Young Diamonds squad named for Netball World Cup

Coach Lisa Alexander has backed in an unpredictable side for July’s showpiece event.

Diamonds squad members Liz Watson, April Brandley, Caitlin Thwaites, coach Lisa Alexander, Joanna Weston and Kelsey Browne. Picture: AAP

Diamonds head coach Lisa Alexander has backed in a less experienced but unpredictable World Cup team to deliver when she needs them to at Liverpool in July.

She confirmed the following squad this morning: Caitlin Bassett (captain), April Brandley, Kelsey Browne, Courtney Bruce, Paige Hadley, Sarah Klau, Jamie-Lee Price, Caitlin Thwaites, Gretel Tippett, Liz Watson (vice-captain), Jo Weston and Steph Wood.

Sarah Klau will make her Diamonds debut at the World Cup, the first player to do so since Erin Bell in 2011. Price and Browne both made their own starts for the Australian team late last year.

Liz Watson. Picture: AAP

Caitlin Thwaites. Picture: AAP

In total the Australian team will enter the two-week tournament with 338 caps in total, far less than New Zealand (731) and England (827).

Bassett is the only Diamond with more than 50 caps, with Thwaites the next best at 47. Those two, along with Hadley, are the only players returning from the 2015 team that won gold in Sydney.

But Alexander insisted that the relative inexperience wouldn’t hold Australia back as the team looks to erase bitter memories of the loss to England in last year’s Commonwealth Games.

“Four years is a long time ago. If your program and your athletes don’t evolve in that time then you’re not going to stay ahead of everyone else,” she said.

This Diamonds side has “added a lot more smarts” and unpredictability in attack in the 12 months since that Gold Coast silver medal performance.

Another focus since then has been “a heap of work” in performance psychology, to ensure the team is firing when finals roll around.

Joanna Weston. Picture: AAP

The biggest surprises in this list came in the midcourt, where entrenched Diamonds Gabi Simpson and Kim Ravaillion did not make the cut.

Although Simpson has struggled with a persistent groin injury this year, Alexander said that the former vice-captain’s health was not a factor in the selectors’ call.

Alexander’s panel did consider squeezing an extra midcourt player into the list of 12, but ultimately decided it was too risky to only field three defenders or shooters.

Once the tournament begins, World Cup rules prevent teams from making changes due to injury.

And as for AFLW and netball star Ash Brazill’s omission, much to the frustration of her vocal fans?

“I’ve seen more improvement in her game and I’m really pleased for her. It’s just such a tough competition at the top. It’s more about that, rather than anything Ash not having anything. I think she’s had a pretty solid season so far.”