Australian netball team coach Lisa Alexander working with SA to find more Diamonds

South Australia’s lack of a presence in the Diamonds has prompted national coach Lisa Alexander to discuss development options with Adelaide Thunderbirds and SASI.

Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander is working with SA’s leading coaches to improve development of talent. Picture: David Rowland/AAP

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Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander has met with Adelaide Thunderbirds and SASI netball coach Jenny Borlase in a determined bid to end South Australia’s frustrating drought of players in the national program.

Alexander is adamant the state has plenty of young talent with potential and is confident the dire situation can be turned around quickly.

South Australia, which has a proud history of producing netball champions, has not had a Diamonds representative since goal attack Nat Medhurst - and she has not worn the national dress since 2016.

Alexander believes there needs to be a greater emphasis on developing talent.

“We need to get Diamonds from SA so this is the starting point with the program,” Alexander said. “(Thunderbirds coach) Tania (Obst) is focused on it and I’m going to be doing everything I can to assist her.

Head Coach of Australia Lisa Alexander gives her team instructions during the Vitality Netball International Series match between Australian Diamonds and New Zealand, as part of the Netball Quad Series at Copper Box Arena on January 19. Picture: Getty Images

“I met with Tania, Jenny, Nat (von Bertouch) and Cathy (Fellows) and we talked about all the things we need to put in place. We need to develop and work with the talent here and the coaches need to step up to the plate.

“Tanya has brought great energy to the role. SA has the talent and it is all about how you develop that talent. It will take great leadership, some risks and guts and determination from the board.”

Alexander said the many coaching changes at the Thunderbirds since Jane Woodlands-Thompson’s highly successful tenure had been an issue, along with the lack of investment in coaching pathways alongside those for athletes.

The World Cup-winning coach believes SA had lacked a focus on knowing its core business and claimed athletes in SA sometimes got opportunities a little too soon which hindered their development.

She said it was important the Australian Netball League program started to feed athletes into the Thunderbirds.

Alexander, who will visit all eight Super Netball clubs, attended Thunderbirds’ training on Thursday and enjoyed watching promising SA youngsters Hannah Petty, Sasha Glasgow and Chelsea Blackman on court.

It was also an opportunity to “get a little look” at England’s Beth Cobden, Layla Guscoth and Chelsea Pitman training, as well as Jamaican Shamera Sterling, as she plans for the World Cup in Liverpool in July.