NSWIS athletes dominate Diamonds squad

Seven NSWIS scholarship holders have been named in the Australian Diamonds 18-player squad to contest the Commonwealth Games selection camp in Canberra next month.

Among those are in-form NSW Swifts stars Kimberlee Green, Susan Pratley, Sharni Layton, and Caitlin Thwaites.

Queensland Firebirds pair, Sydney’s Gabi Simpson and Kim Ravaillion, have also earned call-ups, whilst 2008 NSW Swifts premiership player and current Adelaide Thunderbirds star Rebecca Bulley is also in the squad.

NSW Swifts’ head coach Rob Wright expressed delight for his four players and said their selection not only reflected their own personal form, but the strong start the Swifts have enjoyed so far in 2014.

“All four players thoroughly deserve their selection in this year’s Diamonds Squad,” Wright said.

“Their performances on-court and work ethic off it have been outstanding, and this recognition is just reward for their efforts."

For NSW Swifts’ captain and the incumbent Diamonds’ vice-captain Kimberlee Green, selection in the 2014 Commonwealth Games Team would see her compete in Scotland, a country where her mother Denyse Langford won multiple medals at the 1970 Commonwealth Games held in Edinburgh.

“It’s always an honour to be named in any Diamonds squad, but to now have the opportunity to be selected in the team for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games makes it even more special,” Green said.

“This squad must have been so hard to pick, particularly with so many mid-courters putting their hand up with strong performances in the ANZ Championship season. 

“As captain of the NSW Swifts, I’m proud to see three teammates have also been selected in this squad, and hopefully this is a reflection of the hard work and results the entire roster has produced so far this year."

The squad will initially contest Commonwealth Games selection camp next month before regrouping later in the year for Australian Diamonds selection ahead of September and October’s international Test series.

Australia opens its 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games account against Wales on Thursday 24 July ahead of their remaining pool matches against England, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and South Africa.

2014 Australian Diamonds Squad
(ANZ Championship team/state of origin)

Karyn BAILEY (Melbourne Vixens/NT), Caitlin BASSETT (West Coast Fever/WA), Erin BELL (Adelaide Thunderbirds/NSW), Rebecca BULLEY (Adelaide Thunderbirds/VIC), Tegan CALDWELL (Melbourne Vixens/VIC), Bianca CHATFIELD (Melbourne Vixens/VIC), Julie CORLETTO (Northern Mystics/VIC), Laura GEITZ (Queensland Firebirds/QLD), Kimberlee GREEN (NSW Swifts/ NSW), Renae HALLINAN (Adelaide Thunderbirds/VIC), Sharni LAYTON (NSW Swifts/VIC), Natalie MEDHURST (West Coast Fever/SA), Susan PRATLEY (NSW Swifts/NSW), Kim RAVAILLION (Queensland Firebirds/NSW), Madi ROBINSON (nee BROWNE) (Melbourne Vixens/VIC), Gabi SIMPSON (Queensland Firebirds/NSW), Caitlin THWAITES (NSW Swifts/VIC), Elizabeth WATSON (Melbourne Vixens/VIC).