Australian coach Stacey Marinkovich has more headaches than answers after series victories over New Zealand and England, with the World Cup selection race heating up.
Despite missing Commonwealth Games gold medallists Gretel Bueta (pregnancy), Sunday Aryang (injury) and Ash Brazill (AFLW commitments) for both series, plus captain Liz Watson and vice-captain Steph Wood for the England series, Australia marched to a 3-0 win over the Roses on Thursday.
With the World Cup now less than nine months away, Marinkovich has plenty to ponder before settling on that 12-player squad.
SEE OUR FOX NETBALL EXPERTS’ STARTING SEVEN PREDICTIONS BELOW
“I think that’s a headache already and that’s what we wanted to see. We wanted to see our depth,” she said post-match.
“We wanted healthy competition in the group. They’ve done their job, now I’ve got to do mine (with selection).”
Fox Netball experts Catherine Cox, Laura Geitz and Kim Green put together their starting seven for the World Cup based on current form, with all three opting to go without Brazill.
“I was really impressed with the work (Price) did. And it leans me more towards Amy Parmenter in wing defence knowing those two have the club connection there (at GIANTS),” Geitz said.
Green went with a controversial selection, opting for Hadley over captain Liz Watson.
“I’ve loved what she’s done in this series and I’ve loved her connection with Jamie-Lee Price,” Green praised.
“There’s so much depth there and every single person who’s had the opportunity has come on and had a blinder,” Cox added.
“Ash Brazill, none of us even mentioned. She, of course, will come back into it (contention).
“Ash has taken a break. She needed a break. We’ve all been there. But now looking at what’s happened in her absence, you’d have to worry about the timing.”
Green said she had no doubt Brazill would come out firing in the upcoming Super Netball season in a bid to win back her Diamonds spot.
“I think she would have been nervous making the choice in the first place. She knows there’s some great players out there,” Green said.
“Jamie-Lee Price and Parmenter are nipping at her heels. They’ve both come out (for Australia) and done a fantastic job. I know Ash would have been disappointed she wasn’t here, but she had other things to do.
“I think we’ll see a good season from her in SSN.”
When asked if Brazill had put her Diamonds dress in jeopardy by returning to Collingwood in the AFLW, coach Marinkovich said there were “things to work through”.
“I think any selection for me right at this point in time is difficult,” she said in the game two post-match press conference.
“I think Amy (Parmenter) has built and grown in her game while Braz brings some really strong attributes at the same time. There’s some things we still have to work through.
“We’ve got to look at an overall dynamic and keep weighing it up.
“It’s great to be able to have so many people putting their hand up.”
OUR EXPERTS’ WORLD CUP STARTING SEVEN
Catherine Cox
GK Courtney Bruce
GD Jo Weston
WD Amy Parmenter
C Kate Moloney
WA Liz Watson
GA Steph Wood
GS Sophie Garbin
Laura Geitz
GK Courtney Bruce
GD Jo Weston
WD Amy Parmenter
C Jamie-Lee Price
WA Liz Watson
GA Steph Wood
GS Sophie Garbin
Kim Green
GK Courtney Bruce
GD Jo Weston
WD Amy Parmenter
C Jamie-Lee Price
WA Paige Hadley
GA Steph Wood
GS Sophie Garbin
