Diamonds squad: Firebirds coach throws support Ruby Bakewell-Doran’s Diamonds charge

Diamonds selectors face a tough call deciding who should be the team’s goal defence. According to Bec Bulley, there should be nothing to think about. Check out every candidate here.

Queensland Firebirds coach and former Diamond Bec Bulley has thrown her support behind Ruby Bakewell-Doran’s World Cup chances, describing her charge as “the best-performing goal defence in the league at the moment”.

Bakewell-Doran, whose incredible rise through the ranks last season resulted in her making her Diamonds debut after a rookie Super Netball season, is locked in a battle for the final defensive spot in the Australian team.

Coach Stacey Marinkovich will name her squad next week, confirming the 12 players and three reserves that will head to Cape Town next month to attempt to claim the only major trophy not in the Diamonds’ possession.

Coach Bec Bulley called Bakewell-Doran the best goal defence in the league. Photo: Getty Images

While three of the defensive positions in the final team seem automatic selections – those of West Coast Fever captain Courtney Bruce, NSW Swifts goalkeeper Sarah Klau and Melbourne Vixens stalwart Jo Weston – three players are locked in a battle for the final spot.

Incumbent Sunday Aryang, Bakewell-Doran and Diamonds squad newcomer Matilda Garrett have all staked a claim for a spot in the 12, or at least one of three reserves.

“Ruby would have to be the best performing goal defence in the league at the moment,” Bulley said.

“I certainly think (she and Firebirds teammate and fellow Diamonds wider squad member) are in with a really good shot of selection.

“And we’ll certainly be working hard to give them the best opportunity to put their hand up.”

Like Wallam, Bakewell-Doran’s rapid rise in her rookie year led to her being named as a reserve for last year’s Commonwealth Games team and she eventually made her Diamonds debut in the Constellation Cup against New Zealand in October.

“They’re only in their second year of SSN (Super Netball), you do have to keep reminding yourself of that because what they are putting out is incredible,” Bulley said of Wallam and Bakewell-Doran.

“Ruby works so hard in defence and attack as well.”

Bulley may be a former Diamonds defender herself but as Bakewell-Doran’s coach is possibly a little biased, although her charge has plenty of people talking with her performances this season.

Sunday Aryang is the incumbent. Photo: Getty Images

When her stats are compared with Aryang and Garrett, she leads both in gains, intercepts, deflections and rebounds and has the fewest contact penalties of the trio, although the most turnovers.

The mercurial Aryang, who has 10 Test caps and a formidable combination with Bruce on her side, had one of her best games of the season in the Fever’s Round 12 victory over the Sunshine Coast Lightning last week.

Working in tandem with Bruce to keep the Lightning’s Diamonds goalers Steph Wood and Cara Koenen relatively quiet.

Matilda Garrett is the other name in contention. Photo: Getty Images

While Wood eventually found range with her super shot attempts – all five of her successful attempts came in the second half following five first-half misses – she was kept relatively quiet by Aryang, who finished with three gains, including two intercepts.

When her stats are compared to Bakewell-Doran and Garrett, Aryang has the most deflections with a gain of the trio, the fewest obstruction penalties and the fewest turnovers.

Garrett is the wildcard in the equation, with her ability to play across all three defensive positions and her “Australian style” hard one-on-one defence impressing selectors.

While she is easily the most penalised of the trio – with just over double the contact penalties of Bakewell-Doran – it may not be something that fazes Marinkovich, with the 186cm Garrett the most likely of the trio to shift to goalkeeper should be needed there, with her physical presence against some of the top shooters in the world likely to be regarded as an attribute.

Originally published as Diamonds squad: Firebirds coach throws support Ruby Bakewell-Doran’s Diamonds charge