Diamonds go down again as Ferns take control of Constellation Cup
Australia is hoping to rebound from a six-goal loss to the Silver Ferns in the second game of their Constellation Cup series after losing the Auckland opener by six goals.
If the Silver Ferns win all four matches of the series they are expected to dethrone Australia from its number one world ranking for the first time since 2013.
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Team changes
AUSTRALIA
The good news for Diamonds fans is that vice-captain Kate Moloney returns to the line-up after recovering from the finger laceration that kept her out of Game 1. Without Moloney in the team, there was a midcourt shuffle. Captain Liz Watson filled her spot at centre and Georgie Horjus was given the wing attack bib. They lacked punch up the middle and Watson ended the game on the bench. It wasn't ideal.
Many — including us — thought Jamie-Lee Price would have been a better choice to start at centre. Price had a cracking Super Netball season in that position with the Melbourne Mavericks. The bad news is, she's unavailable tonight after being ruled out with a calf injury. So let's hope Moloney is up to playing a full game at centre!
Other changes include goal shooter Donnell Wallam replacing Cara Koenen in the team. Wallam has never played against New Zealand before and last played for the Diamonds at the 2024 Nations Cup. Last year she was only an invitee at camp and missed out on a national contract, so this is a huge boost for her career! Wallam is the tallest option in the Constellation Cup at 193cm tall and definitely has the X-Factor. With a basketball background she has a unique playing style. Koenen was shaky throughout the Constellation Cup opener and finished with 77 per cent accuracy, so it make sense to try something different.
NEW ZEALAND
Just one change for the Silver Ferns. Head coach Noeline Taurua has omitted Kimiora Poi (30+ caps)and added Peta Toeava (15 caps). It's a bold choice, as Poi was part of the team's gold-medal-winning Commonwealth Games team. She played 38 minutes in Game 1 of this series but Taurua has spoken about trying to find the balance throughout this series of giving opportunity to less experienced players in preparation for next year's World Cup and winning each game. Toeava has a brilliant connection with shooter Grace Nweke that developed during their time playing at the Northern Mystics. Giving that connection more time to build at an international level could be beneficial down the track.
Game 1 result
By Brittany Carter
By Brittany Carter
Head coach Stacey Marinkovich is hoping for a better start from her team in game two, after Australia fell behind by as many as 15 goals in Auckland and only managed to claw the scoreboard back to 56-50 in the final quarter once the opposition brought on their bench players.
The biggest area they struggled was in the goal circle. Whether it was feeding the shooters or going for goal, the Silver Ferns were continuously able to steal ball and intimidate using their long arms over the shot. Marinkovich trialled almost every shooting option she had except running Georgie Horjus at GA. The pocket rocket remained at WA for the entire match. Sophie Garbin lifted Australia's accuracy when she came on after the half-time break, landing 20 of her 21 attempts.
Meanwhile, defender Jessie Grenvold impressed on debut, becoming Diamond #198 when she was injected in the second quarter and topped the gain stat for her team with once intercept, four deflections and one pickup across 43 minutes of game time. You can read more about the game at the link below.
A reminder that Australia hasn't won a Test on New Zealand soil for five years. There is a serious home crowd advantage in this series, with both sides struggling to get over the line in opposition territory. Seeing as they play at different venues for each Test, it really speaks to power fans have while cheering for their team!
Key Event
Wednesday night netball
By Brittany Carter
By Brittany Carter
Hiya! Thanks for tuning into ABC Sport's live coverage of the Constellation Cup. Brittany Carter here for game two, which is expected to start with the first centre pass at 5:40pm AEDT. How nice to have some mid-week netty! Here is the state of play in case you missed the result on Sunday night. The series will be decided by goal aggregate if it is tied 2-all after the four Tests.
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