The Origin Australian Diamonds asserted their dominance as a powerhouse in international netball with a clean sweep against the England Roses on Australian soil in the recent AUS vs ENG series.
Match One – Newcastle
It was a heartstopper in front of a sell-out crowd in Newcastle to launch the series, with the result going down to the wire.
A quick-thinking Kate Moloney intercept saw the Diamonds shoot the ball down to debutant Donnell Wallam in the dying seconds. Wallam executed the perfect layup under pressure that resulted in the crowd erupting as Australia sealed the match.
It was a match full of momentum shifts with English Rose Eleanor Cardwell slotting goal after goal for the visitors while Diamonds defenders Sarah Klau, Jo Weston and Courtney Bruce were relentless.
The Roses led by a goal at the main break, with Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich shuffling the midcourt at half time. The changes to the midcourt reaped rewards across the court, with Paige Hadley and Jo Weston pulling in two gains that saw the Diamonds convert to lead by three at the final break.
It was goal-for-goal through much of the last quarter, before Donnell Wallam became Diamond #189 with 10 minutes left in the match and what an impactful 10 minutes it was. Asides from scoring the winning goal and shooting at 100% accuracy the mobile shooter gave England’s dynamic defender Funmi Fadoju a fresh challenge to defend.
Donnell's winning goal on debut in match one was a moment for the history books.
Match Two – Sydney
The Origin Australian Diamonds claimed the AUS vs ENG series in Sydney with an eight-goal victory.
The Diamonds started fast with the combination of Kiera Austin and Cara Koenen in the goal circle near seamless.
GIANTS duo Jamie-Lee Price in centre and Amy Parmenter in wing defence were also impressive. The pair wreaked havoc on England's midcourt throughout the match with Parmenter’s performance winning her the Origin Player of the Match.
England came to play in the second quarter with Funmi Fadoju’s aerial game on display in the Roses’ defensive circle winning ball back alongside Layla Guscoth.
The visitors managed to claw back the deficit to draw level during the second quarter before the Diamonds pushed back out again to a four-goal lead at the main break.
The Roses continued to challenge the Diamonds during the third quarter. Maddy Proud was injected into the match, adding another dimension to the Diamonds’ midcourt. However, an accidental blow to the head forced her out of the match.
The Diamonds continued to turn over the ball and capitalise during the third term to still hold the lead heading into the final break.
Having come on late in the third when Proud was injured, Sophie Dwyer remained on court during the fourth quarter. Dwyer stood tall in the goal circle and helped the Diamonds to maintain an eight-goal advantage throughout the fourth quarter to win the match.
Amy Parmenter was outstanding in match two with three gains and two intercepts.Match Three – Brisbane
The Diamonds stepped onto the court in Brisbane and did not miss a beat. It was a fast start for the Australians establishing a five-goal lead early.
Maddy Turner, playing her first minutes of the series, injected herself into the game with a pickup in the defensive circle before taking an intercept just minutes later.
Paige Hadley also had a flying start with seven goal assists and eight feeds to her name by the end of the first term.
Down by eight goals at the end of the first quarter, the Roses started to come back in the second term and carried that momentum with them for the rest of the match. Roses’ defender Funmi Fadoju led the charge, finishing the match with 10 gains and four intercepts.
Courtney Bruce, Jo Weston and Sarah Klau worked hard in defence to win ball back for the Diamonds as the Roses got back to within three goals during the fourth quarter.
However the Diamonds remained strong in attack, with Sophie Garbin and Sophie Dwyer keeping the scoreboard ticking over for the Diamonds in the final term as they went on to win the match 57 to 53.
Capping off a stellar series as captain, Paige Hadley was the Origin Player of the Match in the last game.The series is the last of international matches for the Origin Australian Diamonds for 2022 with the Netball World Cup on the horizon for 2023.
For more information on each match visit their match centres.
