Caitlin Bassett tells all: Former Australian captain opens up on netball, life and the critics
It’s the golden rule of international sport; never talk smack about your peers. Liz Ellis didn’t hold back on Caitlin Bassett and now the ex-Diamond captain has hit back.
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Former Australian netball captain Caitlin Bassett believes she can still have an impact for the Diamonds and would like a chance to prove it for the national team.
An injured Bassett has opened up for the first time about her “disappointment“ in missing out on a Super Netball contract for this season, but how she still holds hope of playing for the Diamonds again.
“I know I am capable of more and would still like a chance to prove it,” she said.
“‘Disappointing’ is a word I have said and heard a lot lately. From friends, fans, Super Netball clubs and Netball Australia. They say ‘it’s disappointing I am in this position’. An experienced player, with over 100 caps for Australia, who hasn’t got a contract. I am in a situation that no Australian squad member has ever faced before and am navigating it day by day. I feel like the small part of control I had in my life as an athlete has been taken away.”
In a wide-ranging interview, which you can read in full below, Bassett has spoken candidly about her omission, double-knee injury, potential retirement, the impact of import players on the Super Netball competition and those who have been critical of her not securing a contract, like former Australian captain turned commentator Liz Ellis.
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SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE FULL CAITLIN BASSETT INTERVIEW
Ellis recently told News Corp if Bassett was ‘considered good enough…someone would have picked her up’.
“To say I am not good enough, from someone who hasn’t played netball in 20 years, is no better than an armchair critic, someone sitting on the couch, making the same observation,” Bassett said.
“I felt it was really disrespectful. It had to be called out. It showed an insensitivity. I understand everyone has a right to their opinion, I am not a snowflake, but I don’t think someone on the outside can comment on something they don’t understand the ins and outs of. To me the message she was sending was it was OK to slap a fellow Diamond down.”
Bassett, when she first joined the Diamonds, was the hero of the Australian team when she landed the winning goal of the 2011 World Cup, and would now like to finish her career on a high.
Bassett dismissed those who said her game wasn’t cut out to embrace the new rules including the Super Shot.
“What has transpired over the last two years, sitting on the bench with the Giants and then injured and playing in New Zealand – I feel people have forgotten the impact I can have on the court. People haven’t seen me or given me the opportunity to perform under the new SSN rules,” Bassett said.
“It is assumed that because I am posting/holding shooter that I don’t have the capacity to take long range shots which I am more than happy to do. So the super shot is not the reason why people aren’t picking you up? No. Has anyone seen me play 60 minutes of a SSN game? No. Because I haven’t been given an opportunity.”
Although Bassett feels she has more to give, she has been forced to consider her future beyond the game.
“It’s scary,” Bassett said. “I have been doing this for 18 years. I have never had a full time job and only last week finished my university degree. Previously players from my era have retired to have a baby. I am not in a relationship so don‘t have a partner to lean on for financial support. I feel like I am a bit of an anomaly and there is no blueprint for me to follow.In most sports retirement is usually well planned and something to be excited about. I just feel like I am not ready despite doing everything possible to prepare.”
THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: CAITLIN BASSETT OPENS UP
Jessica Halloran: Where are you at? Do you still want to play for Australia?
Caitlin Bassett: I feel like my focus has shifted over the last few months, getting surgery on both knees, it has almost forced me to think about life after netball. I have always imagined playing for Australia through the next cycle and had plans to retire after the World Cup in 2023.
My mentality over the last few years has been wanted to finishing my career winning gold. I started my career that way, winning gold at the World Cup in 2011 and then backed that up with gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, then World Cup in 2015.
In our last two major events, we have lost by one goal — silver against England at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and silver against New Zealand at World Cup in 2019 — I know what it takes to win gold and I feel like it would be a fitting way to finish my netball career.
It’s hard to remember that past success, as an athlete we are told we are only as good as our last performances … and those last few performances haven’t been up to my standards.
I took a huge risk to go play in New Zealand this year, and ended up injuring both knees. I know I am capable more and would still like a chance to prove it.
JH: How tough have the last couple of months been?
CB: It’s been tough, because I have never had an injury I haven’t been able to push through. I’ve had stress fractures in my feet and come back from a broken arm. I am used to pushing through physical pain. But both knees, as a goal shooter, has been a nightmare. Not being able to jump, hold or move has taken away my biggest strengths.
Mentally? I felt like I was letting people down. The Constellation Cup tour to New Zealand at the start of 2021 was when I injured my right knee, I was the only capped shooter, but it was very frustrating trying to perform on only one good leg.
After the tour I stayed across the ditch to play for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, arriving with one bad knee it only took a few games before the other knee was injured. I felt I was letting them down. They had finished bottom of the ladder in 2020, I was supposed to be their save-the-day signing, but with two injured knees I could barely warm up, let alone perform.
The frustration is looking back to great performances you have had, dominating the circle and being a reliable shooter for Australia or a club team, and knowing that’s what you are capable of but your body not allowing you to do it.
I have never been afraid to work hard whether it be in the gym to build strength, on court fitness and conditioning or practising a certain skill.
But when you have an injury; you either have to rest, have an injection or surgery, not having that control is the hardest thing.
JH: Talk to me about your knees?
CB: I have never liked my body. Being 6 foot 4 as a female is not easy. My body is very different from others in the team. Things my teammates find easy are incredibly challenging for me. Over 18 years, I have forced my body to do things it doesn’t want to do. This year, injuring my knees has made me realise how amazing my body has been with everything I put it through. I thought by having surgery on my knees I would be able to move without pain again, but unfortunately, at this stage, that’s not the case. I am still having some issues in my left knee. I have just had another scan and I am still trying to work out what’s causing the pain. So while I have a love/hate relationship with my body, I am fully aware that while it has made netball harder for me at times, it has also given me opportunities that others haven’t had.
JH: Did you expect a Super Netball contract?
CB: No, after being an athlete as long as I have you learn to never expect anything. I certainly wanted to come back and play netball in Australia. That’s why I turned down another year playing in New Zealand. There were a few reasons I wanted to come back, I wanted to be closer to my family, my then-boyfriend, and to get back in playing combinations with my Australian teammates in the lead up to the next two major events.
JH: So then how has it been not getting one?
CB: “Disappointing’’ is a word I have said and heard a lot lately. From friends, fans, Super Netball clubs and Netball Australia. They say “it’s disappointing I am in this position’’. An experienced player, with over 100 caps for Australia, who hasn’t got a contract. I am in a situation that no Australian squad member has ever faced before and am navigating it day by day. I feel like the small part of control I had in my life as an athlete has been taken away.
JH: On that point, have they drilled down why they can’t give you a contract?
CB: What has transpired over the last two years, sitting on the bench with the Giants and then getting injured and playing in New Zealand — I feel people have forgotten the impact I can have on the court. People haven’t seen me or given me the opportunity to perform under the new SSN rules.
JH: So the super shot is not the reason why people aren’t picking you up?
CB: No. Has anyone seen me play 60 minutes of a SSN game? No. Because I haven’t been given an opportunity.
JH: Do you think of retirement?
CB: I have kind of been forced to. I have been spending a lot of time over the last few months, looking at what other athletes have done in regards to life after sport. It’s scary. I have been doing this for 18 years. I have never had a full time job and only last week finished my university degree.
Previously, players from my era have retired to have a baby. I am not in a relationship so don’t have a partner to lean on for financial support. I feel like I am a bit of anomaly and there is no blueprint for me to follow. In most sports, retirement is usually well planned and something to be excited about. I just feel like I am not ready despite doing everything possible to prepare.
JH: And now?
CB: I feel pretty alone and confused. It has been a period of time where I have realised who the real friends and support I have around me. Even though I am without an SSN contract, I am still in the Australian squad. Do I continue to train without a team? Do I pull the pin and walk away and end a huge career on a frustrated note? Do I go back to a local level to play and hope I can prove I still have it? I still don’t know what the right answer is.
JH: Do you think people understand how hard it is?
CB: No. I didn’t understand how hard it is until now. I didn’t understand what past players went through. I now think about Nat Medhurst and her journey to retirement, and what she was up against, it has not been fun. I have been really grateful for the support from Kath Harby-Williams. As an ex-player, and the head of the players association, she has been incredible and has gone above and beyond her job. Being in the situation I am in currently has made me realise how lucky I am and that I have some pretty amazing people watching my back.
JH: What is your relationship like with Liz Ellis? What did you think of the tweet where she said if you were ‘considered good enough … someone would have picked her up’?
CB: To saying I am not good enough, from someone who hasn’t played netball in 20 years, is no better than an armchair critic, someone sitting on the couch, making the same observation.
I felt it was really disrespectful. It had to be called out.
It showed an insensitivity. I understand everyone has a right to their opinion, I am not a snowflake, but I don’t think someone on the outside can comment on something they don’t understand the ins and outs of.
To me, the message she was sending was it was OK to slap a fellow Diamond down.
Hey Liz, it’s hard to show you are ‘good enough’ when getting sat on the bench & pigeon holed into a rebounding role. How can a player be ‘good enough’ to be in the Australian Squad but not make the court in SSN? 🤔 https://t.co/xJJTQil92v
— Caitlin Bassett (@CBassNetball) October 7, 2021
JH: You are very honest about what you think…
CB: I think that was my strength as a leader. As soon as I became authentic, I felt more connected with my teammates and I felt more comfortable within myself. It made me a better Australian captain. The years I led Australia out on the court as captain, I was always excited and never nervous. Whereas the past couple of years game day was stressful for me.
JH: What issue did Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald have with you?
CB: She said she had no confidence in me as a player. When a coach tells you that, and you have a year to go on your contract. What do you do?
JH: How did you cope?
CB: Kiera Austin and Amy Parmenter were amazing. They helped me through a really difficult time as they were in the hub with me. Being up in Queensland, my old Lightning teammates were great support too and I spent a lot of time with them.
JH: Do you think there should be a quota on international players in Super Netball?
CB: I want Australian players to have every opportunity to be able to represent their country. At the moment I don’t think those opportunities are available to them. I think we have amazing Australian talent, we always have, but we just aren’t allowing it to be showcased. For example, this year Kiera Austin injured her ACL and teammate Sophie Dwyer was given an opportunity to play. Do you think if Kiera hadn’t have got injured Sophie would be involved in the Australian squad; no? There are training partners and fringe squad members being denied really crucial opportunities for their development in favour of international athletes. You are only going to get better by being out on court and playing.
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