Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich is expecting to mix-and-match against South Africa as they build towards reclaiming the Constellation Cup.
The Australians are looking to extend a 47-game winning streak against the Proteas in their second Test on Wednesday night in Wollongong.
But the mentor insists the team has to try new plays.
Marinkovich said after not having played together for 339 days before last Saturday’s first-up win over South Africa, she needs to test several combinations to ready the team for the demands of the Constellation Cup.
It comes as the Diamonds prepare to face arch-rivals New Zealand next week, where they’ll aim to wrest back the prized trans-Tasman trophy after losing the four-match series 3-1 last year.
“Getting into different places where it’s not familiar, seeing new sights, experiencing different communities, and being able to walk into a new environment and doing something new (is key),” Marinkovich said.
“The girls aren’t making it easy in terms of selection.
“We’ve got a lot of variation with our squad, so you might see some different combinations.
“We expect to lift our standard, and certainly South Africa will do the same. Once you feel what the others are doing out there, it’s who can adapt and shift.
“You’re never comfortable, and that’s the great thing about international netball. Everyone’s hot on their heels, and we’ve got to be on our best.”
One of the players who has been the talk of the Diamonds camp is Alice Teague-Neeld, who made her debut for Australia on Saturday night after a decade in the professional leagues.
Shooter Cara Koenen said when she saw the mid-courter run out, she knew Teague-Neeld would grasp the opportunity.
And she did as the 29-year-old helped cement the Diamonds’ 64-53 win over South Africa with a deflection and two turnovers.
“Having a debut like she did, playing with a whole lot of freedom and confidence, just letting the ball go as a shooter on the receiving end, on some of her feeds, yeah, I’m really, really happy to see her in a Diamond dress,” Koenen said.
“To see her rewarded for all of her hard work and effort was really cool.”
Wollongong will host the Diamonds for the first time in 13 years, and Koenen sees playing in regional towns as a good opportunity to grow the game in places outside of the major cities.
“I’m from Sunshine Coast Lightning, which is a regional team up on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland,” she said.
“It’s really important to bring professional sport to regional towns, especially like this one.
“Everyone loves their sport in regional towns, I find, and it’s no different here in Wollongong.”
AAP
