Australia national netball team

The Australia national netball team, commonly known as the Australian Netball Diamonds, represent Australia in international netball tests and competitions. The team was formed in 1938 and played in the first international game of netball, against New Zealand. In 2008 the team adopted the nickname "Diamonds" in line with other Australian sporting teams, including the national women's basketball team, the Opals.

Australia have traditionally been regarded as the most successful netball team in international netball: they have won ten of the thirteen World Netball Championships, in addition to being the current world champions and ranked first in the IFNA World Rankings. The Diamonds compete annually in a home-and-away test series, the Constellation Cup, with perennial rivals New Zealand. Regular test matches are also held with other major netball countries, including England and Jamaica. To date, Australia have won ten World Championships and two Commonwealth Games events.

The Diamonds are administered by Netball Australia, the national governing body for netball in the country. Players are usually selected from Australian ANZ Championship franchises. The team are presently captained by Adelaide Thunderbirds midcourter Natalie von Bertouch. Lisa Alexander was appointed head coach in August 2011, taking over from Norma Plummer.

History

While they remain amongst the world's very best, they have come under increasing challenge from New Zealand's national team, the Silver Ferns, in recent years. New Zealand won the 2006 Commonwealth Games final and the grand final of the 2003 World Netball Championships, which saw Australia lose the top world ranking. However, Australia regained their status as world champions after winning the 2007 World Netball Championships.

Historically, the Australian team has had a edge over perennial rivals New Zealand, as posting 54 victories, as opposed to New Zealand’s 36 out of the 90 tests they have played (as at October 2008), including two matches ending in a draw.

On the 8th of September 2008, Netball Australia launched officially named the national team the Australian Netball Diamonds. ^[1] Continuing the trend set by the Australian women's basketball team, the Opals, Netball Australia made the announcement and described it as a milestone event in the sport's 80-year history in Australia.

Australia won the 2011 World Netball Championships on 10 July 2011 when the team defeated New Zealand 58-57 overtime, giving them their tenth world championship.^[2]

Competitive record

Players

2011 Diamonds

Other 2011 players

• Sharelle McMahon (injured)
• Lauren Nourse (injured)

Notable past players

• Jennifer Borlase: netball commentator for ONE HD (in Adelaide) 2009
• Alison Broadbent: current netball commentator for ONE HD (in Sydney), co-host of the FastNet Series 2009
• Joyce Brown
• Natasha Chokljat: captain of the World 7 team in 2009
• Liz Ellis: captain 2004–2007, most capped player (122) in Australian history, current netball commentator for ONE HD (ANZ Championship and Holden Test Series), host of the FastNet Series 2009
• Selina Gilsenan
• Kathryn Harby-Williams: current netball commentator for Sky Sports NZ
• Kristen Hughes
• Rosalie Jencke: current coach of the Queensland Firebirds 2010
• Cynna Kydd (née Neele)
• Jill McIntosh: former coach of the Australian team
• Simone McKinnis
• Shelley O'Donnell
• Anne Sargeant
• Vicki Wilson: former coach of the Queensland Firebirds 2006–2009, current netball commentator for ONE HD
• Eloise Southby-Halbish: netball commentator 2006–2008
• Laura von Bertouch: sister of Natalie von Bertouch

See also

• Constellation Cup
• Netball in Australia

References

External links

• Official team website
• Netball Australia website