The Netball Show
S7 Ep39: NWC 5 Year Ani : Play (17th July 2024)
The net will show with Sly Hawk, Raising the bar for netball and winning sports. I'm Zara Bark and welcome back to the netball show with Fly Hawk as we celebrate and reflect on it being five years since the netball World Cup was in Liverpool. On this episode we take a look back at some of the action that took place leading up to New Zealand beating Australia in the final by one goal. Ahead of the games we heard from some of the England players who were part of that squad in 2019. It's always been a real honour and a privilege I was to wear the red dress but to be selected for a home World Cup and my third it was just a really dream come true so yeah now I was really really elated. I did make a joke with Tracy because I was here recently got married so I've gone from Beckford Chambers of the D to the U so I'm down at the bottom of the list before they give me a call so I had to wait a little bit extra longer but yeah ultimately it was a really really happy moment. It's a bit surreal that it's been my fourth World Cup and really honoured and really excited when I got the call from Tracy Nair and just can't wait to fly back to England meet back up with the squad and prepare to really give it a really red-hot crack at home. I always back myself to perform and always put my hand up to selection because I know that perform quite consistently like well over the last four or five years I'd say. But there's always that kind of speed of doubt in the back of your mind that something might go wrong or you know something might change or be different this time around which is kind of nice to have because it kind of humbles you and brings you back down to Earth that you're not just going to walk into the team you know you have to have earned your spot so whether that's playing for England in January or last year at the commies and also performing out here in Australia as well so always keeping myself humble and grounded. We don't have much time together but I think there's not really any accommodations that haven't been tested like even from Williams who is new into the team she had some great court time against Australia with you for mental or in January so I think that's like the beauty of the program just prepares you well to get straight into that competition and obviously yeah we'll have a lot of work to do we'll have a lot of video sessions because we'll have limited time on the court because we'll have to be keeping fresh so yeah we'll make it work like we always do. Absolutely so is that kind of a shift in like the focus now that you're getting so close to a bit competition obviously you've done quite a few of these competitions so like what kind of changes in terms of the mindset and what you're kind of focusing on. Yeah well I think you can take confidence that all the hard work fitness wise is done so you can just breathe aside beliefs and like yeah I've done my good work and you can start like looking to feel really confident and that's physically and mentally so you're doing those sessions where you just feel really fast and sharp all those sessions where you're just getting together as a team and you're going through your tactical stuff, your game plans so you just know for every like different style that you play you're ready for it. We know we've got some of the best plays in the world we know we're one of the best teams in the world but now it's that mental side of feeling confident to win and knowing we can do it. We spoke to Laura Gaetz ahead of the tournament and asked her if she was going to be awake. I can easily say I will be up in the middle of the night watching the girls because I will have a newborn baby to be taken care of so I'm very excited that I will have something to watch during all those early wake-ups early mornings and wake-ups in the middle of the night. Are Australian games easy to watch? Do they get easier to watch being the next player? Are you playing every pass? I mean it's so hard to sit back and watch what's happening out there because you naturally just go back to your own experiences and those moments particularly the close games and particularly World Cups where there's just so much excitement. I think when I'm 50 or 60 I'll still have that desire to be a part of it. Nothing compares to that competitiveness and watching the other Aussie girls out there. You feel like you're connected to them in a way. You do play every pass, you defend every shot, you take every intercept with all the girls out there and you just wish them all the very best. The England head coach was Tracy Neville and she spoke to Nat. I feel like my escalator has gone faster and I really want to get on it and I think I'm running and running and running and I think I just want it to start. I started doing a schedule last September and I feel like I can't make any more adaptations to it or any more refinements to it to make it spot on. I'm for this tournament so I think I want to live in my schedule now. I'll live and read it. The thing for me as well is obviously the girls are all coming in on Friday and some of them have not seen for about five, six months so it'd be nice to see everyone again. It feels like we really missed them. It's like our family now and although we've been in camp for three weeks and it feels like all of us are part of our family and they were well missed in council. To get them back on Friday will be really exciting. It must be great for you to see all of those girls who are out doing so well. They've all taken on leadership walls. They're all really dominating in their own individual areas. How does that make you feel about bringing them back in? Do you know we said through the roses program this wasn't about making about one person. It was about creating leaders within leaders. I think one of the things that's really shown through and the club system out in the UK and out in Australia is the way they've just gone on and really led their teams and even to winning and to success and to some of the best performances but they're also excelling themselves like the number of player of the matches and the way they're out performing and their opposition is just true cadet. You talk about being the mummy in the stand and you think these girls really, truly deserve it. They really wanted to invest when we started the centralised program. They really wanted to invest. They knew how much time they had to spend together to get success and they've not let me down from that. So for me we're going into this world cup and the most important for me to me is about winning as a team and that is on and off the court. That is the most important thing for me. Any team that could cause an upset Jamaica, South Africa? The team for me that could cause a real upset is South Africa. Jamaica's a big, I'm a fan of Jamaica, I think they're going to be great. But I really do think that South Africa is going to be a huge challenge and whether they have the strength to win it, I don't believe they do but I think they can cause some major upsets and can really disrupt potentially the competition for maybe some of the stronger teams. I know New Zealand is always in the mix but I actually think that people have maybe discounted them a little bit but I think they're going to be really strong at this world cup. And how about teams making it through the big final? Do you see it being anything other than England, Australia? The thoughts on final teams in the grand final, England and Australia. Look, that's probably what pops into everyone's mind going off. What happened at Commonwealth Games last year? Again, I think New Zealand is going to be in that final too and I actually think New Zealand will be there and it will be out of England and Australia for that other position. I'm also just mindful four years ago that we experienced that home world cup and whilst there's so much positivity surrounding the fact that you've got your own crowd and you're in your own country, you think that that's just a given advantage. I actually found early on in those rounds it was more of a disadvantage for us as an Australian team hosting the World Cup. There's so much more pressure and I think for England that might be something that they also realise and have to prepare that an early loss can sometimes really send a bit of a rocket through the group and I think with the different teams having to play each other in the pools, that's always on the cards. So it'll be interesting to see how England withstand that pressure, whether they use it to their advantage or whether it becomes a little bit too much for them. Claire Nelson was CEO of Netball Scotland at the time. All of us here in Scotland are really looking forward to being a part of Netball's biggest world competition. Having it on our doorstep just makes things all the more exciting as we can look forward to having lots of home support attack games but more than that through the TV coverage we get to showcase our incredible sport to the whole nation and as we saw after the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, this increase in exposure leads to an increase in engagement and participation. We are lucky this year to be able to have bought all of our Scottish Thistles together to play in our Strathclyde Sire and Super League team and there's no better preparation for our national athletes than to get to train and compete as a team week in, week out in one of the best leagues in the world. So we're just over three months to go to the Netball World Cup, our focus is currently on preparing our athletes to deliver their best ever performances on the world stage and I, for one, cannot wait to see them in action. Claire Maxwell was captain of the Thistles. Overall, we did put in performances we were really proud of. We had a young team and that's been a little bit of a theme recently with the Scottish teams, like they have been quite young. It was everybody's first ever catch, like she'd never played in Scotland just before and for her to play in such a big occasion. As you took to the court a lot during that competition was major and I think we were on the pinnacle what could be and I think it was the same at the decent competitions. I think there's so much potential and once these girls hit 28th already, you know, when they're actually at their peak up, we're really excited to see what they do. Lauren Tate was part of the Thistles squad. It was good fun. It was really nice. It means you got to walk past some of the people who were coming to watch and stuff, which is really lovely. It was quite hard because we weren't allowed to interact with them because we'd just stall us and teach that at the start time. So it was kind of like a breath. Hi, bye. Because sometimes little kids would come up and you're like, "I'm really sorry. I have to go." But it was amazing. It was one of those situations I found that obviously on court, your arrival is off court. Everyone's normally just friends, but then we don't normally see each other in casual situations. So we go in to get our food and stuff and we're like, "Are we friends now? Can we say hi?" You hit me on the head five minutes ago, but are we okay now? Dan Ryan was head coach of Netball Northern Ireland and he explained more on that selection process. Selection is always a difficult process for both the athletes and the selectors themselves. Obviously we had to manage our way through a couple of key retirements after the Commonwealth Games last year, so integrating a few of the younger athletes into the senior squad and also some fresh faces into the environment too. So we've been together since December and with each other a couple of times a month and really happy with the final 12, there were some difficult decisions at the 11th hour that we had to make, but really proud of the group that has been chosen to represent the Northern Ireland Warriors and looking forward to some more hard work ahead over the next six weeks as we get ready for our opening round match. As for the Diamonds, Lisa Alexander announced her team live on television. It's an absolute pleasure to announce our Australian Diamonds, Netball team for the Netball World Cup in Liverpool in July, starting with Caitlyn Bassett, captain from Western Australia, April Brandley from New South Wales, Kelsey Brown from Victoria, Courtney Bruce from Western Australia, Paige Hadley from New South Wales, Sarah Clough from South Australia, Jamie Lee Price from New South Wales, Caitlyn Fweitz from Victoria, Gretel Tippett from Queensland, Liz Watson, Vice Captain from Victoria, Jo Weston from Victoria and finally Steph Wood from Queensland. Jo Weston and Lizzie Watson were also part of the Today program. In New Zealand we've always got a really fierce rivalry with, but also England and South Africa and Jamaica. They've got some very tall shooters, if you think I'm tall you should see these girls. Liz, Vice Captain, you must be pretty stoked. Absolutely, I got the call yesterday from Lisa, it's an honour and just to go away with this group of girls can be pretty special. Laura Geitz explained more about Australia's strengths in Netball on a global scale. Australia has always prided themselves on having depth in the squad and I think probably Lisa Alexander since she's taken over the reigns. It's been one of her greatest strengths as coach is to continue to develop that depth and that strength within the playing group. As the international seasons now seem busier and more expected of the girls, I think that's a huge positive in terms of having so many viable options out on court to choose from. Plenty to be said about the importance of Seabass and the role that she plays on court. Seabass, look, she has really grown into her role on court and off court as a leader. She's a big gameplay, there's no denying that and I think that she has really just got great confidence within her own ability on court and I think she's finally got to the point where she's comfortable in having her own leadership style and not comparing herself to others. She does a fantastic job with those youngsters in the diamonds and she's coming into great form in the SSN over here now and I'm really excited to see her carry that form into the World Cup. Speaking to Lisa Alexander this year, the net will show asked her how she felt Australia's group was overall. It was a very strong group and that was the thing that annoyed me a little bit and he was the fact that people sort of poo pooed a little bit the group that I thought was actually a quite an interesting and strong group that gave us lots of challenges, particularly Zimbabwe. I knew they would be strong and they proved to be in that tournament because I'd seen the work that their coaches and their players had put into the four years previous they'd come to a professional development program that I ran in Namibia back into 15 I knew they were really keen to make World Cup. So I was thrilled to see them there and see them do so well. And then also Sri Lanka they keep on plugging away and you know they were so thrilled to play us and then Northern Ireland coached by Dan Ryan they were tough. And there will be an extended version of a special catch up chat with Lisa Alexander five years on online later this week. Netball Northern Ireland's Carolina Hanlon celebrated her 100th cap. What do you remember most about that first cap? The first cap, God, very little. That's a long time ago very little, God I don't know who it was against. Oh you've personally seen it progress from obviously those kind of days to big massive arenas like today and having that home support. Absolutely it's a world away and just the media attention that's on Nepal and female sport and you know the athletes are just at a whole other level and when I was first starting out and you know it's brilliant to be a part of that and brilliant to see. The nice thing is when you're joining people like Noleen on 100+ as well and that international group of netball that have made that achievement. Yeah yeah I know it's brilliant and as I say it's brilliant to have any opportunity to play and I've had that on a 100 times which is great. We saw that Joe got a pair of trainers, Dan said he's going to treat you to a coffee. I was hoping the trainers would be at the high. I mean they're really loading me up this tournament and been really really kind to me. They gave me an engraved 100 with a GB on the other bevel side but that's a one use only. I'm really disappointed because it's really such a geeky unpithing but it really blows really well and it sounds great. A lot of our Australian friends have already got their eyes on Emma. Well we will try to keep a hold on here for a little while longer. I understand why and for Scottish netball she was to go to Australia and play in the future. That would be exciting for them. What about doing all the tuition things that have been probably done them all? I'm trying not to do too much because I'm a bit tired. No one really recognised me because I'm short but when you're really tall everyone recognise me. But yeah I guess I've done only a bit of the bevel stuff but I haven't done too much because I get a bit exhausted after the game. But you've just taken everything in and really embraced me. It's obviously my first World Cup so I was enjoying the experience and learning a lot as well. Tracy said that you've really come into your own as a captain of this squad. How do you feel captaining the side? Yeah obviously it's a very proud moment in my career to be the person to lead us into this home World Cup. I think for me I've not really changed that much. I'm still Serena. I'm clumsy. Things go wrong constantly. Whenever I try to do team talks I think the girls quite like that. We asked Lisa Alexander what she said to the players following the 51/52 loss to New Zealand. I just said to the players at the end of the game that you've got to be proud of winning a silver medal. You know we did lose a game but at the end of the day it is a hot competition and we must show respect. Even though we had a few people upset it was very important that we maintained our dignity and understood there are a lot of people there supporting us and we need to keep a smile on our faces. And here's Liz Watson. I think to put in perspective it was one goal and I think we're so proud of just the effort we put in the whole tournament. I think to have eight games in ten days is huge and I think the way that we just poured it out in the end and brought it back. I think we could have let them go about what was it, eight or nine and then you know to get up with him won. Yes it sucks that we got it but I think you've got to be proud and a silver medal is pretty impressive in the whole world. So we're proud about that. She states that the Australian team are a side that never give up. You know you're in the gold medal match in a world cup that's probably big enough just to know that we were never going to give up no way and I think even to be down by that march and come back and have the crowd that all out is probably more against us. But you know all our family and friends are in the stands have come a long way. We have so much history with netball in Australia so I think just that in itself is everyone's got that passion and that drive and I think that's what drives us. It's not you know we're down by this much repaint this opposition. It's just the passion to play for your country really. Head coach of New Zealand no lead to rural. It's fantastic. It has taken a long time for us to be able to get to the stage and pretty much started in August and the strategy behind it but also know we had to go through a bit of pain to be able to know exactly what we have and know where the opposition is and then the steps I suppose to be able to improve ourselves so it has been a long time coming and every game that we've played or every camp it was about being better in the previous game or camp and slow grind but sometimes all good things take time and I think timing as well just you know we're all just came together. There's probably areas that I'm going to be honest that I know we can do better but you know we'll take it and very humbled. Dame Nolene was praised by Lisa Alexander following the game and Laura Langman also spoke about how she was pleased with their performance during the tournament. I'm very aware about my role and I'm only one person in the mix of everything and if anything one of the things that I'm proud of is our holistic and our collective and knowing that every person has a role to play in the big picture so very humbled by her saying that and it's really lovely and she's a lovely person but I'm just one person and everybody's done a job. We just had a real focus on doing your job and doing it well and I think everybody in our week came away with two of our strong players and everyone contributed and that's the environment we wanted to start creating in August and I feel like we've made massive inroads into that. Speaking to Lisa a few weeks ago we found out that Lisa feels a strong New Zealand team is good for World Netball overall. I don't like it when New Zealand's not strong in netball I think it's really important for netball when New Zealand is strong because it is a heart and soul of World Netball in many respects one of the smallest countries and they always punch above their weight but I knew that she would be revered after that performance. It was an amazing performance alongside her coaching of the premises with Sunshine Coast Lightning so I'd worked closely with her at Sunshine Coast Lightning as Australian coach and ironically you know I probably got unfairly criticized after that performance and Nolan got absolutely revered as she should for the performance of the team and also herself. Melissa Bessel was delighted to see that win for the Silver Ferns. The Kiwis running out and doing like that it is a fairy tale you know and I knew everybody knew that Nolan could do it and honestly those just what those girls stepped up at World Cup, Casey. I mean all of them all of them I mean my god my heart was hanging out of my chest when the first quarter when they were getting it they were obviously very very nervous with Maria missing some goals and dropping the ball out the back line you're thinking ah okay breathe breathe breathe it's okay but epic defense have you ever seen defense like that? That's one of the things that wins games? Yup absolutely and it makes me smile because you've got to be fit you know that's always been my mentor with everything I do in Nick Ball and that's the only reason I got Wells to where they were I absolutely boosted them until they got fit and then when you're fit you can do whatever you know it just changes a player's life and you know she did that and watching them do stuff and just and then it becomes you build that culture within that and that you could see that culture within that thing you could see that they were about to do something very special. I'm Zara Bark and on the next podcast we explore how the Netball World Cup held in Liverpool back in 2019 inspired the next generation of players we are seeing today throughout our leagues. The Netball Show is now also available via Sky HD, Sky Q and Sky Glass. Select sports and we're on the podcast's rail. [BLANK_AUDIO]
What is it like to play at a World Cup - we hear from some of those athletes that took part