Young guns out for spot on Diamonds United Kingdom tour

With five senior Diamond players unavailable for selection, the camp at the Australian Institute of Sport will give the younger squad members an opportunity to grab their first spot on a Diamonds team.

Coach Norma Plummer is excited about the prospect of testing her younger players on the international stage for the first time.

“We are going to be a new look team this February. We are certainly going to be a much young side and we are going to have players on tour with very little Test caps or none at all,” Plummer said.

“I think it’s fantastic that Netball Australia has given us the opportunity to take a younger group away as we head forward.

“It’s important that we are blooding all these younger players because you never know when an injury is going to hit you. We are resting four players (McMahon, Cox, Corletto, and Fuhrmann) who are in post-surgical rehab. We don’t want to push them back into the team when there is the Commonwealth Games at the end of the year.”

The Diamonds will face Scotland in two Tests in Glasgow and the world number three, England in three Tests in Liverpool, Nottingham and London.

“We go into Scotland and England as a bit of an unknown quantity.

“We are going to be underdone compared to England who have been playing for their individual clubs in their Superleague competition.

“Their international experience and capped players will far outweigh ours but, in saying that, we are picking a team to win and I believe these young ones can stand up and deliver.”

The Diamonds will be in camp from tonight until Sunday 31 January with the Diamonds team to tour the UK to be announced on Monday 1 February at 12noon.

Diamonds v Scotland
February 14 & 16, Glasgow

Diamonds v England
February 19, Liverpool
February 21, Nottingham
February 23, London

Australian Diamond Squad 2009/10

Caitlin Bassett

Emily Beaton

Kate Beveridge

Shae Bolton

Madison Browne

Rebecca Bulley

Bianca Chatfield

Julie Corletto

Catherine Cox

Johannah Curran

Susan Fuhrmann

Laura Geitz

Mo`onia Gerrard

Kimberlee Green

Renae Hallinan

Sharelle McMahon

Natalie Medhurst

Chelsey Nash

Lauren Nourse

Susan Pratley

Amy Steel

Joanna Sutton

Thwaites, Caitlin

Natalie von Bertouch

Squad invitees

Tegan Caldwell

Andrea Gilmore

Sharni Layton

Unavailable for selection

Julie Corletto (knee rehabilitation)

Catherine Cox (ankle rehabilitation)

Susan Fuhrmann (knee rehabilitation)

Sharelle McMahon (knee rehabilitation)

Lauren Nourse (work commitments)