Marinkovich's laser focus on 'big picture'

By Linda Pearce

Stacey Marinkovich had a belated start to her first year as Origin Australian Diamonds coach, settled in during a pandemic-afflicted second, won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in her third and a Netball World Cup in No.4.

So on the eve of the latest international component in a performance cycle that will culminate with a World Cup defence in Sydney in 2027, Marinkovich declares one certainty.

This is a reset, not a rebuild.

“It’s not the start of the Diamonds in terms of this group; we’ve got a really strong foundation of experienced players that have been in here for quite a while, and also we’ve worked really hard at building a strong foundation to all that we want to do,’’ she said.

“There’s skills and behaviours out on court that are our non-negotiables, there’s a language that we use that brings a commonality and brings people together, and there’s an accountability, a standard that we want to hold and have been holding, so that doesn’t disappear.

“But what we want to do now is make sure that the players that join can contribute and understand and bring a new lens to it: like ‘where can we push each other?’.’’ 

The longer-term “where” is Sydney, 2027. The more immediate ‘’what’' is the Test series against the England Roses in Adelaide, Sydney Bendigo from September 19, and then the trans-Tasman Constellation Cup.

Following a recent training camp in Torquay, uncapped Georgie Horjus (named among the shooters) and defenders Rudi Ellis (elevated from invitee) and Ash Ervin have been included in a 15-strong touring squad without injured duo Courtney Bruce and Jo Weston against the Roses.

Marinkovich has always maintained that players are only picked when they are ready to thrive, educated in the game style, experienced in the combinations and comfortable in the environment, and this is no different. 

The Torquay camp had a strong emphasis on culture, connection and team bonding following a demanding Suncorp Super Netball season; the next, starting in Canberra this week will ramp up the match play. 

When Marinkovich was appointed to replace Lisa Alexander in August 2020, her focus was necessarily performance-orientated. How the Diamonds played, the skillset, the game plan, etc.

The relative luxury of a full four-year term heading towards a home World Cup is a simultaneous big-picture focus extending beyond the scoreboard.

“Off the court it’s how do we make this a moment for our sport and then how does that contribute to the legacy of where the sport is and where they want to leave it after they’ve finished?’’ Marinkovich explained.

“How much more can we be growing the program, growing the vision of our sport? And that’s the difference between the last build and this build is that we have a bit more time to do more far-reaching things that will have a greater impact.’’

Part of that is inspiring the pathway-connected generation that identifies players more with their club than the national team, Marinkovich said, who would like to see the Diamonds brand commanding greater prominence in storytelling to build audience and fan relationships.

Indeed, the current group excites Marinkovich, as the head coach seeks the balance between retaining healthy, robust bodies among the seasoned core and advancing the newcomers challenging for spots.

“I love the competitive nature of the group, but I love the camaraderie of the squad mentality that the harder they push each other the better off the performing Diamonds team will be,’’ Marinkovich said.

“I love how athletic it is, but I also love that they’re there to support and play a role. So the experienced are sharing knowledge, the inexperienced are sharing a different way of looking at things, and it’s just adding a real energy at the moment.’’

The definition of competitive? That would be squad newcomer Hannah Mundy, in everything from cup-stacking contests to MasterChef challenges and the Diamonds’ version of the Amazing Race.

Marinkovich insists she is not conscious of a trophy-winning streak that has now stretched to nine series, and measures little in terms of straight win/loss.

“I just look at how hard we’ve had to work to get the results that we have, and that’s the part that doesn’t allow you to rest on your laurels,’’ she said.

“Every moment is just this high intensity, high pressured, high expectation environment and because of the quality of the opposition we only have been playing the best of the best.’’

Individually, more high-profile internationals are gravitating to Suncorp Super Netball, with the additions of Silver Fern Grace Nweke (Swifts) and Ugandan Mary Cholhok (Firebirds) forcing Diamond Donnell Wallam across the ditch in search of a GS bib.

Marinkovich would “love” Wallam to have found a place in her home league, where the Western Australian has proven herself over two seasons to be a high-volume, high-percentage scorer also adept from two-point range.

“It’s disappointing, obviously, to be a named Diamonds player and not getting a spot isn’t ideal, but we’ll certainly put the support around Nelle to make sure that she’s got those high performance characteristics within her environment and that she continues to play at the level that she needs to.’’

Marinkovich is also candid about her desire to see more opportunities given to younger Australians, with a bottle-neck facing those graduating from 21/U ranks, the next World Youth Cup only a year away and premiership Thunderbird Lauren Frew an example of what can happen when emerging athletes are given a chance.

“There’s parts where we’ve got to be a little bit more game to go ‘our youth are at a standard that can make an impact’,’’ Marinkovich says.

“I would definitely like to see more Australian teams; I don’t think we need New Zealand franchises in the competition because then what’s stopping the Silver Ferns putting a line-up in, for example? And I don’t think that helps us at international level having something seen so regularly.’’

England and Jamaica have been Australia’s past two finals opponents in pinnacle events, but traditional rival New Zealand is the one that retains the most special aura, according to Marinkovich.

Yet although the Ferns failed to reach the medal dais at last year’s World Cup, the Diamonds are determined to continue their all-conquering by prioritising not just role clarity, connection and consistency but on-court innovation, as well.

“There’s a natural Australian way of playing, but you’ll notice some different defensive structures, there’ll be different ways that we want to attack with the ball,’’ Marinkovich says.

“It might just be small nuances, but it’s things that we’re gonna need to practice and we’re gonna have to back in. We don’t get a lot of time to train it, so it’s about having the courage to go ‘we know what opposition will put against us, but we want to see if this really works’.

“And that’s where we’ll test and try and then work out what it is that we need to really evolve and keep and throw out, I guess, before going into the big events.’’