The Australian Diamonds found their best form as they returned home for their first international match in more than 1000 days.
In front of a sell-out Melbourne crowd, the Diamonds dismantled a Silver Ferns squad that had been a dominant force in the first two Constellation Cup games, claiming a 62-47 victory.
Here are the big talking points of the third Test.
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WRAP: Aussies put netball rivals in ‘absolute chokehold’ to keep series alive
WELCOME BACK WESTON!
Jo Weston has been sorely missed this Constellation Cup series, and her SOS call up for Wednesday’s third Test showed exactly why.
The combination of Sarah Klau and Courtney Bruce just hadn’t been able to quell Grace Nweke’s volume and Ameliaranne Ekenasio’s prowess out in front.
Bruce hasn’t been able to have the influence on games that she did for the West Coast Fever, where she led the club to its first Super Netball title.
With Sunday Aryang out injured, the Diamonds went into game two a defender short and it showed as too much was asked of Ruby Bakewell-Doran in her first international game.
But the call to Weston finally came for game three – after the star defender was a bridesmaid for a friend’s wedding and didn’t travel to New Zealand.
“I’ve been really impressed by Jo Weston. She’s doing a huge amount of work, she’s sitting on the body, she’s coming off, causing a lot of doubt,” ex-Australian defender Bianca Chatfield praised.
Bruce had been held to just two gains and one intercept in the opening two games. She had five gains and three intercepts for game three alone, plus seven deflections, with Weston back by her side.
The two have such a great understanding together and it showed, with Weston also picking up three gains and two intercepts, to go with a deflection.
“Weston’s had an impact,” netball great Cath Cox praised.
“She’s been the difference for me,” former Aussie skipper Caitlin Bassett added.
“She allows Courtney Bruce to go back and do what she does best – niggle, look for the ball, get tips and touches and that’s because Jo Weston is riding the body hard outside the circle.”
Weston was so dominant early that New Zealand coach Noeline Taurua sent her captain Ekenasio to the bench for the first time this series.
Despite saying she felt a little slow to start the game after her break, Weston was a welcome addition to the Diamonds side that needed a win to keep their Constellation Cup hopes alive.
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GRETEL WHO? GARBIN STEPS INTO GIANT SHOES
There’s no doubt the loss of the world’s best player in Gretel Bueta was going to hurt Australia’s attack end.
Not only does Bueta do a mountain of work out in front, but she’s dynamite with her accuracy – her biggest improvement in her game since she crossed into professional netball.
But with Bueta absent as she’s pregnant with her second child – and likely missing the World Cup held in July next year – the Diamonds need to find an answer to their goal scoring woes.
Coach Stacey Marinkovich opted for Cara Koenen in the first two Constellation Cup matches after her brilliance in the Commonwealth Games gold medal victory over Jamaica.
But Koenen wasn’t able to repeat that effort in the first two Test against New Zealand.
Enter Sophie Garbin.
Where Koenen was beaten by Ferns goal keeper Kelly Jury’s footwork, Garbin used her holding strength to keep Jury out of play.
While the radar was a little wonky at times in the second term, Garbin stayed calm and repeated – hold Jury out and take that strong ball, providing a clear target for the Diamonds midcourt. And it resulted in a whopping 57 feeds for captain Liz Watson.
The Koenen-Steph Wood combination in the first two games just had too much movement against the Ferns and allowed Jury and Phoenix Karaka to confuse the space, forcing the feed astray.
Garbin’s remarkable strength under the post did not go unnoticed by Aussie shooting great Catherine Cox.
“Sophie Garbin’s just been so strong,” she praised.
“Particularly against one of the best players we’ve seen this series (in Jury).
“She’s been so strong on the takes. It’s been a joy to watch.”
It was an impressive performance from Garbin who is known to prefer her role as a goal shooter, rather than out at goal attack where she has to play for her Super Netball club the Collingwood Magpies.
Now the 25-year-old has the chance to make that Australian GS bib her own heading into a World Cup year.
“What an opportunity for any of the Diamonds shooters to put their hand up and say they really want it,” commentator Bianca Chatfield said.
“It’s Garbin putting her hand up, ‘I’m going to be that strong presence that we need in that attack end’.”
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AUSSIES WALK ‘FINE LINE’ IN DOMINANT DISPLAY
With Courtney Bruce and Jo Weston back together, the defensive duo dominated the Silver Ferns attackers by throwing their weight around.
It was a very willing and physical goal circle as the Diamonds duo got under the skin of Grace Nweke and Ameliaranne Ekenasio with elbows subtly thrown.
Both attackers and defenders had their arms in the air early, signalling for the umpire’s attention.
Australia coughed up 16 penalties to just nine in the opening 10 minutes of the game, but impressively were able to adjust – as the mental game wore on.
Young Silver Ferns shooter Nweke, player of the match in game two and a star in game one, just couldn’t find her groove in Melbourne.
“There has to be a layer of intimidation that you bring to a game as a defender – actually all over the court. It doesn’t mean you are giving away silly penalties,” ex-Aussie defender Bianca Chatfield said.
“I like the way Weston and Bruce and (wing defence Jamie-Lee) Price stepped out there in the first quarter and showed that (physicality).
“There’s a fine line between backing off as well as the umpires start to see it.
“We have seen Nweke not as strong and confident because of that.”
Cath Cox agreed the Bruce/Weston defensive combo was a “big learning curve” for a player like Nweke.
“She doesn’t look happy Nweke. She’s copped a lot in that circle,” Cox said.
“She won’t be up against someone more physical than Courtney Bruce.”
Both Bruce and Weston were given verbal addresses by umpire Gary Burgess, yet no official warning or caution was handed out.
And that’s the balance coach Stacey Marinkovich needed her defenders to find – niggle enough to get under the skin but not enough to land yourself in hot water.
Bruce has been the master of reaching that line in the Super Netball season. Weston went close to crossing it on Wednesday night with a late challenge on Te Paea Selby-Rickit, but again never crossed it.
“The Diamonds started off with a lot of penalties. They were physically strong, mentally trying to intimidate them… but then they backed off,” Chatfield praised.
“You have to find that line – you don’t always get it right, but I think they did.
“But everyone’s going to be waiting in game four – the Diamonds will have to be careful. They don’t want to be penalised out early.”
By full time, it was the Silver Ferns who racked up more penalties – 71 to 59.
“It’s about stamping your mark on the game and then you’ve got to improve,” Chatfield explained. “See what the umpires are calling.”
STACEY’S SELECTIONS – IT’S TIME TO SIT BACK AND TRUST
Has a national netball coach ever created as much division for fans as Stacey Marinkovich? Yes, Lisa Alexander did leave a few disgruntled but Marinkovich is regularly blasted on social media for her decisions and moves like no other.
Some of her selections and moves have been confusing this Constellation Cup series, with the message seemingly unclear – are we focusing on getting games into players pre-World Cup, or are we going all out to retain the Constellation Cup?
But Wednesday’s game showed that Marinkovich is trying to do both and she’s landed on a line up that is not only settled, it is tried and trusted.
The return of Jo Weston allowed her to reunite with Courtney Bruce in defence. Jamie-Lee Price was pushed back into a very familiar wing defence while the Vixens combo of Kate Moloney and Liz Watson created havoc through the midcourt.
Now it’s just that shooting end that needs to gel.
But nothing happens overnight, and netball fans need to remember that.
The Diamonds have missed a chunk of international netball through the Covid lockdown, and only played their first series together in March 2021 after an 18-month lay-off.
Then there was almost another year’s gap between that March 2021 Constellation Cup and this January’s Quad series.
There’s been plenty of changes to the squad in that time and little game time for everyone.
Speaking post-match, Marinkovich was steadfast that this series was about finding that gel within a team that can win the World Cup in July.
“We’ve moved players around but you can see things are starting to form,” she said.
“I think that’s what we are trying to get out of this series – that we have all basis covered (for July).
“(Players) don’t know until they play against that New Zealand style (how they’ll fare). Or against a Jamaica.
“That’s the standard we have set now.”
THE MEN ARE EXCELLENT FOR OUR GAME
There was a thrilling curtain raiser for Constellation Cup game three in Melbourne with the Australian men’s netball taking out the Trans Tasman series over New Zealand.
In a game that showcased some remarkable athletic feats, what is clear is the fact men’s netball belongs on the world stage and needs to be given the chance to shine.
From the likes of seven-foot shooter Junior Levi at one end to young Brodie Roberts for Australia down the other, the men’s game has a different tempo to the women’s – and it’s refreshing.
It is clear the West Coast Fever benefited from training with male players in the WA State Netball League this season – with Australian goal shooter Jerome Gillbard even filling in for the world’s best goal shooter in Jhaniele Fowler at times when she was absent from training for the Fever.
Male players involved in Fever’s training program were on stage when the club won their inaugural title this year, showing just how part of the team they are.
And we need this across the league – not only to improve the visibility of the men’s game, but to improve what the women’s game can offer.
Jo Weston came off court at half time on Wednesday night, and while she admitted feeling a little off the pace after not making the trip to New Zealand and playing the opening games, she credited training with the men’s team for her match fitness.
Across the three-game Trans Tasman series, it was clear how humble the men’s players are and how grateful they were for the integration they’ve had with the women’s side.
Every sport has to start somewhere to grow. And this series needs to be the seed for the men’s game to flourish.
