Australian Netball Diamonds coach Norma Plummer has today named her 2010/11 Diamonds squad.  The 22 players will be in contention for the 12-player team to travel to Delhi in October for Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold medal campaign and for the Holden Netball Test Series against the Jamaica Sunshine Girls and New Zealand Silver Ferns in August.

Two news faces were named in a Diamonds squad that boasts strength and class all over the court.

After their integral role in the Adelaide Thunderbirds 2010 ANZ Championship Premiership victory on Sunday, Erin Bell and Sharni Layton have been rewarded with their first spot on the Australian Diamonds squad while NSW Swifts wing defence Kimberley Smith returns to the squad after missing selection last year.

Both new players have taken very different roads to their first national selection with Layton graduating from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra last year while Bell experienced her breakthrough year after spending 2008 and 2009 on the NSW Swifts bench behind Diamonds shooters Catherine Cox and Susan Pratley.

After the long selection process Diamonds coach Norma Plummer is satisfied that her 2010/11 squad is still a great combination of up and coming talent and experienced players.

“We’ve got a couple of new selected players in, Bell and Layton, after they put in such great performances over the ANZ Championship season,” Plummer explained.

“So the squad is definitely still reflecting youth and experience and we are really pleased about that because we want to keep the development coming so we are not left with too many holes.”

The 22-player squad will head to the AIS on July 21 for a selection camp before a touring team is named for the Holden Netball Test Series commencing August 8 in Melbourne.

“We go into camp knowing that we’ve got three Test matches against Jamaica and three against New Zealand – so we want to work a squad of 15 through those Series to give us the best opportunity to select the 12 players to go to Commonwealth Games in October,” Plummer said.

With a squad boasting versatility and depth in every position, Plummer knows that the next couple of months of the selection process will be a difficult road for both selectors and players.

“Every position heading to Delhi will be very hotly contested.

“All spots will be wide open and players know they have to come in with their game face on for selection.”

2010 Premiership winners the Thunderbirds have dominated the 2010/11 squad with all Australian on-court Grand Final players named in the 22.

The Swifts have also been rewarded for their record-breaking season with five selections, while four players from both the Melbourne Vixens and Queensland Firebirds received the national call up and three from the West Coast Fever.

Caitlin Thwaites (Vixens), Shae Bolton (Fever), Johannah Curran (Fever), Joanne Sutton (Thunderbirds) and Chelsey Nash (Vixens) have been omitted from the 2009/10 squad.

2010/11 Australian Diamonds squad:

Caitlin Bassett                                     WA          West Coast Fever

Emily Beaton                                       SA          Adelaide Thunderbirds

Erin Bell                                              NSW       Adelaide Thunderbirds

Kate Beveridge                                    WA        Adelaide Thunderbirds

Madison Browne                                  VIC        West Coast Fever

Rebecca Bulley                                    VIC         NSW Swifts

Bianca Chatfield                                   VIC        Melbourne Vixens

Julie Corletto                                      VIC         Melbourne Vixens

Cath Cox                                            NSW      NSW Swifts

Susan Fuhrmann                                 WA       West Coast Fever

Laura Geitz                                        QLD      Queensland Firebirds

Mo’onia Gerrard                                  NSW      Adelaide Thunderbirds

Kimberlee Green                                 NSW      NSW Swifts

Renae Hallinan                                    VIC      Melbourne Vixens

Sharni Layton                                     VIC        Adelaide Thunderbirds

Sharelle McMahon (Captain)                 VIC        Melbourne Vixens

Natalie Medhurst                                  SA        Queensland Firebirds

Lauren Nourse                                      SA       Queensland Firebirds

Susan Pratley                                      NSW     NSW Swifts

Kimberley Smith                                   NSW    NSW Swifts

Amy Steel                                           VIC      Queensland Firebirds

Natalie von Bertouch (Vice-Captain)       SA        Adelaide Thunderbirds