Compare the Pair: Natasha Chokljat and Kim Green

News April 7, 2020

Pic: Mark Evans

THE Draft Central Compare the Pair series will aim to analyse two players from different Australian Diamonds eras, with the next showcasing midcourters, Natasha Chokljat and Kim Green. Two players with plenty of class and speed between them, Chokljat and Green have been some big highlights in the midcourt for the Diamonds in recent years. While Green was a specialist wing attack with flair and impeccable hands to match, Chokljat had the flexibility to rotate when required and was always able to shock her opposition with her quick feet and ability to find the ball no matter where she was on court. While the two players had different styles and approaches to the match, their respective dominance on the court is a testament to the confidence, fitness and consistency they brought to their time as Diamonds. With recognisable names across their respective eras of international netball, these two players were as tough as they get. Throughout the early 2000s Chokljat was a key name amongst the Diamonds with her tenacity and versatility coming in droves. While she only collected the 29 international caps across three years with the Diamonds, her ability to create plays and work well with the likes of Sharelle McMahon, drawing on domestic experience, made her a crucial member for Australia. Chokljat was a real unknown quantity moving into wing attack, having played as a wing defence for majority of her career prior to Diamonds selection, but well and truly proved her place in the side with her defensive mindset delivering in droves to turnover the netball and spur on her team in attack. With speed to attack the ball and no qualms under pressure, Chokljat led the way with her no-nonsense attitude and constant pressure. While Chokljat may not have had the most star-studded career, with only the one major tournament under her belt, her work ethic and constant drive to improve and win made her a handy inclusion to have an immediate impact upon entering the court. Green’s relatively early retirement from international netball came to a surprise to many, with the talented wing attack certainly able to continue at her prime well past 2015. However Green had achieved everything she could have by her retirement, finishing on the ultimate high with a 2015 Netball World Cup title – her second following the Diamonds 2011 victory – and a Commonwealth Games gold in 2014. Her star-studded career was no fluke however, with impeccable vision, an uncanny knack to hit circle edge and ability to feed the ball on a platter to her attackers. Green’s vision both on and off the ball was credit to her constant vigilance and high workrate even when the ball was at the other end, always keeping a keen eye on the game and using her leadership skills to build up those around her. Green was one of the most agile and well balanced wing attacks often tiptoeing around the circle edge and using her burst of speed to leave her opponent high and dry while her strength was second to none, hardly ever outmuscled in the contest. _ Natasha Chokljat 29 caps, 2003-2006 Kim Green 74 caps, 2008-2015

Which Diamonds wing attack would you pick?

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ANZ Premiership ladder

Pos	Team	P	W	L	GF	GD	ST	L5	Pts	GA+/-	VNSL Pts	ANZ Pts
1	Mystics	14	10	4	869	43	W2	0-4-1	40	1.05	30	30
2	Tactix	15	10	5	799	34	L1	0-4-1	40	1.04	30	30
3	Steel	14	9	5	762	9	L1	0-3-2	36	1.01	27	27
4	Stars	13	8	5	723	34	W1	0-2-3	32	1.05	24	24
5	Pulse	13	4	9	685	-8	L1	0-1-4	16	0.99	12	12

View full table

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