The lessons Stacey Marinkovich learnt to shape world’s best netball team

The Diamonds have been the pinnacle of the game for decades and under the current regime it looks set to stay that way. LISA ALEXANDER chats to her successor Stacey Marinkovich about the biggest role in Australian netball.

In a CODE Sports exclusive, Lisa Alexander continues her coaching series with a chat with Stacey Marinkovich on her journey, work in keeping the Diamonds the world’s no.1 team and the road leading into the next World Cup in Sydney.

The opportunity for the immediate past coach of the Diamonds to interview her successor provides fascinating insight into the role and a level of understanding unique to the two women, whose generous sharing of information gives fans a peek behind the high performance curtain like no other.

Marinkovich opens up about the stress of the job, how she has changed, how Australia’s next generation of stars are developed, Liz Watson’s leadership, and netball fans’ fixture request that is “definitely on the cards”.

FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

Alexander reflected on her first contact with Marinkovich, which came when - as the newly installed Diamonds coach – she met the young West Coast Fever assistant coach in Perth.

Marinkovich had the opportunity to learn from then-Fever mentor and former Australian head coach Norma Plummer, who took her under her wing.

Marinkovich had not initially pursued a coaching career post netball. The former Perth Orioles and West Coast Fever captain had entered the corporate world following her playing career, but decided to follow her passion when the opportunity to join Plummer as an assistant came up ahead of the 2012 season.

“I think Norma coming in had a different insight. She was bringing new ideas into WA,” Marinkovich said.

“I’d been in the (financial) broking world. I finished my netball and went into corporate and to get the opportunity to come back in to do the thing that you love, and the passion that I had for the sport, it was a turning point.

“I said to my husband, ‘I know there’s good money in broking’ but he said, ‘follow your passion, you can always go back to that if we need to’.

“So I jumped fully into the Fever environment and it’s held me in good stead.”

THE CONFIDENCE TO BE AUTHENTIC

The pressure-laden role of head coach can sometimes be a “lonely existence”, as Alexander put it.

Marinkovich and her players have cleared plenty of hurdles since taking the Diamonds job in 2020, and it is clear she has a strong connection with the squad.

Marinkovich outlined her goal to be a coach who empowers players and staff to be the best they can, which means giving a licence to explore, fail and conquer.

The Queenslander also opened up about how she evolved as a mentor after taking the Diamonds job in 2020.

“The biggest part is actually the confidence to be authentic,” Marinkovich said.

“There’s so many different opinions and insights that come your way when you’re leading such a big program. And I think it’s easy sometimes to get a lot of advice and fall into a place where you’re trying to appease a lot of people.

“It’s just not possible. So I think the understanding that you’ve got to have a really clear vision … you’ve got to be able to be true to yourself in what you’re saying, how you behave and interact.

“I think that holds you in the greatest stead because I think the relationships are then authentic.

“You can also have a level of vulnerability. And I think that’s a massive part … you don’t know everything.

“I’ve had to learn that, yeah, you can take down some barriers and show who you really are. And it’s actually embraced by the people around you.”

THE MENTOR SHAPING FUTURE DIAMONDS

This elevation of Stacey West and Liz Ellis to the most powerful positions at Netball Australia rightly captured a lot of headlines.

But a far more low-key appointment of Cathy Fellows will arguably prove just as important when it comes to extending the Diamonds’ dominance.

Adelaide Thunderbirds assistant coach Fellows has been installed as head coach of Australia’s 21-and-under program. It comes ahead of the return of the Netball World Youth Cup next year, marking the first tournament since 2017.

“There’s no doubt that we’ve had to work through getting our junior programs up and going since COVID. We’ve been able to get some really key people in positions in Netball Australia that are working through the pathways,” Marinkovich said.

“Anita Keelan and Michelle Wilkins, they really connect with our state academies and institutes and those players that have been identified.

“Michelle, being a national selector, has real insight as to the direction that the Diamonds want to go.

“I’m really excited to work with Kathy. I’ve known Kathy and we’ve been around the court, but we haven’t actually interacted directly in a coaching aspect (yet).

“So I’m really interested to be able to share what we’ve been doing in Diamonds, but also get an understanding because the 21s have different skill sets, different attributes.

“And I’ve got to really draw on that knowledge from her to go ‘well, where’s the Diamonds going to end up going as well if there’s a new group of players coming through’.”

THE SERIES THAT FANS WANT TO SEE

Australia and Jamaica produced an epic semi-final at last year’s World Cup, while they also met in the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medal match.

The Sunshine Girls have developed a lot in recent years, with superstar Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard headlining a Jamaican contingent that has lit up Super Netball – and learned plenty in the process.

Fans are desperate to see netball’s burgeoning rivalry in a bilateral series. Marinkovich is too.

“It’s definitely on the cards, it’s something that we really want to be able to do,” she said.

“Just the level of competition and what we could showcase for the sport would be absolutely phenomenal. And it would be in a different environment.

“Playing a series would be another level because teams are much more fresh, they’ve got a couple of days in between, you’re playing each other, over and over. So you get to adapt and shift and learn and get to challenge again.

“So it’s something that I’m really excited for. And it’s just, I guess, working through that with Jamaica as to when is the best time, financially being able to bring it all together.”

LONG ROAD TO THE NEXT WORLD CUP

The level of expectation on the Diamonds at every major tournament is immense.

When Australia lost to England at the pool stage of last year’s World Cup, Marinkovich had dreams about the Fox Netball commercial in which Cath Cox highlighted how the Diamonds had never missed a World Cup final.

Marinkovich, whose side were crowned champions at the past two pinnacle events, likened coaching the national side in a series or tournament to a “SSN season on steroids”.

Planning for the next World Cup, hosted by Sydney in 2027, and beyond is well and truly underway.

Alexander highlighted how Georgie Horjus, Ash Ervin and Tayla Williams are among the youngsters to have captured a lot of attention this SSN season, but every player must earn their spot in the national squad.

“Selection is really tough,” Marinkovich said, opening up about balancing the short and long term.

“You want to get the right mix and you want to make sure that you’re rewarding performance, that you’re getting to develop.

“Because we’ve got a responsibility in four years, to not only to win a World Cup, but we’ve also got to make sure that, as players transition out, we’ve got ready-made players to step into those positions.

“When you’re testing and trying, there’s parts where you might go ‘this might not get us the win, but you have to back in the bigger picture’.

“The Diamonds contract isn’t gifted. My thinking is you really want – the players in the Diamonds environment or squad, I have to be prepared to play them.”

LIZ’S CAPTAINCY AND THE EMERGING LEADERS

In 2021, Liz Watson was appointed the Diamonds’ 25th captain.

Watson has been a calming influence, on and off the court, while navigating upset losses, pay talks and the Hancock sponsorship saga.

It is hard to imagine a Diamonds side without her as skipper. Although the same could be said about the Victorian’s shift from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast prior to it unfolding in the off-season.

“Liz is a phenomenal captain. She represents the group really well. She’s not the loudest person in the group, but she has a way of leading by example,” Marinkovich said.

“We’ve had some real challenges in the last 18 months and she has, in the moments of highest pressure and stress, been one of the best players.

“She brings the strength of others out, not only on the court. She provides an environment where people feel really comfortable and have a real sense of belonging. Everyone has a voice.

“In terms of going forward (and whether she will remain captain) … we’re certainly really happy with the way she’s been leading, but we do go through a process.

“And Liz loves the fact the players are involved in that, so we can really make sure the assets that we want in our leadership are there.

“That we can continue to develop and evolve those in positions, so it’s exciting. I think we’re going to have to look at our next layer of leaders underneath, so we’re getting that holistic development across the squad.”

Originally published as The lessons Stacey Marinkovich learnt to shape world’s best netball team