What Makes A Diamond: Steph Wood

By Stephanie Smarrelli

“I want to be passing on as much knowledge as I can to all of my teammates and pushing them because if we’re all pushing each other it means we’re getting better.” 

That’s the mantra being adopted by Australian Diamond Steph Wood when asked about her biggest motivation. 

“I just want to leave Diamonds in a better spot than when I came in and I want those gold medals,” she said. 

“I’ve always spoken about leadership that I’m not going to change, I’m going to have the same voice that I’ve always had but there’s added responsibility in the stuff that you do outside of necessarily what you’re doing at training. I don’t think there’s [added] pressure, but there’s an expectation,” she said of her vice-captaincy.

DELIVERING GOLD 

Wood is determined to lead her Australian Diamonds teammates to success after narrowly missing out on the gold medal last Commonwealth Games, as well as finishing runner-up at the most recent World Cup. 

“I have an expectation that I can deliver and help this team bring home that gold, so as much as I say I’m not going to change, I’m going to do everything possible to make sure that happens because that’s something I’ve been very vocal about and that’s for me an expectation of what I want to deliver in a leadership role,” she said.  

While at a Diamonds training camp in Brisbane, Wood reflected on the changing landscape of world netball and how tough it is to be the best.  

But she was adamant on one thing... she wants the Diamonds to be a “feared opponent”.  

"World Netball has gotten way better and I think that’s a credit to Suncorp Super Netball and having so many internationals playing but I want us to be winning every tournament,” she said. 

"A big thing for me is I’m getting on a little bit in age and I know I’m closer to the end of my career than the start. I want to leave the Diamonds environment in a better place than when I started.” 

There are many things the 30-year-old enjoys about being part of the Diamonds squad, but a big one is it allows her to build connections with new and old teammates.  

And it’s building the connections, she says, that will determine their success at the Commonwealth Games. 

“We all know how to throw and catch, we all know how to pass and shoot. It’s about building those connections because we don’t play with each other week in, week out and that’s why it’s so important coming into a camp situation as that’s what we want to focus on,” she said. 

LIGHTNING DUO TO DIAMONDS TEAMMATES  

When asked about her Lightning teammate Cara Koenen, Wood touched on how special it is to be playing alongside her in the Diamonds.  

“It’s very very cool. I remember her as an 18-year-old when I played state league and she came into our team. I thought she was the classic tall lanky shooter that didn’t really know how her limbs worked,” Wood said. 

"Seeing her growth is the special part for me. At the beginning of the year it was the first time we got to line up in the Australian uniform together.... and now we get to go away together for a pinnacle event. 

“It’s really special to see the growth she’s made over many years to now be at the top of her game.” 

LESSONS LEARNED 

Reflecting on her earlier playing days, Wood says the biggest lesson she learnt was not to rely on her talent alone. 

“Netball can be cruel, I was a kid who had a lot of talent. I was playing when I was 12 in Division 1 at my association,” she said. 

“I was a kid that always got told that I’d make it but I had zero work ethic because I had so much talent.” 

Despite being gifted with a natural understanding of how to read the game of netball, upping her work ethic was something Wood had to learn the hard way. 

"I couldn’t get through to the elite or where I wanted to be without work ethic and it’s something that when I see younger kids, I want to tell them just because you’re talented now, you’re going to come up against people who are just as talented as you and work ethic is the thing that can separate you,” she said. 

“That’s a big life lesson I’ve learnt because sport can be cruel." 

ABOUT STEPH 

Name: Stephanie Wood 

Positions: GS/GA/WA 

Game day breakfast: Smashed avocado with egg 

Game day pump up song: Anything by Beyoncé