By Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter
Members of Australia's netball delegation which landed at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay yesterday en route to a training camp in Barbados. The world champions open their defence in Kingston on July 12. - Patrick Campbell/Freelance Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU: WORLD CHAMPIONS Australia flew into Jamaica yesterday on their way to Barbados where they will set up a one-week camp in preparation for this month's World Netball Championships in Kingston.
The 40-plus delegation included the 12-member team for the World Championships and the Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) Under-21 team, which will provide them with practice opposition leading up to the Championships which gets under way July 10.
The team is racking up some serious frequent player miles after leaving Melbourne on Sunday, flying into Los Angeles where they overnighted and flew into Montego Bay yesterday.
Today the contingent leaves for Barbados where the group will spend seven days before returning to Kingston on July 8, ready for the their opening game on July 12.
Jill McIntosh, head coach for the three-time world champions, told The Gleaner they were sticking to the formula which worked for them leading up to last year's Commonwealth Games title.
She said they had gone to Wales for a week to prepare for the championships in Manchester and was pleased with the outcome and decided to repeat it for these championships.
The camp, she said, was to help the players prepare on two levels, physically and mentally.
"We are trying to get the girls away from their work and other environments so they can focus entirely on netball," McIntosh explained.
She said she did not think playing Tests and pick-up games against Barbados and simulated games against the AIS team would affect their preparations but would help it.
The Australians will have six newcomers to the squad which won their third straight and seventh title in 1999 but McIntosh was quick to add that while it was not fair to compare this squad with the 1999 one, she thought the present squad was "a nice blend of experience and youth and very versatile".
She said the versatility was an advantage as they are prepared to play eight games and players can switch several positions.
The 12 member squad reads: Kathryn Harby-Williams GD/WD; Liz Ellis GK/GD; Sharelle McMahon GA/GS; Nicole Richardson C/WD; Rebecca Sanders C/WA; Peta Scholz WD/GD; Cath Cox GS/GA; Alison Broadbent GD/GK/Wd; Janine Ilitch GK/GD; Natasha Chokljat WD/C; Eloise Southby GS/GA; Cynna Neele GS/GA.
McIntosh said the championships should come down to three teams - Australia, New Zealand and hosts Jamaica.
After playing Jamaica in a Test series earlier and winning 2-1, she said the local team will be hard to beat on their home ground with the crowd cheering them on.
She said the Jamaican team has shown an overall improvement and with their blend of youth to go along with experienced players such as Elaine Davis, Oberon Pitterson and Nadine Bryan, should be a factor.
"Overall the Jamaican team has shown a lot of improvement and will be strong contenders," she said.
