Laura Geitz faces mother of a battle to be ready for Diamonds

Laura Geitz will have to prove herself worthy of a national team recall without playing any competitive netball.

Former Diamonds captain Laura Geitz with baby son Barney, who is now six months old. Picture: Peter Wallis.

Laura Geitz will have to prove herself worthy of a national team recall without playing any competitive netball.

It’s a tricky situation for the former Diamonds captain but one she will embrace with the lure of Commonwealth Games gold in mind. The Queensland defender missed the inaugural 2017 Super Netball season following the birth of her son Barney in February.

Geitz has committed to the Firebirds for the 2018 season but it doesn’t begin until after the Diamonds’ campaign on the Gold Coast in April.

The Firebirds star was not named in the Diamonds squad but coach Lisa Alexander has indicated there’s scope for a return. “It’s a different situation for me in terms of being selected and I’m having chats (with Alexander) about how it works,” Geitz said at the Games netball draw announcement in Surfers Paradise yesterday.

“I have no competition before Comm Games that allows me to prove that I’m match-fit and match-hardened so it’s unknown territory, so to speak.”

The Diamonds begin their Games preparation against England in Brisbane on August 26 in a series that also features South Africa and New Zealand.

It will be a new-look Australia, given veteran shooter Natalie Medhurst was also omitted and incumbent captain Sharni Layton has since withdrawn, citing exhaustion.

Geitz said Australia had a favourable draw for the Games, dodging an early meeting with New Zealand and England.

The Diamonds have been drawn with Jamaica, South Africa, Barbados, Fiji and Northern Ireland in pool A.

AAP