Australian Netball Awards: Liz Watson speaks about her pride at team unity during sponsorship crisis
Diamonds captain Liz Watson has revealed how the team stuck together while a storm erupted over a $15 million sponsorship drama with Hancock Prospecting.
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Diamonds captain Liz Watson has spoken of her pride at leading a united Australian team throughout a tumultuous end-of-year Test series after Liz Ellis lauded her “integrity”.
Watson won the Liz Ellis Diamond at a gathering of netball’s elite in Brisbane last week, becoming just the second player to snare the sport’s top prize twice.
Ellis, who is taking a year-long sabbatical with her family to travel around Australia, could not be there to present the award in person, but great mate and recently inducted Sport Australia Hall of Fame member Cath Cox was there on her behalf, reading a message from the former Diamonds captain who lauded Watson’s integrity as much as her playing ability.
Coming back from a season on the sidelines due to a foot injury that required surgery, Watson slipped neatly back into her role as a wing attack for the Melbourne Vixens, leading them to the Super Netball grand final.
She also led the Diamonds to a clean sweep on the international stage, lifting the Quad Series Trophy and Constellation Cup as well as helping Australia snare gold at the Commonwealth Games while being lauded as the world’s best midcourter.
But Ellis was equally impressed with Watson’s ability to perform off the court as the Diamonds came under immense pressure in the lead-up to and throughout the Constellation Cup and series against England’s Roses as the Hancock Prospecting sponsorship saga played out publicly.
“It obviously was a very difficult time, but I think it’s the group that got us through,” Watson said of the Diamonds players, who stood by First Nations teammate Donnell Wallam, who had sought an exemption from wearing the Hancock logo due to racist comments made by the company’s founder Lang Hancock.
“We stuck together. I’m so proud of them, they were proud of myself and Steph (Wood, Diamonds vice-captain) as leaders and I think we took that very seriously.
“And we aim to do that. We want the best for our sport, we want the best out of each other and I think what showed is that we could go out there and play, have fun, play free and win games and play well, which was very special.”
Hancock ultimately rescinded its proposed $15 million deal with the Diamonds, an outcome Watson has said was a pity given the team’s understanding of the value of that support and the players’ determination to find common ground.
There was both support and criticism of the Diamonds for their stance but Watson was proud of the team’s ability to shut out that noise to concentrate on the job at hand.
“It was nice just to know that whatever was happening with the group, we knew everything (that was going on) and we were very tight – we were very strong on that,” she said.
“The public, the media, they could have their own view and own opinion, but we were very focused on playing and that was our job at that time and obviously (everything else) was a bit of a side distraction.”
Watson won the Liz Ellis Diamond despite missing the final three Tests of the year against England, with coach Stacey Marinkovich giving her incredibly deep midcourt a chance for game time against the Roses.
But with another Quad Series to be announced as soon as this week, Diamonds players are likely to get another hitout beforethe Super Netball season ahead of the World Cup as they seek the only piece of silverware that is now missing from a trophy cabinet that was all but barren just 12 months ago.
Netball Awards: Diamonds skipper makes history
Australian captain Liz Watson has capped an outstanding return to netball by winning the Liz Ellis Diamond at the Australian Netball Awards in Brisbane on Thursday night.
Watson becomes just the second player in the past decade to receive the sport’s highest honour twice – joining Madi Browne (2012, 2014) in elite company after winning the Diamond in 2018.
After a year on the sidelines following surgery for a foot injury, Watson returned to stamp her authority as one of the world’s best midcourt players, leading the Diamonds to three international wins, including the gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Watson also led the Diamonds to victories in the Quad Series and Constellation Cup, as well as pushing the Melbourne Vixens into the Super Netball grand final.
The woman widely regarded as the world’s best wing attack was rested from the three-Test Roses series at the end of the year, allowing Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich to survey an incredibly deep Australian midcourt.
However, she still played a pivotal role with the team, leading from the sidelines in the opening Test in Newcastle and providing support in the background to players during what was a testing time during the sponsorship crisis.
In recognition of a year of dominance, Watson was crowned international player of the year alongside last year’s Liz Ellis Diamond recipient Courtney Bruce.
Bruce carried an enormous workload throughout the year, playing in every Test match of the season, while on the domestic front she captained West Coast Fever to a maiden Super Netball premiership.
The title was not enough for Bruce to be named in the Super Netball team of the year however, with Adelaide Thunderbirds defender Shamera Sterling winning the goalkeeper position alongside teammate LaTanya Wilson, who was named gold defence of the year.
West Coast Fever’s Jhaniele Fowler was named Super Netball player of the year for an incredible fifth year in succession.
Fowler was also named the goal shooter in the team of the year after finishing as the league’s top goal scorer with 929 goals – 38 more than last year.
After a breakout season with the Queensland Firebirds that resulted in a Diamonds’ call-up Donnell Wallam was announced the rookie of the year while the Joyce Brown coach of the year award was awarded to Diamonds mentor Marinkovich.
After a tough first series in charge in 2021, when she lost the Constellation Cup with some believing she was under pressure, Marinkovich swept all before her in 2022, leading the Diamonds to wins in the Quad Series, Commonwealth Games, Constellation Cup and a series against the Roses.
She will now cast her eye towards next year’s World Cup to return every major trophy to the Diamonds’ cabinet.
SUPER NETBALL TEAM OF THE YEAR
GS Jhaniele Fowler
GA Gretel Bueta
WA Liz Watson
C Maddy Proud
WD Amy Parmentor
GD LaTanya Wilson
GK Shamera Sterling
Attack reserve: Joe Harten; Mid reserve: Kelsey Browne; Defence reserve: Courtney Bruce
Originally published as Australian Netball Awards: Liz Watson speaks about her pride at team unity during sponsorship crisis
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