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AAP
AAP
Joanna Guelas

Diamonds deja vu as Vixens star aims for Glasgow gold

The Diamonds have jetted out on a mission to claim another Commonwealth Games crown. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

It's a case of deja vu for Kate Moloney in the Diamonds' chase for Commonwealth Games gold.

Melbourne Vixens captain Moloney was part of Australia's gold medal-winning squad at the 2022 Birmingham Games, finding consolation after a Super Netball grand final loss to West Coast Fever.

Now, the 33-year-old is preparing for her second Games off the back of a 61-40 decider loss to the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

(L-R) Matilda Garrett
The Diamonds' Commonwealth Games campaign begins on July 25. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

Lamenting the lack of hunger and fight against the Thunderbirds, midcourter Moloney had five days to lick her wounds before rolling into Diamonds camp.

Vixens teammates Kiera Austin, Jo Weston and Sophie Garbin are also part of the 12-strong heading to Glasgow.

Garbin, with Thunderbirds rivals Georgie Horjus and Matilda Garrett, is among five players set to make their Games debut.

"It was a tough and disappointing loss in the grand final," Diamonds vice-captain Moloney told AAP.

"But for us Diamonds girls, we haven't been able to dwell on it too much.

Matilda Garret, Jessie Grenvold
Australia's squad features five players on Commonwealth Games debut. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

"We get to move on really quickly, and we've got a goal of winning a Commonwealth Games gold medal.

"I came off the back of a similar situation in 2022 ... so it's actually probably a similar preparation leading into the second Commonwealth Games.

"In a lot of ways, it's actually been a bit of a nice turnaround in the fact that we can't really dwell on it.

"We can't sit on it. We've had to move on."

Australia are the top seed in the 12-team netball competition and lead pool A, with fellow heavyweights New Zealand and Birmingham runners-up Jamaica in pool B.

A graphic illustration
The Diamonds will, yet again, be expected to dominate at the Commonwealth Games. (Susie Dodds/AAP PHOTOS)

The Diamonds have dominated their closest rivals in recent meetings, claiming last year's Constellation Cup before pulling off a clean sweep of three meetings with Jamaica in February.

But Moloney is under no illusions of the tough road ahead, after facing off against a number of Adelaide's international stars in the grand final.

Jamaican defensive duo Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson were all-conquering against the Vixens, while South African shooter Elmere van der Berg and Silver Ferns co-captain Kate Heffernan were also part of the Thunderbirds' dominant win.

The Diamonds will be making the most of having Thunderbirds players Horjus and Garrett in camp.

-R) Cara Koenen, Matilda Garrett
Kiera Austin and Vixens teammates have had little time to move on from their grand final loss. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)

"We might have to do that (pick their brains) before we come up against those teams," Moloney said.

"I'm sure they've got lots of knowledge on them.

"We've got lots of girls who are playing with international players from all different countries.

"Coming up and playing against them week in, week out, gives you a lot of knowledge as well."

Australia have claimed back-to-back gold medals in netball once, doing so at the 1998 and 2002 Games.

Winning gold in 2014, their bid to defend their title in 2018 in front of a home crowd ended in heartbreak after England claimed a 52-51 triumph on the Gold Coast.

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A post shared by Melbourne Vixens (@melbournevixens)

Moloney said the Diamonds were heading to Glasgow with a clean slate, given the new-look squad.

"This is a new team heading to a new Commonwealth Games, with the goal of winning a gold medal," Moloney said.

"It's not so much about defending that, but about this group going out there and doing the hard work.

"We know it's going to be tough. We know international netball is in an incredible place at the moment."

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