The Diamonds are having fun with being “the hunted” as they aim a 2-0 lead and a shot at a clear sweep within the Constellation Cup in opposition to New Zealand, in-form purpose shooter Cara Koenen says.
The 27-year-old, who hails from Magnetic Island in Queensland’s far north, will play in entrance of her dad and mom at Brisbane Leisure Centre on Sunday night time within the second Check – Australia’s five hundredth in complete – having loved a starring position within the 50-40 win over the Silver Ferns in Melbourne on Thursday.
Koenen, who scored with 27 of her 31 efforts, and purpose assault Kiera Austin (22/27) have been each in sizzling kind.
The Diamonds fly to New Zealand on Monday for the ultimate two Checks of the sequence in Invercargill and Auckland however Brisbane is first on the agenda for Koenen, who stated she anticipated a extra determined opponent.
“They’ll come out much more intense however we’ve got been capable of do a little bit of homework on them and hopefully we’ve got a number of extra issues in our toolkit to whip out,” Koenen informed AAP.
“On this cycle, we’ve not overwhelmed New Zealand on New Zealand soil in a Constellation Cup so that may be a good problem for us.
“We need to put ourselves in the very best place to get that clear sweep and ensure we’re placing out 4 constant quarters of netball.
“Being world No.1, we’ve got a goal on our backs. We’re the hunted.
“It’s a good problem for us and we need to be certain that we hold constructing on what we have been capable of do on the final Commonwealth Video games and World Cup.”
Koenen was a member of Australia’s successful sides at every of these occasions, however the worldwide retirement of Diamonds purpose assault and vice-captain Steph Wooden has given the entrance line a distinct dimension.
“Steph is a pacesetter and somebody I work with at membership degree (for Sunshine Coast Lightning) so there positively was that degree of consolation together with her on court docket,” Coenen stated.
“She is among the smartest gamers within the recreation, and ran our assault finish and purpose circle.
“It has been a very good problem within the coaching block main as much as this Constellation Cup to share the circle with Kip (Austin) and see what we will create.
“There may be a lot extra development that we will make.”
Final 12 months, Koenen’s dad and mom made the lengthy journey to Brisbane to look at their daughter in opposition to England however she didn’t get on the court docket.
This time it will likely be totally different.
“It positively does imply the world,” Koenen stated.
“My dad and mom, residing in a regional a part of Queensland, needed to make lots of sacrifices monetary and time smart … placing me on ferries and trains.
“We clocked up fairly a number of kilometres, so for them to see me with my final identify on my again sporting the inexperienced and gold is fairly particular.”