The Netty Life

The seventh season of the Super Netball league is upon us and we are beyond excited to be back with you for what is our fourth season of The Netty Life podcast!

As per usual, we love chat and a chinwag, so this consider this a mega preview with every team’s biggest narrative heading into the competition and as a warning for length -- you may need to settle in with more than one cup of tea.

We also cover the latest hot topics in the netball world right now, including: the departure of the Queensland Firebirds’ assistant coach six days out from their first game, Noeline Taurua’s comments about Courtney Bruce’s physicality, an unfortunate injury that has rocked the Melbourne Vixens camp on the eve of the season, and whether the Adelaide Thunderbirds might finally be the real deal this year.

All this and more on our first podcast of 2023.

The Diamonds have dazzled in 2022, winning all the silverware that’s been on offer in a dominant display.

In the last pod for the year, Kate and Britt analyse their final international series against the English Roses.

- Can the Diamonds win the Netball World Cup without Beuta?
- Can Ash Brazill get back the WD bib after a classy international debut by Amy Parmenter?
- Have the Roses lost their killer instinct?

Thanks for all your continued support and we look forward to bringing you more netball analysis in 2023!

With the Constellation Cup on the line, the Australian Diamonds displayed great resilience despite external pressure to win the decider, claim the series and reclaim bragging rights over their rivals, the Silver Ferns.

In a tumultuous week for the sport, we discuss the events that lead to Hancock Prospecting pulling their $15 million dollar sponsorship deal.

The Kiwis have a 2-0 advantage in the Constellation Cup series.

As the Diamonds struggle to get a win without Gretel Bueta, four debutants have taken the court to prove their worth.

Meanwhile, more drama is in the papers surrounding Netball Australia, with their new life-saving $15 million dollar partnership under fire.

It has caused another rift between the playing group and the sporting body in a year already filled with turmoil, about whether the national team should have to wear a logo associated with a company that doesn't align with their values on their Diamonds dresses.

We weigh-in on the controversy and discuss whether there should be more communication between the two parties.

The Australian Men’s Netball Team will be back in action next week, facing New Zealand for the first time since 2018.

The side have had limited opportunities to play international netball during the pandemic, but there has been a lot of interest and momentum building in the domestic men’s space this year.

We catch up with captain Dylan Nexhip to hear his thoughts ahead of their return to court and his hopes for men’s netball beyond this historic tour – which will include double header matches alongside the Aussie Diamonds for the first time.

Young Ash Ervin has had an unbelievable year and has topped it off with a 2023 Sport Australia Hall of Fame scholarship!

The up-and-coming defender scored herself her first Super Netball training partnership, represented Queensland at the U19s National Championships in Tasmania and at the Australian Netball Championships in Traralgon, where she topped the stats for deflections.

Before she was picked for the Australian U19s emerging squad and was also invited to head along to the U21s camp.

Britt caught up with Ash to learn more about her story and how excited she is to be under new Firebirds coach and former Diamonds defender Bec Bulley.

At the end of the 2020 Super Netball season, Chelsea Pitman found herself in a vulnerable position with no plans locked in for 2021, after surviving a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, a tough season away from home in the COVID hub and the disappointment of being dumped by the club she had captained through it all at the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

Aged 32, others may have thrown the towel in, but not Chelsea. She refused to believe it was the end of her netball career.

Instead, she took a step back and played for Garville in the South Australian Premier League and studied to become a police officer.

Then, in early 2022 she received a text from her former coach Dan Ryan offering a lifeline.

Chelsea signed a training partner contract with the West Coast Fever, put her policing plans on hold and moved to WA to carry out the measly $5,000 contract in the hope it might revitalise her career.

Ultimately, it did. Seeing Chelsea play more Super Netball games than she'd anticipated, winning a premiership and scoring a full-time contract for 2023 with the London Pulse.

In this bonus episode, she sits down with Britt to chat about the past year and her remarkable comeback.

After 10 days of hotly contested netball, the gold medal was decided in an epic 60 minute showdown that will live on in netball history.

It was Jamaica’s first appearance in a gold medal match and they were up against an Australian side who were desperate to win back the gold they lost in 2018. Despite a first class performance by the Sunshine Girls, it was the Diamonds who were victorious, claiming the win and solidifying their number one world ranking.

New Zealand blew the reigning champs, England, off the court with a polished performance to claim the bronze medal, leaving the Roses with big questions around coaching tactics in big matches.

Australia have suffered their first loss of the Commonwealth Games against an extremely dangerous Jamaican side to finish second in Group A.

But despite being battered and bruised the Diamonds will need to regroup quickly ahead of their semifinal match against England.

Kate and Britt discuss how the Diamonds lost a 6 goal advantage and what changes the may have made when Jamaica hit back in the fourth quarter.

Does Australia have a plan B when plan A doesn’t work and can coach Stacey Marinkovich stand up in her first major international tournament and make the right calls?

While the Aussie Diamonds sit on four wins from four games, their real test of character will be in their upcoming match against Jamaica, who many believe have what is takes to win gold at these Commonwealth Games.

Kate and Britt discuss how the Aussies have faired in their first four games; the combinations that have stood out and the best individual performances for the Diamonds. They also ponder who might get the nod by coach Stacey Marinkovich as the starting seven against the Sunshine Girls.

Britt speaks about her experiences court-side as she’s living it up in Birmingham with the best seats in the house!