more men and boys around the country know about the pathways and those things grow over time.”