WE have surpassed the midway point of the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season, meaning that young players have now had an opportunity to step up and prove they are capable of an Australian Diamonds berth. With a new head coach at the helm, the 2020/21 Diamonds squad could have a new look for the upcoming international season. With a couple of retirees and injuries, Draft Central casts an eye over potential new inclusions to the overall squad and its development counterparts. These notes are purely based on the individual opinions of each writer.

ATTACK

The attack end could look a little bit different this international season with Caitlin Thwaites retiring from Diamonds duties and Gretel Bueta unavailable until further notice after announcing her pregnancy. This creates a few golden opportunities for young players to step up in their absence and ply their trade under the post. Here are a couple of potential goalers chomping at the bit for their chance to don the green and gold dress.

Cara Koenen – Sunshine Coast Lightning (Taylah Melki)

Cara Koenen has taken everything in her stride over the past couple of seasons and has elevated her game even further in 2020 with her smooth movement along the baseline. Her quick little pop in the goal circle and strong holds are key elements of her game play while her high netball IQ enables her to dictate the flow in the goal circle. She is not often overawed by the physical pressure and is strong in the air to reel in the high balls time and time again. Koenen is accurate to post and is not afraid to demand the ball showcasing her increased confidence. Although more accustomed to the goal shooter position, Koenen has shown in glimpses that she is more than capable of playing in goal attack but will have to work on her endurance if she is to have more of an impact out of the circle.

Sophie Garbin – NSW Swifts (Sophie Taylor)

A smooth mover with plenty of evasive skills, there is no doubt Sophie Garbin can enter a game with ease and grace. Able to hold up under pressure and put up not only a great accuracy but volume too, Garbin’s ability to impact on a match is credit to her impressive footwork and strength to hold her ground. Typically a goal shooter, Garbin has worked hard over the past season to adjust her play to rotate into goal attack if need be, and while she still has room to improve she has certainly stepped up her game and attacked the position head on. Like Koenen, Garbin is unafraid of a goalline drive and is willing to adjust her positioning time and time again, although she has found her comfort spot under the post and is rarely willing to put up a risky attempt which could be seen as a flaw in her game. Nevertheless, Garbin is an impressive and impactful young talent who has all the makings of a great player with time at the elite level.

Kiera Austin – GIANTS Netball (Sophie Taylor)

An effortless player who has the ability to slot into a game with ease is Kiera Austin. With a heap of versatility allowing her to rotate seamlessly between goal shooter, goal attack and wing attack, Austin can create play just as easily as she can be the star of the show to post. Zippy, with great netball smarts and defensive attributes to win back the ball through the midcourt, Austin first put herself on selectors’ radars in 2018, was in the 2019 Diamonds development squad and was elevated to a full time extended squad member late last year thanks to her adaptability and overall impact across the court. While Austin is already technically part of the squad, she is worth making a mention of given how effortlessly she has stepped into an almost full-time goal attack role this season, consistently having an impact and drawing attention of defenders with her ability to hit the scoreboard from range and with volume. Austin’s only current fallback is that when her accuracy drops, so does her confidence. With extended court time, there is no doubt Austin will be an ever tougher battle in the future.

MIDCOURT

Through the midcourt, the Diamonds have lost a couple of key cogs with Ash Brazill rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) back in February and still recovering, while speedster Kelsey Browne has had a little setback on her return from an ACL after tweaking her knee in a Suncorp Super Netball game. 

Jemma Mi Mi – Queensland Firebirds (Taylah Melki)

With speed to burn Jemma Mi Mi has been a solid contributor for the Firebirds this year, able to hit the circle edge with great intent and pace. The wing attack has showcased her impressive vision to feed the ball into the circle and vary her passes to keep the defenders guessing. She oozes plenty of excitement with her crafty passes and dynamic footwork to dance around circle edge and ward off defenders. Mi Mi is strong on the drive and is a constant option at the centre pass to receive ball and initiate second phase play. Boasting plenty of speed it can sometimes be Mi Mi’s biggest fault with the midcourter often too quick for her own good and burning herself out, or losing ball in transition due to her fast footwork.

Amy Parmenter – GIANTS Netball (Taylah Melki)

There is no denying that Amy Parmenter is one to watch for the future with the wing defence bound to catch the eye of selectors. She contests each and every single pass, to make life hard for her opposition while her closing speed is equally as impressive. Parmenter is never far away, constantly on the lookout for a flashy intercept or deflection such is her netball nous and understanding. However one thing she will be hoping to work on will be learning when and when not to challenge the ball in order to ensure she stays in play more regularly. Her work in defence is impressive, able to pressure her opponent with her three-foot marking along with her footwork around circle edge to create tips. But it is her work through transition that is also a standout, able to bring the ball down court with great confidence and precision.

Maddy Proud – NSW Swifts (Sophie Taylor)

On return from injury Maddy Proud has struck gold in 2020, stepping straight back into a premiership-winning midcourt and not looking even a little bit out of place. While her consistency and endurance may have suffered in the absence of regular court time, Proud has returned at the perfect time with the rolling subs allowing her to step back from the game in patches. Her continuous energy and ability to go-go-go has seen her step up through the centre when her team is not firing and getting them back in line with her constant drives and zippy footwork. With a huge work ethic and grin to match, Proud is unafraid to test her own boundaries and hit the deck, rarely coming off second best with her composure and cleanliness to dish off ball. Able to transition with ease between wing attack and centre, Proud can offer plenty of spark and agility into the Diamonds credit to her renewed confidence and ability to get the job done.

DEFENCE

While it is unlikely there will be any major absences from the Diamonds defensive end, a couple of youngsters have stepped up this season with their consistency and ability to win ball for their respective sides. Each player has showcased a heap of potential to earn a Diamonds call up if the international season goes ahead.

Kim Jenner – Queensland Firebirds (Taylah Melki)

The Queensland Firebirds goal defence has been in scintillating form in season 2020 and is deserving in a call-up to the Diamonds. She has set the court alight more times than once this season with her read of the play and innate hunt for the ball allowing her to get hands to ball. Kim Jenner has exceptional closing speed and can read the shot with ease to get handy deflections and get in the head of her opponent. The 22-year-old is versatile, able to swing into goal keeper but does the most damage out in goal defence thanks to the extra court space to create deflections and mount pressure. Her drive through the midcourt is key to her game along with her constant niggle. Sometimes costly in defence given the amount of penalties she accumulates, Jenner will be hoping to tidy up her approach while still ferociously attacking the play.

Tara Hinchliffe – Queensland Firebirds (Taylah Melki)

Fellow Firebirds defender Tara Hinchliffe has taken the next step up this season, consolidating her role in at goal keeper and winning a wealth of ball. She has consistently showcased her ability to contest in the air especially against the taller goalers. Hinchliffe is not afraid to go out hunting and leave the goal shooter unattended while her footwork is a prominent feature of her game, able to work her opponent up high and keep them there. Her lean over the shot is strong, able to put doubt in the shooters minds – pair that with her leap and Hinchliffe is a damaging prospect down back. She does an immense amount of work off the ball to claim prime position and is strong on the rebound to reel in ball time and time again. Hinchliffe can sometimes draw the attention of the umpire, an area she will be hoping to address to guarantee she can remain in play for longer and not release that pressure valve in defence.

Kate Eddy – Melbourne Vixens (Sophie Taylor)

A versatile defender with plenty of Diamonds-worthy attributes, Kate Eddy put herself on the map in 2019 with the Swifts before returning to her home state of Victoria in 2020 and settling into a consistent starting spot with the Vixens. While still relatively young, Eddy has slotted in with ease to the Vixens defensive unit and added a new layer with her arms over pressure and ability to rotate between both circle and midcourt defence. Her ability to impact the play in both goal defence and wing defence is testament to her work rate and ability to combine with any number of players, winning back ball with speed and cleanliness. Her hunt this season has been impressive, although she will want to work on her consistency if she is to step up to Diamonds contention given she can sometimes fade in and out of games.

POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PLAYERS

These players have highlighted their potential throughout the 2020 Super Netball season and while they may not be ready to take the jump into the international level they would benefit from the opportunity to be surrounded by an elite training program. 

In attack Alice Teague-Neeld and Georgie Horjus have stepped up this season for their respective sides. Teague-Neeld has a wealth of experience and has improved in 2020 while Horjus may still be a training partner but has proved that she is more than capable of taking the game on. A few midcourters who have elevated their game in 2020 are Tayla Fraser, Maisie Nankivell and Molly Jovic. All three players offer completely different options through the centre, with Fraser using her speed and vision to make an impact offensively, Nankivell using her strength to win ball back down the other end and Jovic proving to be a threat in whichever position offered her. There are some impressive names that have stepped up defensively in 2020, with Sunday Aryang, Lauren Moore and Olivia Lewis leading the charge. Aryang and Moore are highly versatile, able to adapt to whichever position needs to be filled, while Lewis is a specialised goal keeper who continues to improve with every game.

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Courtside Comments:

Maisie Nankivell // Tippah Dwan // Sunday Aryang // Molly Jovic // Georgie Horjus // Lauren Moore // Alice Teague-Neeld