The final Origin Australian Diamonds match for 2023 was a smash hit from start to finish, as the Diamonds delivered a stellar third win against the South Africa Spar Proteas to seal the South Africa Series.
An enormous opening quarter set up a superb 27-goal (77-50) victory, with a clean and composed attack setting the tone early.
Donnell Wallam proved a threatening target from the get-go as Cara Koenen once again starred out of position in goal attack. Early errors from the Proteas allowed the Diamonds to take a quick advantage and ultimately dominate the quarter.
Jamie-Lee Price was pivotal at the centre pass, opening up space for Liz Watson and Paige Hadley to drive down court and connect seamlessly with the goalers.
Koenen's confidence on the drive was key, creatively out-moving her opposition in former teammate Karla Pretorius as the Diamonds ran away with a huge 22-11 first quarter.
A huge second quarter saw the Diamonds control the airways, forcing errors from the Proteas and sailing down the court with ease.
The Diamonds' speed in transition was hard to stop, with constant communication and space providing continuous ball into Wallam and Koenen.
Watson had plenty of space to dominate with 19 goal assists in the opening half alone, as Courtney Bruce's threatening arms over pressure saw her collect three intercepts (five gains) in 30 minutes.
Head coach Stacey Marinkovich pulled the trigger at half time with a close-to new-look lineup, as Sarah Klau and Matilda Garrett replaced the high-flying Bruce and Aryang, and the two Sophies - Garbin and Dwyer - took over the shooting circle.
Ball-winner Amy Parmenter had an immediate impact with two early intercepts as Jamie-Lee Price moved up the court to continue the Diamonds' forward forays alongside Watson.
The South Africans found better connection in attack as the third quarter really kicked into gear, not allowing the Diamonds to command possession as they had in the first half.
Ine-Mari Venter was undeniable to post as captain Bongi Msomi fought hard against Parmenter for dominance.
Kamogelo Maseko's impressive split was on full show once more as the Proteas kept close to only lose the quarter by a single goal and trail by 21 at the final change.
The Proteas put it all out on the court for the final term, holding a lead midway through the quarter, however it was too little, too late as the Diamonds ran home 27-goal winners.
Venter topped the goaling tally for the night with 38 to her name, followed by Garbin (28) and Wallam (27) who shared the load evenly in their respective halves on court.
South African defender Nicola Smith finished with a team-high four gains as Bruce (five) and Parmenter (three) starred for the Diamonds.
The smooth connection from the opening quarters was evident as the Diamonds finished the match with their highest score of the series to close out an outstanding year of international netball.
