By James Buckley
Australia is set to unleash a netball wildcard in Melbourne this weekend as the home nation chases a maiden Fast 5 title at Hisense Arena.
Code-hopper Gretel Tippett is perfectly suited to the brazen world of netball's equivalent to rugby sevens or Twenty20 cricket, and will be recalling her formative years as a basketballer as the Diamonds look to prise New Zealand's iron grip from the only international trophy Australia are yet to stow in their bulging cupboard.
Fast 5 is perfect for goal attack Tippett. It's five-a-side just like basketball, there are deeper shooting zones offering two and even three points, and, just for good measure, each side enjoys a powerplay quarter where all points are doubled.
But it's the extra space on offer that has the 23-year-old feeling right at home after switching codes in 2012.
Well suited: Gretel Tippett looms as Australia's secret weapon in this weekend's Fast 5 netball tournament.Credit: Getty Images
"It's a fun, fast and exciting brand of netball that allows us to play a little less structured and have a little bit more flair out there on court," Tippett said.
"The fact that both teams are in the contest the whole game, it's a quick six-minute quarter and with your powerplays as well, teams can't really get away from each other so it's always going to be a tight match.
"I haven't looked back since switching over. I'm absolutely loving it.
"Every time I step out on the court it's a challenge and it's something that really drives me. Every time I step out there I know I've still got improvements to make."
The two-day tournament will squeeze 18 games into the weekend.
And despite the carnival element to the competition, Tippett said there was an underlying determination for Australia to end their Fast 5 hoodoo.
"It's really important and something that's driving us girls this week in training for the weekend," Tippett said.
"We really want to get the gold, we've come runner-up too many times and the New Zealand team are very good at this game.
"Being the first time it's been played in Australia and also home crowd advantage I think will hopefully help lift us. We'll be giving it everything out there."
Australian netball legend Liz Ellis said Tippett was shaping as Australia's secret weapon.
"It's been extraordinary, to go from not having played netball five years ago to now being on the starting seven for the Diamonds in this Fast 5 team, she's great to watch," Ellis said.
"The more open nature of the court really suits her, fewer players allow her to do a lot more running.
"Gretel's really good defensively and I think that's something that gets underplayed a little bit and it's really important in something like Fast 5."
FAST 5 - HOW IT WORKS
- Six teams line up for the seventh annual Fast 5 tournament – Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Jamaica and Malawi
- Each game is made up of six-minute quarters
- The wing attack and wing defence are removed from the court making it a five-on-five contest
- Goals scored from inside the circle are worth one point as normal. A larger circle offers two-point scoring, while long bombs launched from inside the attacking third net three points
- Each team is entitled to one powerplay quarter where all points are doubled
- Centre passes aren't rotated. One team has all the centre passes in the first and third quarters, and the other kicks off every restart in the second and fourth quarters