Gold medal star sensationally snubbed from Australian Diamonds squad

The Australian Diamonds squad for this year’s Commonwealth Games has been named, but a veteran star has been shockingly snubbed.

Kim Ravaillion was left out of the Diamonds squad. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Veteran midcourter Kim Ravaillion has been sensationally snubbed from the Australian Diamonds’ squad for the Commonwealth Games later this year.

Ravaillion has been in sensational form for the Queensland Firebirds in the early stages of the Super Netball season and many pundits expected her to be picked in the Diamonds squad.

But the gun centre was a surprising snub when the 18-player squad was announced on Thursday night.

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Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich could have chosen as many as 22 players for the squad that is targeting the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July, as well as a World Cup in 2023.

With more than half of the Super Netball season remaining, there is flexibility for more players to be included in the squad but it will eventually have to be whittled down to 12 by the time the Diamonds head over to the UK.

Marinkovich has stuck with some tried and tested combinations and players from Australia’s team that won the Quad Series in January.

But that has left Ravaillion on the outer, despite having more feeds than the other players named who play predominantly the centre position.

Ravaillion has 60 national caps to her name and won gold with the Diamonds at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 World Cup and she has rediscovered her best form after having a baby in 2020.

Kim Ravaillion was a surprising omission from the Diamonds’ squad. Photo: AAP Image/David Rowland)

While Marinkovich didn’t offer an explanation for Ravaillion’s omission, she said competition for spots in the midcourt was particularly intense and there is a chance for the squad to be tinkered with closer to the Games.

“The depth of the centre court across the competition is massive and it doesn’t go unseen,” she told Fox Netball’s Centre Circle.

“(We have) expectations that players hit circle edge, have high feeds, have huge involvement in centre passes and all these players can do that, but I guess it’s the holistic nature that we’re looking at as well.

“It’s not only what they do in attack, it’s the defensive impact that they have, it’s the decisions they make and the balls they don’t release out on court.

Marinkovich said it was difficult to let players know they had missed out on the squad.

“It’s gut-wrenching to be honest because you do know how hard they’ve worked and sometimes the players aren’t doing a lot wrong,” she said.

“To step into this line-up, you have to exceed a lot of other players’ capability because we are now at the pointy end of the season, we’re coming up to a Commonwealth Games, we don’t have any more trial matches, this is it.

“While the numbers are down in the squad, we are still looking and there’s still that option there for us as well.”

Other players that can consider themselves unlucky not to make the squad include Maddy Proud, Jess Anstiss, Verity Simmons and Kim Jenner.

Donnell Wallam was named in the Diamonds squad. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The feel-good story is the inclusion of goal shooter Donnell Wallam, who has taken Super Netball by storm after being picked up by the Queensland Firebirds as a replacement for Romelda Aiken-George, who is on maternity leave.

It’s unlikely Wallam will make the final cut of 12 for the Commonwealth Games but if she does make her debut, she will become only the third Indigenous player to represent Australia and the first to play for the Diamonds in 22 years.

It continues a meteoric rise for the 28-year-old, who is ranked second for shots made in the Super Netball season so far.

Wallam, midcourter Amy Parmenter and shooter Kiera Austin are the fresh faces in the squad.

The Diamonds will be striving to win gold at the Commonwealth Games after they were upset by England in the final of the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast.

Initial Australian Diamonds squad for Commonwealth Games

Shooters

Kiera Austin (GA/GS)

Gretel Bueta (GA/GS)

Sophie Dwyer (GA/GS)

Sophie Garbin (GS/GA)

Cara Koenen (GS/GA)

Steph Wood (GA/GS), vice-captain

Donnell Wallam (GS)

Midcourt

Ash Brazill (WD/C)

Paige Hadley (WA/C)

Kate Moloney (C/WD)

Amy Parmenter (WD/C)

Jamie-Lee Price (C/WD)

Liz Watson (WA/C), captain

Defence

Sunday Aryang (GD/WD)

Courtney Bruce (GK/GD)

Sarah Klau (GK/GD)

Maddy Turner (GD/WD)

Jo Weston (GD/WD/GK)