Diamonds fall short in Fast Five with Commonwealth Games the focus

Australia will have to wait another year for its maiden Fast Five win as they look ahead to the Commonwealth Games.

Kate Moloney of the Diamonds in action during the Fast5 Netball World Series match between Australia and England. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

Australia will have to wait another year to break its drought at the Fast Five Netball World Series after another bronze medal at the one international tournament the nation has never won.

Fast Five is a shortened form of netball with points awarded for long shots and power play quarters. Australia and New Zealand generally have used it as a testing ground for younger talent, which showed against the veteran experience of grand finalists England and Jamaica this year.

The Australian team wrapped its two days in Melbourne with a 34 to 15 goal victory over New Zealand in the bronze medal playoff, the worst finish for the Kiwis in the competition’s eight year history.

“I’m really proud of how the girls played that last game, in a bit of an up and down two days we’ve had fun, we’ve had some wins and we’ve had some losses, but to come out and play the way we did I’m really proud,” said Australian captain Kate Moloney.

Ashleigh Brazill of the Diamonds is seen in action during the Fast5 Netball World Series match between Australia and England. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

Such was the intensity of the bronze medal match that Moloney caught herself referring to it as the grand final afterwards.

Although the home side was clearly disappointed, there were plenty of positive signs in a team picked far more with development in mind than contention.

Head coach Stacey Marinkovich said that a taste of international netball for those Australian players currently outside the Diamonds squad was hugely important.

“Young players need opportunity and then they build consistency. So you’ve got to back them in there and give them a go.”

The best evidence for how vital these experiences can be comes in the form of young goal keeper Courtney Bruce, who went from player of the tournament last year to starting seven matches for the Diamonds in 2017.

Moloney was the biggest winner over the past weekend. She brought the same vocal leadership, tenacity and clean defence that earned her a Diamonds debut this year, and placed herself firmly in the frame for a selection at next year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Paige Hadley of the Diamonds is seen in action during the Fast5 Netball World Series match between Australia and England. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

The centre’s best play came in Australia’s strongest performance, against New Zealand, highlighted by a soaring interception over two taller opponents that sparked a scorching power play quarter from her team.

Paige Hadley also put together a series of strong rotations through the midcourt, running hard and placing opponents under mountains of pressure.

The highlights in Australia’s attacking third all came from tall goalers Gretel Tippett and Kaylia Stanton.

Tippett, normally focused on a feeding role, made the most of her opportunity to run and gun with a series of explosive performances. When her long range shot was falling, Australia looked like a team transformed.

Stanton was a late inclusion in the tournament when veteran goal attack Nat Medhurst withdrew with an injury.

Gretel Tippet of the Diamonds reacts after scoring a goal during the Fast5 Netball World Series match between Australia and New Zealand. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

The young West Coast Fever prospect looked a touch lost early on, but grew throughout the series. By the end she had cemented her reputation as one to watch when selectors eventually start looking for a replacement for 29 year old Diamonds shooter Caitlin Bassett.

Sam Poolman shone at the other end of the court as the best member of a defensive unit that more than held up its end of the bargain and held England, Jamaica and South Africa to their lowest scores of the tournament.

Poolman finished the tournament with almost double the rebounds of the next best defender and got her hands to plenty of ball. Although shots close to the hoop are less of a premium in Fast Five, the Giant keeper’s work protecting space within the circle was a linchpin for Australia’s defence.

Credit also goes to the very active work of young Swifts Turner and Klau who were both vital, and Kate Shimmin, the only defender with experience at the format.

Australian players are now due for some well earned rest after a long 2017 campaign, and will start reporting for Super Netball and Diamonds camps in early December.