Netball Diamonds shining in new clubs

The revolutionary nature of Australian netball is evident in the fact half the Diamonds squad for this month's netball Constellation Cup have switched clubs.

With their club futures finally settled after a stressful month, Australia's' netball Diamonds are focusing on vanquishing old foe New Zealand.

Half the Australian squad of 12 for this month's four-Test Constellation Cup series have changed teams since the Diamonds assembled for the Quad Series in August.

Most of them have ended up at Collingwood, one of three new clubs in the new national eight-team competition starting next year.

There has been unprecedented levels of player movement since the revamp was announced, with contracts signed in a hectic 12-day period last month.

"Coming into the Quad Series, some knew what they were doing, some didn't, some were making those tough calls while we were on tour," said Diamonds' midcourter Madi Robinson, who moved across Melbourne from the Vixens to Collingwood.

"I think coming together this time there's a bit of a sense of relief, that we can start talking.

"It's all announced everyone knows happening and we can move on and really focus on the Diamonds for the time being.

"But I'm delighted to be going to Collingwood and the facilities are just phenomenal.

"I just love to be back playing with the girls I started playing with, the likes of Sharni Layton, Caitlin Thwaites and Shae Brown, they are girls I started playing at the elite level with in 2006."

Robinson has been around long enough to have played in the Melbourne derbies between Kestrels and Phoenix in the years before the trans-Tasman competition started in 2008.

"The derbies were amazing., there was so much hype about them," Robinson said.

"The derbies are awesome and I know there be so much talk about the first game that Collingwood and Vixens play against each other,."

Another player to have switched clubs is prolific shooter Caitlin Bassett ,who moved from West Coast Fever to Sunshine Coast Lightning.

"I think the most exciting thing is that everything is out there," Bassett told AAP.

"I hate secrets and it was a little bit stressful with girls trying to decide what they were going to do and where was the best place for them to play next season."

Diamonds' shooter Bassett is part of the most cosmopolitan of the new teams.

The Lightning's roster includes England's Geva Mento,r, New Zealanders Laura Langman and Erena Mikaere and South African Karla Mostert, with Kiwi Noeline Taurua their inaugural head coach. .

"I'm definitely excited about playing under Noeline," Bassett said.

"From everything I've seen she's an amazing :coach."


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Source: AAP


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