The Origin Diamonds took a clear sweep of the check collection towards the English Roses with a hard-fought 57-53 win in Take a look at 3.
Stacey Marinkovich’s pre-match instruction to the Diamonds was to exit exhausting within the first 5 minutes. And that they did, with each participant operating down free balls and making use of arms over strain proper the best way down the court docket.
At first, the Diamonds simply discovered their goal in Donnell Wallam who was holding fantastically at midrange and dropping proper below the submit due to pin-point feeds from Paige Hadley and Kate Moloney.
7minutes in, the Diamonds had run out to a 12-4 lead which pressured Roses coach, Jess Thirlby to ring in some adjustments. Layla Guscoth entered the sport at aim defence with fan-favourite Funmi Fadoju shifted again to keeper the place her elevation, fast toes and tenacity made close to rapid impression by forcing Wallam to get on the transfer.
Maddy Turner collected 2 intercepts and 1 rebound. Picture: Simon Leonard
Maddy Turner bought her first style of court docket time this collection, when she began at aim defence for the Diamonds. The Swifts defender introduced plenty of vitality within the first quarter-hour and mixed nicely with Courtney Bruce on the again. Although within the second quarter, her presence was considerably nullified by English aim assault Sophie Drakeford-Lewis who fairly successfully drew Turner away from the circle the place she was much less impactful.
The Diamonds examined new mixtures in the course of the match, with each crew member taking the court docket in some unspecified time in the future. With a revolving door of shooters, and extra intense defensive strain from the Roses, match MVP Hadley acknowledged that they had challenges.
“At occasions Funmi clearly has hops which is about placement for us. We should always have used that pretend a bit extra and kind of craft the place she goes to go. However I feel all of our shooters did nicely. Sophie Dwyer got here on and was actually calm and took that entrance sweep fairly early to open up two choices. Sophie Garbin we in all probability put below an excessive amount of strain. We all know she has bought hops as nicely. It’s about adapting however all of them got here on nicely and used their strengths.
“For us feeders, it’s about attending to circle edge so we will get the boldness into the shooters. The extra assured we’re to present the ball, the extra assured they’re. But when we can provide 100% feeds, not the 50/50’s the higher. If we pressure it, we’re giving the defender extra alternatives.”

Funmi Fadoju with the block. Picture Marcela Massey
Regardless of the blistering begin by the Diamonds, they misplaced consistency within the second half. Talking after the match, coach Stacey Marinkovich acknowledged this was one thing which wanted plenty of work.
“We had plenty of adjustments at the moment as nicely which in all probability ramped up a little bit of strain. However we needed to see what depth we had. We needed to see what selection we may play with, whether or not it’s technique or personnel. Now we simply must take these learnings and apply them constantly.”
From the second quarter onwards, the Roses discovered extra connection and tidied up their turnovers. In addition they tidied up their defensive strain and drew much less whistle which produced essential good points.
Talking after the match, Cardwell stated this was one thing she and her teammates attempt to work on.
“For me, I regulate the small issues. It is likely to be a tiny little angle or the timing of the go and actually making an attempt to get out of the umpire’s head. In the event that they name one thing, you understand it’s essential regulate. It is likely to be figuring out to maintain your hand by your facet for sure for the following one. Simply preserve stable in there. The decision would possibly come your approach if you happen to preserve the umpire in your facet. We’re all the time speaking, having open conversations that’s going to assist us get by the following quarter or the following passage of play. We’re all the time adjusting right through the court docket.”
When it comes to stats, there wasn’t a lot separating the Diamonds and Roses. Though the Diamonds had extra time in possession, the sport could have come got here right down to their willingness to seek out free balls and convert with the Diamonds gathering 22 free ball pickups to the Roses 8.

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis had a powerful recreation for the Roses. picture: Simon Leonard

Who’s defending who? Picture: Simon Leonard
Talking after the sport, Thirlby famous that whereas they’re extraordinarily disenchanted to not take at the very least one win out of this collection, she is happy with the teachings they realized.
“Now we have needed to do some exhausting and quick studying between matches. We like that problem of studying fast. We went into recreation two anticipating the Aussies to get stronger, significantly within the midcourt. We knew the ball velocity could be up. We knew that they had the choices to change between the holding shooters and the rotating shooters. And that took us too lengthy to regulate too, regardless of figuring out it was coming.
Tonight was nice as a result of we needed to do it (get again into the sport) a tough approach, a unique approach. I feel rather a lot would have written our crew off, significantly towards a high quality facet just like the Diamonds. So, I feel to push ourselves again in, to at the very least get a foothold, even just a little bit, bought us psychologically again within the recreation. I feel there was rather a lot to be happy with. I anticipated the Diamonds to show the screw on us being 9 targets up. So, I feel to present ourselves even half an opportunity is nice. It reveals grit and willpower. That doesn’t imply we’re joyful to not be going dwelling with at the very least a win. We’re annoyed. However there’s a lot the place we will genuinely go dwelling and assume for longer intervals, we now know a few of what works towards the primary on this planet.”
SHOOTING STATISTICS
AUSTRALIA
Donnell Wallam – 25/26 (96%)
Kiera Austin – 9/11 (82%)
Sophie Garbin – 14/18 (78%)
Sophie Dwyer – 9/10 (90%)
ENGLAND
Eleanor Cardwell – 38/40 (95%)
Sophie Drakeford-Lewis – 12/13 (92%)
Helen Housby – 3/4 (75%)
NETFIT PLAY OF THE DAY – CENTRE PASS DEEP CROSS
One factor which the Diamonds did exceptionally nicely within the first quarter was mixup their attacking performs. Wing assault Paige Hadley and aim assault Kiera Austin shared the centre passes and one a couple of events performed a deep cross with one drawing each defenders so the opposite may take the centre whereas the opposite lower throughout for the second part. It’s a really efficient approach of opening up the circle.
Watch the under NETFIT Netball video discover ways to implement the deep cross together with your crew. For extra nice video content material and training suggestions, obtain the NETFIT Netball App now.
WHERE TOO FROM HERE
Each groups at the moment are disassembling as they head straight into home preseason coaching. For El Cardwell that’s a brand new Aussie journey, as she excitedly meets her Adelaide Thunderbirds teammates for the primary time.
The Roses will meet once more in November for a few coaching camps to prep and apply learnings from this and the Uganda collection. They may even look to introduce a couple of new athletes to this system.
Then in January, the Roses will meet once more for a collection at dwelling which can then lead straight into the Quad collection.
Thirlby relishes the concept of getting her Roses in such a tense surroundings for many of January.
“We aren’t in such a lucky place with fulltime athletes. So our Roses program is treasured and our time collectively is treasured. I’m wanting ahead to seeing what we will put out in January, figuring out that our rivals can have improved to. So nice challenges lay forward.’
The Diamonds are in a lot the identical place with every crew member having a brief break after which heading straight into preseason for the Suncorp Tremendous Netball.
Stacey Marinkovich joked that she is but to see the roadmap for her subsequent few months to know when she has any downtime, as she is heading off to the AIS subsequent week for a Leaders in Sport convention.
The Diamonds too, will come collectively earlier than the Quad Sequence, although no camp has been formally confirmed but.
For either side, the Quad Sequence will possible be the final style of worldwide netball earlier than they probably meet once more on the 2023 Netball World Cup.

Layla Guscoth having fun with a chat with the Internet Set Go gamers. Picture: Simon Leonard

Paige Hadley performed a captain’s recreation and took out MVP. Picture: Marcela Massey