Expected world-record crowds for the Netball World Cup serve to highlight a dramatic rise in the sport's public appeal in Australia, Laura Geitz believes.
If anyone can measure the game's progression in leaps and bounds since the last world titles in Singapore four years ago, it's the Diamonds' captain.
It's there in the way she is recognised on the street everywhere in the country.
In her dramatic increase in promotional activities, and the way she has accrued more than 14,000 Twitter followers.
Leading Australia in the 2015 World Cup in Sydney, 53-Test defender Geitz says the increase in interest couldn't be more obvious - or exciting.
"If you compared it to what it was back in 2011 to what it is now, it's definitely changed," said Geitz.
"We've experienced and seen a really great expansion in the sport.
"It's fantastic to see that the individual girls (in the team) are now gaining recognition."
The game has always been a major player in participation terms, a Saturday fixture for an estimated 1.2 million mainly girls and women nationwide.
But Geitz says interest in the professional side has soared.
That was evident at June's ANZ Championship grand final, which drew days of headlines, a capacity 6000 crowd and big numbers tuned in from their living rooms to watch the epic between Geitz' Queensland Firebirds and the NSW Swifts.
"Our audience has increased from just being little girls and their mothers to males actually tuning in and watching the game," Geitz said.
"This tournament will ride off the coat-tails of that."
It will also present an opportunity for further growth."
Organisers are expecting world-record crowds of more than 16,500 people at Allphones Arena on Sunday for Australia's early heavyweight clash with New Zealand, as well as the semi-finals and finals the following weekend.
The pressure is on the world No.1 Diamonds to claim yet another piece of silverware for fans both new and old.
And in a year when the Matildas inspired at the women's soccer World Cup, Geitz predicts winning the World Cup at home could boost netball to unprecedented heights.
"This is a fantastic time for our sport to get recognition," she said.
"We are competing in essentially our Olympics, and it's fantastic to have it here in Sydney."
As far as ambassadors go, Geitz is as good as they get.
Statuesque and athletic, she boasts a 94 per cent winning rate since she was appointed as captain in 2013.
But while she's poised and polished off the court, the goal keeper is not to be messed with once she dons a netball skirt.
"You think she's reached a level, then she reaches another one with each outing," coach Lisa Alexander said.
"I'm just amazed at the fact that she can continue to do that, but it's no surprise because she works damn hard at it as well."
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