'Anything but equal': Australia face old netball foes New Zealand after disrupted lead-in

Any Diamonds coach, in any series in the game’s history, knows all about pressure. But given Australia’s failure to win their last two major tournaments, some vocal criticism of her appointment and a confluence of complications out of her control, new coach Stacey Marinkovich is on new ground.

The 40-year-old, who has not won an elite trophy as a player or coach, nor played for the Diamonds, was a contentious replacement for Lisa Alexander. Many, including national team greats Liz Ellis and Cath Cox, thought others were better qualified.

Now, sitting in a hotel room in Christchurch ahead of the four-Test Constellation Cup starting on Tuesday, the new coach faces challenges as numerous as her team’s titles.

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Marinkovich has had limited time with the Diamonds squad for her debut series in charge. She is without stars Steph Wood and Gretel Bueta through injury and maternity leave respectively and has a starting shooter in Caitlin Bassett who played just one full game last Super Netball season, courtesy of the introduction of the controversial super shot – and who walked away from playing in Australia as a result.

She has also been forced to prepare while in 14 days of managed quarantine. It is a compromised situation for a series against the world champions that will be contested on what she says is “anything but” a level playing field.

The Australians were released from quarantine on Monday – the day before the first of the four Tests, which are now all to be played in Christchurch and without crowds due to Covid restrictions.

Tuesday’s Test will be the Diamonds’ first since October 2019 when, in Alexander’s final competitive game in charge, they won the Constellation Cup for the seventh consecutive time since 2012.

“The reality is, we haven’t played for over 12 months, we have players who have come out of the middle of Super Netball pre-season, not match play, we have a new squad, new coaching contingent and the environment we’re in is unique, it’s not normal. We understand that reality,” Marinkovich told Guardian Australia.

“It’s a different playing field, not equal, anything but. But we understand it and we’re embracing the challenge … because it’s New Zealand, we want to win, no doubt. We’ve worked exceptionally hard on creating the best environment we can and [quarantine] has actually been better than what we expected.”

The absences of Wood, who is recovering from knee surgery, and Bueta, who last week resumed club training after the birth of her son in January, leave a big hole. It also heaps pressure on Bassett, who has been dumped as captain as part of Marinkovich’s policy of trialling a number of different options this series.

But from adversity comes opportunity. With an eye to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next year and the World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, Marinkovich will blood new talent, namely young shooters Keira Austin, who had minimal minutes with Bassett at the Giants last year, Sophie Garbin, Cara Koenen and perhaps invitee Tippah Dwan – four of a potential nine debutants.

“It’s always disappointing to be without those players, but the exciting thing is we get to see what other players can do,” Marinkovich said. “We always have that long-term vison.”

But players will not be rotated for the sake of it. “This is absolutely about performance and that will be rewarded, but we also have an opportunity to take great learnings from this series, about combinations and connections.”

While Courtney Bruce and Jo Weston appear to have a lock on the circle defensive roles, with back-up from Sarah Klau, the uncapped Kim Jenner and maybe invitee Tara Hinchliffe, the midcourt will be more hotly contested, given the coach’s embarrassment of riches.

She has well-established players Liz Watson, Gabi Simpson and Paige Hadley, relatively new names Jamie-Lee Price and Kate Moloney and three uncapped Diamonds, Jess Anstiss, Maddy Proud and Verity Charles, to choose from.

“You can put what you think are the best seven out there, but you’ve got to find a way for them to combine with those around them, that’s what we’re navigating at the moment,” said Marinkovich.

The midcourt will not have to contend with retired Kiwi star Laura Langman, her fellow “fossils” Casey Kopua and Maria Folau, also retired, nor Katrina Rore, who is out pregnant. But the Ferns still have a number of players who beat Australia in the 2019 World Cup in Liverpool, leading many in New Zealand think this is the Ferns’ best chance to win the Cup in a decade. For Australia, and Marinkovich, only victory will do.