THERE are a number of netballers in the world that have pulled on the international dress for more than one country throughout the career. With netball on hold due to the outbreak of COVID-19 Draft Central has decided to take a look at those players and their international careers and what could have been. Next up is former Australian Diamond and current England Roses wing attack Chelsea Pitman.

It is fair to say that Pitman has had the best of both worlds and tasted her fair share of success with both Australia and England. The fancy footed midcourter burst onto the scene in 2011 with the Queensland Firebirds where she really made a name for herself with her composure and on-court brilliance. In fact, her impact was so profound in her first year at the Firebirds that she quickly caught the eye of the Australian Diamonds selectors. At the ripe age of 21, Pitman made her debut for the Diamonds and did not look back, seamlessly transitioning onto the international stage with great skill and movement. That year, she was also apart of the winning gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games.

Her ability to thread the needle and deliver the ball with pin-point accuracy into the goal circle made her near on impossible to stop. Her vision and connection into the likes of Nat Medhurst, Catherine Cox and Caitlin Bassett was simply undeniable and helped to push the Diamonds to victory. Although she is not the fastest player on court it is her understanding, spatial awareness and variety of passes that sets her apart from others.

But after spending times in the Australian Diamonds ranks, Pitman decided to jump ship and join the England Roses, something she was eligible to do thanks to her Yorkshire-born father. Pitman debuted for the Roses in 2017 and quickly became an integral member in their starting seven with her dynamic footwork and leadership.

Her experience both at an international and domestic level paid dividends for the Roses who were clearly building into becoming a powerhouse team. The classy wing attack, tasted her first lot of Roses success in 2018 on the Gold Coast after downing Australia by one goal in an epic gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games. Although they did not claim gold in the World Cup, Pitman also played a vital role in getting her side to challenge for bronze. Her ability to find Jo Harten, Helen Housby and Rachel Dunn under the post plus her strong connection with gut-running centre Serena Guthrie only makes her a more commanding presence for the Roses. She is reliable around the circle edge and works hard to tussle for prime feeding position.

Renowned for her skill out in wing attack, Pitman is quite versatile able to rotate into that goal attack position as shown at both an international and domestic level such as the Adelaide Thunderbirds. Since swapping countries, Pitman has played 38 caps in the red and white to go with her 15 for Australia. The New South Wales born talent has continued to elevate her game using her netball smarts to full effect.