Diamonds to work on their finish in wake of Matildas heartbreaking loss at football World Cup

Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander will focus on “scenarios for extra time” to ensure her team doesn’t face the same agonising World Cup exit as the Matildas.

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Australian coach Lisa Alexander says attention will be paid to the way the Diamonds finish games in a pre-World Cup training camp in Sydney this week in the wake of the Matildas devastating penalty shootout loss to Norway in France.

Alexander said the Matildas loss was a timely reminder of the importance of working on extra-time skills and tactics which could come into the play during the semi-finals and finals of the World Cup in the UK.

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The Australian team is in camp in Sydney this week before their departure for the UK next Wednesday. The World Cup starts in Liverpool on July 12.

Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander will prepare her players to be ready for extra time matches at the netball World Cup. Picture: Eugene Hyland

“The Matildas loss was devastating,” Alexander said.

“It’s a reminder that you have to take care of every detail. We will have a focus on the scenarios for extra time at this camp.”

Australia is chasing its 12 netball world title at the Liverpool tournament. The Diamonds last World Cup loss was to New Zealand in 2003. Australia has never finished outside the top two since the start of the four yearly tournament in 1963.

Host nation England has yet to win a World Cup but go in as one of the favourites after their upset win over the Diamonds at the Commonwealth Games last year.

Only seven of the 12 players heading to the UK remains from that losing Australian side.

“It’s in the past and there are a lot of new players,” Alexander said. “Yes, it (the gold medal loss) can be used as a motivational tool. But we have dealt with those demons. That final game tripped us up. It’s a lesson learned. There have been many changes since then.”