A 10-strong Australian team will head to New Zealand next month to compete in the FAST5 Netball World Series under new head coach Nicole Richardson.
Australia will take on the world’s most experienced FAST5 teams at Christchurch’s Wolfbrook Arena on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November.
Their global competitors include New Zealand, England, Jamaica, South Africa and Malawi.
Australian Diamonds assistant coach Nicole Richardson will lead the charge of the 2023 FAST5 team as head coach, with Natalie Avellino from the NSW Swifts to support as assistant coach.
The pair is set to bring a wealth of experience to the FAST5 environment as former Australian Diamonds who boast ample coaching experience at the state and national level.
The selected Australian Fast5 team features a breadth of ability, comprising of experienced and emerging national talent, all of which play in Australia’s national Suncorp Super Netball League.
2023 Swifts Sophie Fawns and Teigan O'Shannassy have been selected for the team that will look to defend Australia's maiden Series title, claimed under Swifts head coach Briony Akle last year.
2023-24 Diamonds squad member Matilda Garrett has been selected to compete in the series alongside Lucy Austin, Georgie Horjus and Hannah Mundy.
Several fresh faces will also cross the Tasman to compete in the 2023 team with goalers Tippah Dwan and Fawns set to make their FAST5 debut.
Joining them are midcourt dynamic duo Tayla Williams and Hannah Petty, as well as young gun defenders Ashleigh Ervin and O’Shannassy.
Performance analyst Justin Weise and physiotherapist Lauren Bendo will travel alongside the team as support staff.
“This is a great opportunity to expose our aspiring Diamonds athletes to international netball while developing their abilities on the court and as a cohort,” Richardson said.
“We are looking forward to embracing the FAST5 format whilst embedding Diamonds specific skill sets which transfer well across both formats of the game.
“I am thrilled to be coaching this group of talented athletes alongside some excellent support staff, including my former teammate Natalie Avellino, and look forward to seeing our efforts on display in Christchurch.”
The team of 10 and two reserve athletes will travel to Canberra’s Australian Institute of Sport ahead of the FAST5 Netball World Series for a training camp.
THE TEAM
|
SURNAME
|
FIRST NAME
|
POSITION/S
|
STATE OF ORIGIN
|
|
Austin
|
Lucy
|
GS/GA
|
South Australia
|
|
Dwan
|
Tippah
|
GA/GS
|
Queensland
|
|
Ervin
|
Ashleigh
|
GK/ GD
|
Queensland
|
|
Fawns
|
Sophie
|
GA/GS
|
New South Wales
|
|
Garrett
|
Matilda
|
GD/GK
|
Victoria
|
|
Horjus
|
Georgie
|
GA/GS
|
South Australia
|
|
Mundy
|
Hannah
|
C
|
Victoria
|
|
O’Shannassy
|
Teigan
|
GD/GK
|
New South Wales
|
|
Petty
|
Hannah
|
C
|
South Australia
|
|
Williams
|
Tayla
|
C
|
South Australia
|
RESERVES
|
Ellis
|
Rudi
|
GD/GK
|
Victoria
|
|
Letherbarrow
|
Matisse
|
GS/GA
|
New South Wales
|
