Sport

Netball

Diamonds are forever: Australia won by five goals.

Diamonds beat Silver Ferns to sweep Quad Series

The ANZ Championship may exist no longer, but the trans-Tasman rivalry has entered its next exciting phase, Diamonds shooter Caitlin Bassett logging an international best 52 goals in Australia's 60-55 win over New Zealand in Melbourne.

Not Geitz, but captain McMeniman next best thing

Team leader: Clare McMeniman is proud to be the Diamonds new captain

If the question is which tenacious blonde Queensland Firebirds triple-premiership defender has  captained the Diamonds with distinction this year, the answer is not the one you might think. No, not the feted and decorated Laura Geitz, but her lower-profile teammate and close friend Clare McMeniman.

Diamonds coach calls for a 20 per cent improvement

Australian Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander is hoping the team bring intensity and attitude against New Zealand on Sunday.

Lisa Alexander, maths teacher, is wary of using numbers to measure sporting performance. But Lisa Alexander, Australian Diamonds head coach, estimates the amount of improvement needed to beat New Zealand in Sunday's inaugural Quad Series decider is a minimum of 20 per cent.

Collingwood chases McMahon for specialist coaching role

Sharelle McMahon, centre, during her playing days.

The Melbourne Vixens' greatest player, Sharelle McMahon, is among Collingwood's latest recruiting targets, as clubs unable to officially finalise player contracts continue to assemble coaching teams for next year's revamped national league.

Robinson all dressed up, with somewhere to go

Madi Robinson has not played for the Diamonds since 2014.

When the mother of self-confessed neat freak Madi Robinson dropped in for a recent visit, Chris Browne was surprised to see an untidy riot of gold and green. A new Australian Diamonds uniform had just been tried on and paraded, ecstatically, two years after the last had been worn.

Netball talks ongoing, player signings stay on hold

Generic netball.

Netball's key stakeholders will return to the negotiating table on Thursday, but the delay in finalising the terms of the collective bargaining agreement is unlikely to allow players to be contracted for next year's relaunched domestic league for at least another week.

Double the pain for Swifts captain

Sharp movement: Kim Green propels the Swifts down the court.

NSW Swifts captain Kim Green says her side's most recent ANZ Championship grand final defeat feels different to last year but hurts just as much, however Firebirds skipper Laura Geitz feels little sympathy for her rivals after similar heartbreak in years gone by.