Super Netball: West Coast Fever’s Alice Teague-Neeld on Diamonds dream, goal attack cameos
She is the premiership midcourter with the job of feeding the best goal shooter in the world. Alice Teague-Neeld talks Diamonds dream, goal attack cameos and playing alongside the league’s shooting powerhouse.
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West Coast midcourt star Alice Teague-Neeld has not given up on her Diamonds dream and is keeping the door open to more goal circle cameos as she prepares to feed the Fever’s shooting “monster” for a shot at a second premiership in three years.
The premiership midcourter with the job of delivering supply to the league’s most dominant shooter, Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, Teague-Neeld has enjoyed a standout season at wing attack for the Fever.
A former goal attack who started her career at the Melbourne Vixens, followed by a switch to the now defunct Magpies before her move west, Teague-Neeld’s career has flourished since reinventing herself as a wing attack more than two years ago.
Teague-Neeld’s performances last year earned her an invite from national coach Stacey Marinkovich into Diamonds’ camp, although she was unable to force her way into this year’s extended 2024-25 squad.
But the 28-year-old Victorian still harbours ambitions to break into the Diamonds’ fold.
“It would be amazing if that happened, but (it’s) out of my control,” Teague-Neeld said.
“I’m just really happy with what we’re doing here at Fever and obviously the main goal is to win another premiership with Fever and then whatever happens outside of that, happens.
“Of course, I would be stoked if that Diamonds’ call-up ever happened, but I guess I’ll have to wait and see.”
Teague-Neeld returned to her goal shooting origins in the final round against the Melbourne Mavericks with a cameo in goal attack, only her second appearance in the circle this season.
She showed she still had her eye in at the post, nailing a couple of super shots to enthral the vocal Fever home crowd.
While Teague-Neeld said the move into the circle now appeared “random”, it is a positional switch she continues to work on in training in case it is called on in games, especially ahead of a finals series starting with a do-or-die home semi against the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
“It was fun. It’s been a while, but I’m obviously still shooting and practising at a training which is important,” Teague-Neeld said.
“It probably looks super random, but we just haven’t used it much this season out on match day. You never know what you need in finals so we just practice everything.
“It was like riding a bike I guess. I suppose it’s a little different now having that wing attack position as my main position and then being able to kind of flick back into goal attack mode, which makes it a bit easier, it’s not your sole position.
“Then when you’ve got Jhaniele Fowler (Nembhard) in the shooting circle, you are a bit more confident because she’s a bit of a monster on rebounds as well.”
Teague-Neeld said her move into wing attack had helped reinvigorate her game.
“At the time that it happened, no one really forced it, it just happened naturally,” she said.
“In terms of where we were as a team and then players in and out of pre-season, we just had to trial some different positions basically because of numbers and then it kind of just worked.
“I honestly really loved it. I’m thankful for (coach) Dan (Ryan) for putting me in there at the start and I just really started to enjoy my netball again.”
Regardless of whether she is outside or inside the goal circle, Teague-Neeld boasts an undeniably strong connection with the league’s shooting powerhouse, Fowler-Nembhard.
The 2022 premiership player said it was a privilege to play alongside the Jamaican star.
“Yeah, ‘J’ is amazing. She’s so good at what she does, and I think sometimes she can be taken for granted in terms of the work she does because she is so good and we expect so much from her and she expects so much from herself,” Teague-Neeld.
“(She is the) world’s best shooter and yet it’s a privilege to play with her week in, week out.
“’J’ is so good at finding the angle she needs to make it easy for us to feed. She’s a massive target for us down there and such a threat. And I just love playing with her.
“She brings so much energy on and off the court, but when she crosses that white line, she is on.”
Despite narrowly missing out on the double-chance, Teague-Neeld remained confident the Fever had the team to fight for the Super Netball championship.
“We’ve prided ourselves on this the whole way through that we have such a talented group of 10 girls that can come on at any point in time,” she said.
“I think that depth is going to be super important for us going forward and I do think we’ve got the confidence and the talent to do it.”
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Originally published as Super Netball: West Coast Fever’s Alice Teague-Neeld on Diamonds dream, goal attack cameos
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