Commonwealth Games netball: New world order after Diamonds loss
AUSTRALIA went in as favourites but a new script was written in world netball at the Commonwealth Games in a thriller that will go down in history.
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NETBALL is one of the most popular team sports at the Commonwealth Games and Australia is very good at it. Seriously good in fact.
They have won more gold medals than any other nation and had their sighs set on another on the Gold Coast.
But at the 2018 event the world order of netball was given one almighty shake-up as England claimed their fuirst ever gold and New Zealand left for the first time without a medal of any colour.
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We take a look at the teams who played and how the event was run and won in our NETBALL GUIDE TO THE GAMES.
WHERE AND WHEN
The netball competition was held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 5-12.
The event culminated in finals matches at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre from April 15-15.
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WHO
The top 12 teams in the world were split into two pools for the preliminary rounds.
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DEFENDING CHAMPION
That would be Australia who beat New Zealand for the last crown in Glasgow four years ago.
QUAD SERIES GAME ONE: Close call for Diamonds
QUAD SERIES GAME TWO: Diamonds shine as experiment continues
QUAD SERIES GAME THREE: Australia cleansweeps series
HISTORY
The Commonwealth Games are pretty much netball’s Olympic Games.
The Games rank alongside the world championships as the two most important tournaments in the sport.
And Australia has the best history of any team at the event with five wins from the previous eight Commonwealth Games heading into the Gold Coast event.
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THE POOLS
POOL A
The Australian netball team were joined in Pool A by Jamaica, South Africa, Barbados, Fiji and Northern Ireland during the preliminary rounds.
POOL B
This pool saw matches between New Zealand, England, Malawi, Wales, Scotland and Uganda.
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HOW IT WORKS
Each team played every other team within their pool during the preliminary round matches which were held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 5-12.
The top teams in Pool A then played the top teams in Pool B in the semi-finals to determine the teams fighting out for the gold medal.
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AUSTRALIA: WORLD NO. 1
The Diamonds were favourites to win as the defending champions.
They had the best history of any team in the competition with five wins from eight events heading into the 2018 event.
But England decided to rewrite history with their one goal stunner at the Games. MATCH REPORT HERE
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Diamonds Commonwealth Games Team
Name – test caps (state of origin/2018 Suncorp Super Netball team)
• Caitlin Bassett (captain) – 76 caps (Western Australia, Sunshine Coast Lightning)
• April Brandley – 21 caps (New South Wales, Collingwood Magpies)
• Courtney Bruce -10 caps (Western Australia, West Coast Fever)
• Laura Geitz – 64 caps (Queensland, Queensland Firebirds)
• Susan Pettitt – 64 caps (New South Wales, GIANTS Netball)
• Kim Ravaillion – 50 caps (New South Wales, Collingwood Magpies)
• Madi Robinson – 54 caps (Victoria, Collingwood Magpies)
• Gabi Simpson (vice-captain) – 25 caps (New South Wales, Queensland Firebirds)
• Caitlin Thwaites – 34 caps (Victoria, Collingwood Magpies)
• Liz Watson – 15 caps (Victoria, Melbourne Vixens)
• Jo Weston - 10 caps (Victoria, Melbourne Vixens)
• Stephanie Wood – 8 caps (Queensland, Sunshine Coast Lightning)
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UPSET: Malawi beat New Zealand
NEW ZEALAND: WORLD NO. 2
Former Commonwealth Games winners went into the event ranked as the No. 2 side but on recent form looked to be on shaky ground after losing to both Australia and England in the Quad Series.
At the Games there was shock after shock for the Silver Ferns who were eventually beaten in the bronze medal decider by Jamaica in a result the netball world could barely believe. NEW ZEALAND PLUNGED INTO CHAOS AFTER UPSET
NEW ZEALAND SQUAD FOR GAMES: Shooters: Maria Folau, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Bailey Mes, Ameliaranne Ekenasio. Midcourters: Grace Kara, Sam Sinclair, Kayla Cullen, Shannon Francois. Defenders: Katrina Grant (c), Temalisi Fakahokotau, Kelly Jury, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson.
ENGLAND: WORLD NO. 3
The fastest improving team in the world always touted as chance of playing for gold on the Gold Coast.
Numerous players in the national team have benefited from playing in Australia’s elite Super Netball competition - a move banned for New Zealand players if they wish to represent their country.
Australia beat England by just four goals in the recent Quad series and always knew this team were on the improve. But few could have predicted the world No. 1 side would fall by a single goal in the gold-medal decider.
ENGLAND SQUAD FOR THE GAMES: Ama Agbeze, Eboni Beckford-Chambers, Jade Clarke, Beth Cobden, Kadeen Corbin, Jodie Gibson, Serena Guthrie, Jo Harten, Natalie Haythornthwaite, Helen Housby, Geva Mentor, Chelsea Pitman.
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