“I don’t think you have a knee jerk reaction automatically on a one-goal loss,” said Diamonds’ coach Lisa Alexander after her charges were again denied by the smallest of margins in the final of a major tournament. It is the first time since 2007 that Australia have held neither the World Cup nor Commonwealth Games title and while a one-goal loss may not seem hugely concerning to the world No 1-ranked team, context makes all the difference.
Just like last year on the Gold Coast, the Diamonds sailed through the early stages of this tournament with ease, winning their first five games by an average margin of 58 goals. Commentators praised their ability to learn from their past failure by allowing more players to run out full games, but the lack of a settled combination stuck out like a sore thumb.
Of the eight matches the Diamonds played across the tournament, they used the same starting seven only twice – in both games against New Zealand. Importantly, in the semi-final against South Africa, captain Caitlin Bassett did not take to the court at all and preferred goal keeper Courtney Bruce only made an appearance in the final quarter. With a lack of court time as a combination in pressure matches, the Diamonds struggled to move as a cohesive unit when it mattered most.
A big talking point prior to the tournament was the lack of a specialist wing defence selected. Of the four players who played the position at the World Cup, only one – Jamie-Lee Price – had played wing defence during the Super Netball season, and only for two quarters.
Although wing defence is often regarded unimportant in Saturday junior games, it is a highly specialised position at this level. Star wing defences Gabi Simpson and Ashleigh Brazill watched on from their lounge rooms back in Australia as the Diamonds struggled to find an answer in this position.
The finalists’ squads looked different in their make up. While seven of the Silver Ferns had experienced the bitter taste of silver in 2015, only three Diamonds took part in that campaign – and two of those did not play in the final. However, talk of the Ferns’ experience was often seen as a euphemism for their ageing squad – one that would not have the legs to run out a gruelling 10-day tournament.
But by Sunday night the three players who took the game out of Australia’s hands were 32-year-old Maria Folau, 33-year-old Laura Langman and 34-year-old Casey Kopua, who was also named player of the match. This is the trio coach Noeline Taurua refers to as her “fossils” and it was their experience that sealed a gold medal.
The Diamonds have been understandably quiet since the end of the match, but Alexander took to social media with a pointed retweet stating “When the battle is over, loudest opinions come from those who’ve watched from the sidelines. But their opinion does not count. The only person whose opinion counts is the one who is in the arena and risks all in fighting for the win. And that’s you.”
Unfortunately for the Australian coach, there will be many opinions from outside the team that will count as dust settles on this World Cup. She is currently contracted until the end of 2020, but there is no doubt reviews will be conducted into where it all went wrong – from team selections to match day player management.
While it may seem unusual to be reflecting so critically on what Alexander herself refers to as a one-goal loss, the Diamonds are not a team for whom second place is acceptable. To walk away from not one, but two major tournaments in as many years without a gold medal is not simply about the individual losses themselves, but the years of planning that go into ensuring the team peaks at the right time.
After Alexander’s post-match interview, former Diamonds’ goal attack and three-time world champion Nat Medhurst was not buying into the minimisation of the situation.
“It’s not a knee jerk reaction because they lost last year as well,” Medhurst said. “It’s been something that has been happening for around the last 12 to 18 months. It’s the flow on effect, because Australia – we don’t want to be in this position. We want to be winning Comm Games, winning World Cups. It’s not good enough. We need to make sure when that next cycle comes around, we’re up on that podium and getting a gold medal.”
When it is not simply the voices of armchair critics that cry out for change, but those who have been in the heat of battle, perhaps it is time to consider whether these players were given enough time under pressure for Diamonds to form.
