By Stephanie Smarrelli
Ruby Bakewell-Doran's boyfriend thought something terrible had happened when the Queensland Firebirds defender called him crying, just five minutes after she had left the house.
Her tears though, were of elation.
The 23-year-old had just been told she’d be travelling to Birmingham as a training partner with the Australian Diamonds squad after a breakout season with the Firebirds.
“He has copped the brunt of the emotional turmoil that netball brings,” Bakewell-Doran joked.
To say she was shocked to receive that call from Diamonds head coach Stacey Marinkovich is an understatement.
"It all happened really fast because I got the call the week before to say that I had been put in the (extended) squad and then a few days later I got the call to say I was in the 15. It all blurred together it happened fast,” she said.
Ruby's selection to the Diamonds was a complete surprise to the defender. “The first time I was on my way to work, and I had Stacey’s number pop up on my phone and I was like ‘oh my gosh’ when she told me I was in the squad I was kind of half crying; half didn’t know what to say. I was just a bit of a mess.
“I was not expecting it, especially in my first season, it was so unreal, it was just a whole lot of emotion.”
Bakewell-Doran enjoyed a stellar 2022 season in the Suncorp Super Netball League, with 19 intercepts and 56 deflections to her name.
Reflecting on her, albeit whirlwind of a journey, Bakewell-Doran says she is still figuring out what it means to be a Diamond – a title that is still very raw.
“I feel like you don’t ever see yourself in it when you dream about it,” she said.
“Even now training with the girls, I’m in awe of what they do and what they bring to the team. For me, being a Diamond is being the elite of the elite of the elite... it hasn’t really sunk in that I’m surrounded by them and one of them.”
INSPIRATIONAL FIREBIRDS
Bakewell-Doran confessed she has idolised her Diamonds teammates for many years but says her biggest inspiration came from former Australian captain Laura Geitz.
“When I was little I didn’t really understand netball but I remember noticing Geitz, with not any idea of what it’s all about,” she confessed.
She went on to explain how it wasn’t until she reached the elite level and had gone through the pathways herself that she really recognised and appreciated the true gravity of what Geitz had done in the sport.
“You go like ‘wow okay she was incredible’,” she said.
Bakewell-Doran also credits “Grets” for being a huge mentor.
Firebirds teammate Gretel Bueta has been a mentor for Ruby. “Going up against her at training, I love it because she’s so competitive, she pushes me so much,” she said.
“I’m sure I’ll get so many more mentors along the way, they’re all incredible I’m going to learn so much from all of them.”
And when it comes to motivation, the freshly named Diamond doesn’t need to look too far beyond herself.
“That feeling of the unknown of what you can be capable of is so exciting to me and I think for me what pushes me to go forward is seeing how far I can push my limits and to see how good I can possibly become,” she said.
ABOUT RUBY
Name: Ruby Bakewell-Doran
Nickname: Rubes
Positions: GD/GK
Game day breakfast: Eggs on toast or a chicken salad wrap
Game day pump up song: Rap music and old school RnB such as 50 Cent, Ludacris and Kanye West
