Quad Series: Kelsey Browne adds polish to Diamonds

Kelsey Browne is the 175th Diamond and has a point to prove.

Australia’s Kelsey Browne in during last Saturday’s Quad Series Test against South Africa.

Five months ago, Kelsey Browne sat in the stands of a packed Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on the Gold Coast and watched England snatch Commonwealth Games netball gold from Aus­tralia in a boilover.

She is now the 175th Diamond after a late call-up from coach Lisa Alexander, and is poised to play a key role tonight’s rematch against the Roses in Newcastle.

Browne made her international debut last Saturday against South Africa, and made an immediate impact when injected at the start of the third quarter of a match Australia won by 10 goals.

The Diamonds were rusty to begin that game, but eventually ran away with a 61-44 win.

“Getting back together as a ­national team takes that little bit of time, to get the nerves and the cobwebs out, so onward and upwards from here,” Alexander said after the win.

The Diamonds won’t be able to get away with similar mistakes tonight.

England belted New Zealand 52 goals to 39 on Saturday, and loom as the biggest challenge on Australia’s radar as the Silver Ferns rebuild.

“Everyone’s going into it knowing that it’s going to be a big game (against England), and ­definitely there’s a bit of feeling there, given that the last time some of the girls met them was at the Commonwealth Games,” Browne said.

Australia struggled to contain a rampant Roses midcourt in their last meeting, and Browne said her teammates are keen to make their presence felt tonight.

“In international games, every ball that you take is difficult, so we want to make sure we really up the pressure and make sure that they know that the Aus­tralian team is out there, and they’ve … got to get through us to score.

“In attack it’s just about working the ball, being smart with the ball and moving the defenders.”

Treasuring possession is one of Alexander’s coaching mantras, and will be vital against an ­English team that pounces on loose balls.

No one is deadlier in that respect than Roses keeper Geva Mentor, who tallied four deflections and five crucial intercepts in April’s decider.

Browne knows Mentor well after four seasons together at the Melbourne Vixens and ­Sunshine Coast Lightning, but this will be their first match as ­opponents.

“I’m actually interested to… see her on the other side of the court, and actually going for balls that she wouldn’t go for in training,” said Browne

“Yes, she’ll be in the back of my mind, but I definitely have other things to focus on.”

Luckily, Browne has some familiar faces on her own team.

She spent the past two seasons feeding Caitlin Bassett and Steph Wood balls at the Lightning.

The winner of tonight’s match will have one hand on the Quad Series trophy.