MILESTONES GALORE
From welcoming Diamond #198 into the fold to marking astounding on-court achievements, the Diamonds celebrated plenty of milestones across the four tests.
Courtney Bruce became Australia’s seventh centurion in Auckland, when she lined up for the first test of the series with plenty of family in the crowd.
She was joined for the occasion by Sophie Garbin, who celebrated her 50th test cap on the same night and came out with a point to prove.
While it was not the Diamonds’ night, Bruce finished off the match with two deflections and a pickup, while Garbin piled on the offensive pressure at 95% accuracy.
Jessie Grenvold proved her future is bright, making her debut midway through the first test and not taking a step back.
She secured a starting role in just her second test, and ultimately came into her own in front of the Australian crowds in Sydney and Melbourne.
HORJUS PLAYS FULL MINUTES
Georgie Horjus played the most minutes out of any player at the Constellation Cup, and boy, was she brilliant.
From feeding masterclasses to an incredible Game 4 Player of the Match achievement, Horjus shone bright throughout the series to pile on a whopping 131 circle feeds for just 11 turnovers.
Not to mention her 26-goal haul in the final test, making the goal circle her own at 93% accuracy in front of an Australian-strong crowd in Melbourne.
She rounded out just her third season in green and gold with a well-deserved Liz Ellis Diamond accomplishment, putting the cherry on top of an excellent year of netball.
Georgie Horjus was named the Liz Ellis Diamond and Australian International Player of the Year at the annual Australian Netball Awards.
MISSED THE SILVERWARE BUT HELD THE RANKING
It was a challenging Constellation Cup for the Australian Diamonds, falling short in the first three tests against the New Zealand Silver Ferns before securing a much-needed victory in the final test of the series.
The Ferns’ defensive pressure was the talk of the town throughout the first two tests. Backed by a feverish home crowd, they had confidence in spades.
Kelly Jackson generated 13 gains across the first two tests alone, and while the Diamonds nullified her impact during the Australian leg of the tour, the damage was already done.
Grace Nweke was also virtually unstoppable early, piling on 40 and 49 goals in the first two tests.
Series debutant Grenvold and Super Netball teammate Amy Parmenter were the gamechangers in the backend of the series, while Horjus’ mammoth series proved the future is bright for Australian netball.
Meanwhile, Bruce and Garbin remained steady, experienced heads at either end, Kate Moloney overcame a finger injury to play a pivotal role, and Liz Watson proved her chops in game four.
The final test was ultimately an all or nothing venture for the Diamonds, with that match seemingly dictating whether Australia would hold onto the #1 world ranking.
A win in the final test means the Diamonds will enter 2027 with something clear to build off with a home World Cup on the horizon.
Most importantly, that victory put an end to the Silver Ferns’ winning run for the year.
While there’s no confirmation of the updated world rankings until December 1, it’s safe to say the Diamonds’ victory spoiled the Ferns’ carefully laid plans.
