THE 2020/21 Australian Diamonds Squad list has been released this morning, with plenty of returning names in the mix and a couple of newbies to the fray. While players with continued injuries in Kelsey Browne and Ash Brazill are missing from the squad, Liz Ellis Diamond winner Gretel Bueta has still been named despite missing the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season to pregnancy.
The squad has included a host of new names in Verity Charles, Sophie Garbin, Kim Jenner, Cara Koenen and Maddy Proud, while Jess Anstiss returns to the squad. Charles’ excellent season sees her brought into the squad for the first time, while Jenner, Koenen, Garbin and Anstiss were part of the 2019 development team and have clearly proved they are capable of stepping up to the next level. Despite questions around being left off the court during the 2020 season, Caitlin Bassett remains in the squad, while fans will be disappointed Caitlin Thwaites will not come out of retirement after a stellar season.
Some notable names left off the list are Maddy Turner, Tegan Philip and April Brandley, with the latter still returning from pregnancy earlier in the year and the former two not quite having the same influential seasons as they did in 2019.
Diamonds Head Coach Stacey Marinkovich says she is excited about the squad and the depth of talent across Australia and every position.
“Selection definitely hasn’t been an easy task – we have such a great depth of talent within our system across every position on the court and I congratulate those that have been selected,” Marinkovich said in the Diamonds announcement.
“This squad showcases an incredible breadth of experience and new emerging talent. We have a strong vision towards our marquee events, the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2023 Netball World Cup, and I look forward to further technically and strategically developing this group and building on our connection and cohesion under pressure.”
“Our Australian Development Squad will be named within the next couple of weeks and this list will truly capture the depth of our elite talent. We will continue to monitor and track players leading into an exciting 2021 international netball calendar.”
While the squad will not play competitively in 2020, Netball Australia is working closely with the Queensland government to host a training camp following the completion of the 2020 SSN season. The 2020/21 Australian Development squad will be announced in the coming weeks.
2020/21 Origin Australian Diamonds Squad
Jess Anstiss – West Coast Fever/Western Australia
Kiera Austin – GIANTS Netball/New South Wales
Caitlin Bassett – GIANTS Netball/Western Australia
Gretel Bueta – Queensland Firebirds/Queenslan
Courtney Bruce – West Coast Fever/Western Australia
Verity Charles – West Coast Fever/New South Wales
Sophie Garbin – NSW Swifts/Western Australia
Paige Hadley – NSW Swifts/New South Wales
Kimberley Jenner – Queensland Firebirds/Queensland
Cara Koenen – Sunshine Coast Lightning/Queensland
Sarah Klau – NSW Swifts/South Australia
Jamie-Lee Price – GIANTS Netball/New South Wales
Maddy Proud – NSW Swifts/South Australia
Emily Mannix – Melbourne Vixens/Victoria
Kate Moloney – Melbourne Vixens/Victoria
Gabi Simpson – Queensland Firebirds/New South Wales
Liz Watson – Melbourne Vixens/Victoria
Jo Weston – Melbourne Vixens/Victoria
Steph Wood – Sunshine Coast Lightning/Queensland
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