Plummer issues ultimatum before ANZ Netball Championship
Players will have the opportunity to impress Plummer and national selectors over the 15 week season with Australia’s squad for July’s World Championship not finalised until the conclusion of the Trans-Tasman competition, and the champion coach said spots are far from certain.
“There are always opportunities for new faces [in the squad], they just have to perform and show us that they want it,” Plummer said. “Our Diamonds’ selections are always performance based and I’ve never made any bones about that. “We’re looking for that physically strong player that’s very mobile.”
Plummer has made it clear about what she expects from her players if they want to be a member of the Diamonds squad for the World Championships and the end of season Holden Netball Test Series against England and New Zealand.
“The expectation is that the players coming into Diamonds camp have made sure they have covered all the promises; that they’re going to be turning up to the final selections ready to perform, fully fit and raring to go, she said.
“I hate complacency in players and I think of bit of that came in this year with some and subsequently there were a few changes.
“I’m hoping those messages have gone out to everyone and that they all agree they need to come in looking the part to be able to perform to be selected." To accommodate this year’s shorter season due to the World Championships, teams will still play 13 matches each during the regular season, but the draw also features three Super Rounds with Thursday night games for the first time.
According to Plummer, with teams occasionally playing twice a week, the schedule provides an opportunity for players and could be an advantage leading into the world titles – with only one day off during the whole tournament the World Championship is a tough competition and only the fittest teams will survive.
“I think it will provide a fantastic opportunity for players that may often sit on the bench each game and don’t get a start,” Plummer said. “If you want to take the next step, you have to perform when the opportunities arise.
“It’s a tough year to be playing [twice in the same weekend] but if they do all their preseason work, the strength and conditioning work and they don’t drop that off, they should absolutely be in prime form by the time they go to the World Championships. "We are world champions and we want to maintain that and not drop our standards and pick it up from Commonwealth Games.”
The 2011 ANZ Championship commences on Sunday with the NSW Swifts hosting the Adelaide Thunderbirds before the action gets underway across the Tasman with the Northern Mystics taking on the Southern Steel on Monday evening.
