Bassett Selected in National Team
WAIS scholarship holder Caitlin Bassett has been named in Netball Australia’s 17-member squad for Australian team’s 2013 International season.
The West Coast Fever sharpshooter was the only WAIS athlete named in the squad, due to play fixtures against New Zealand and Malawi across September and October.
The national selection panel has included two debutants in Gabrielle Simpson (Queensland Firebirds) and Paige Hadley (NSW Swifts), after selectors opted to reduce the number of squad players from a traditional 22-player squad to 17 for this season.
“Our focus is on winning the gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and retaining our world championship title at the 2015 Netball World Cup in Sydney so we have narrowed our focus to work with a high quality squad,” Australian Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander said.
ANZ Championship Grand Finalists Adelaide Thunderbirds and Queensland Firebirds were rewarded for outstanding seasons with four players from each named in the squad.
Following the retirement of Diamonds captain Natalie von Bertouch on Wednesday, Kimberley Ravaillion, who retains her place in the squad, is joined by fellow midcourt rising stars Simpson and Hadley for the first time.
The 19-year-old Ravaillion made her international Test debut in January’s Tour of England before making her ANZ Championship debut with the Firebirds – going on to start at centre in last weekend’s trans-Tasman Grand Final.
While the rest of the squad members continue with transition training, the trio have been selected to represent Australia at next month’s World Youth Netball Championships in Scotland.
“Kim, Gabi and Paige all performed with a maturity well beyond their years and thoroughly deserve their selections after consistent performances this season against the world’s best netballers in the ANZ Championship,” Alexander said.
Ashleigh Brazill, Chanel Gomes, Karyn Howarth, April Letton, Chelsea Pitman and Susan Pratley have been omitted from the squad but Alexander stressed that the players are still in contention for the two marquee events.
“They’re going to be disappointed to be overlooked but I reinforce to them that this isn’t the end, they need to work on a few aspects of their games but I know they’ll be back hungrier than ever ahead of the Commonwealth Games and 2015 Netball World Cup,” Alexander said.
The Australian Diamonds squad will attend a selection camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from July 31-August 3, where the team will be selected.
The Diamonds will contest a five-Test Constellation Cup series against New Zealand, starting September 15 in Invercargill, followed by a two-Test series against Malawi.
In other Netball news, last night saw the West Coast Fever name defender Eboni Beckford-Chambers as its Player of the Year at the Annual Awards night.
Coach Plummer presented her Coach’s Award to energetic midcourter and WAIS athlete Verity Simmons.
“Verity blossomed from being a player with limited court time last year to earning her starting position this season,” Plummer said.
“She came onto the court at quarter time in Sydney in Round 1 and rarely let the court again for the rest of the season. She took her opportunities and played some great netball.”
A public vote decided the Peoples’ Choice Award for national team member Caitlin Bassett.