Netball World Cup 2023: Diamonds shooter reveals emotional toll of delayed team naming

Super Netball uncertainty coupled with a delayed Diamonds team naming has taken its toll on players, with one revealing she broke into tears when finally contacted.

Sophie Garbin only realised the enormous toll the delayed Diamonds announcement had taken when the happy news she had made Australia’s World Cup squad was met with a flood of tears.

More than almost any other player in the league, Garbin’s road to the World Cup has been a rollercoaster.

In a pitched battle for the final shooting spot on Australia’s roster, Garbin has had to endure Collingwood’s uncertain future and eventual demise and the fact that she does not know where she will be playing next season, as well as Netball Australia delaying the squad announcement last week as part of an industrial dispute.

“I think it was probably taking a toll on me a bit more than I expected,” Garbin said of NA reneging on a deal to reveal the Diamonds team of 12 plus three reserves for the World Cup last Tuesday.

Sophie Garbin was emotional when finding out she was named in the World Cup squad. Picture: Getty Images

“You’re just holding on to that date and when (the phone call) didn’t come it was a little bit disheartening and frustrating.”

The national body was variously accused of “holding players to ransom” and “industrial bullying” after refusing to name the selected team until players signed a new Diamonds Collective Player Agreement, with a compromise finally nutted out late last week to extend the current interim arrangement until the end of August.

It allowed squad members to be informed of their World Cup fate before the final fixture round at the weekend, with coach Stacey Marinkovich calling Garbin on Friday just hours before she travelled to Tasmania for the Magpies’ Super Netball farewell.

“When Stacey called I was obviously super nervous … and when I found out (I was in the team), I just bawled my eyes out,” Garbin said.

Sophie Garbin on her way to an MVP performance in Collingwood’s final Super Netball match against West Coast Fever on Saturday night. Picture: Getty Images

“The emotions just overcame me. I didn’t know how I was going to react but it’s just such a relief to know.

“For all athletes in Super Netball, we don’t know what’s happening in the next couple of weeks so just to have a little bit of certainty and something to look forward to and plan out is nice.

“And hopefully it will distract me from what I think will be another couple of weird weeks.”

Garbin paid tribute to the Diamonds staff though, saying coach Stacey Marinkovich and NA high performance manager Stacey West had been particularly supportive through a difficult time.

“The Diamonds support staff have been so good over the last couple of weeks just checking in and connecting with me and ‘Brazzy’ (Ash Brazill) especially,” Garbin said of the Collingwood pair.

“It can be such a transactional environment that Diamonds environment if someone’s not performing or whatever but I think (Marinkovich) is really starting to live the values that she’s been speaking about and I just felt like a human.

Head Coach Stacey Marinkovich of Australia (C) speaks to Sophie Garbin during the Constellation Cup in New Zealand. Picture: Getty Images

“It sounds weird but just that human connection over the last couple of weeks from not just Stacey Marinkovich but Stacey West and all the support staff, so it’s been really nice for what’s been a weird period of time for me and ‘Braz’ especially.”

Garbin won a pitched battle for the holding shooter’s position, beating Queensland Firebirds goaler Donnell Wallam for the spot, with Wallam named a reserve.

While much had been made of the fact that Garbin was playing at goal attack at Super Netball level, Marinkovich was unconcerned, saying she had been working on what was needed in the background.

“She certainly has been training across those double positions within Magpies … and we’ve seen some skills and strengths that have come out of Sophie’s game after playing in the goal attack,” Marinkovich said.

“So whilst you don’t get to see it day in, day out, I think there’s things that she’s been able to get a better understanding of — she still can create good movement for herself to post, but she can also set up her other partnering shooter.”

Originally published as Netball World Cup 2023: Diamonds shooter reveals emotional toll of delayed team naming