The Australian Diamonds will feature five Commonwealth Games debutants as they defend their netball gold medal in Glasgow. Among the hottest favourites for gold in the Australian Games team, the 12-player netball squad was confirmed on Wednesday, and there were no massive surprises.
New Faces in the Squad
Midcourter Jamie-Lee Price is among the newcomers, four years after she narrowly missed out on selection and was a travelling reserve in Birmingham. Sophie Dwyer, Sophie Garbin, Matilda Garrett, and Georgie Horgus are the other first-time Games selections.
Experienced Campaigners
Balancing the squad are some all-time Australian netball greats, with Liz Watson captaining the Diamonds. Watson, Jo Weston, and Courtney Bruce will compete at their third Games, having endured the narrow loss to England in 2018 and winning gold at Birmingham. Kiera Austin, Sarah Klau, Cara Koenen, and Kate Moloney also competed at the last Games.
“This is an incredibly exciting group with a great mix of youth and experience,” Watson said. “We know what it takes to perform on the world stage, and we’re committed to doing the work required to give ourselves every chance in Glasgow.”
“There’s a lot of excitement around this group, but also a real determination to defend the gold medal we won in Birmingham. We know the challenge ahead, and we’re ready to embrace it together.”
Reserves and Preparation
Jessie Grenvold, Amy Parmenter, and Donnell Wallam will be the reserves. They will be with the team in Melbourne for a pre-Games training camp but will not head to Scotland, staying in Australia on standby instead.
Australia's Netball Legacy
Since netball became a Commonwealth Games sport in 1998, Australia have won four of the seven gold medals. They are the only country to feature in every gold medal match. The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will be broadcast live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport.
