Netball
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Robinson excited as Diamonds squad named

Netball

Madi Robinson was so convinced she had missed out on the Commonwealth Games netball team she needed selectors to give her the news of her call-up twice.

The 30-year-old has ridden selection highs and lows since making her international debut in 2009 and, after being dumped from the Australian squad for the Constellation Cup last year and overlooked for last month's Quad Series, she was prepared for the worst.

Robinson missed the 2017 World Cup after suffering a serious knee injury and feared her timing might be off again.

"I kind of expected the worst," said Robinson, a former Diamonds vice-captain.

"I thought maybe I'd left it a little bit too late and haven't showed enough because I know every position is so highly contested.

"When the call came I had no idea until she said 'Congratulations' and I said, 'Can you say that again?' I don't think I heard it right.

"It means everything I've been doing over the last four months, not travelling with the Diamonds and have been at home training has been paying off."

The Collingwood skipper said the absences from the Australian team had made her more resilient and the reward of winning selection again even more special.

"The last six months have been a rollercoaster but I look back at my netball journey and think I'm used to these situations," she said.

"Missing the World Cup in Sydney on home soil, getting back into team and having a major competition on home soil, this is the ultimate."

Australia coach Lisa Alexander said the 54-Test veteran responded to feedback on what she could do to regain her place in the national side.

"The proof was in the pudding at camp where we saw Madi really out there really cutting up the court with her speed and her agility and her ability to put variation in her attack," Alexander said.

"Overall she went back and had a really good look at herself and how she was preparing and tweaked a couple of things and that was enough for her to lift herself to that world class level."

Diamonds Commonwealth Games Team:

• Caitlin Bassett (captain) - 76 caps (Western Australia, Sunshine Coast Lightning)
• April Brandley - 21 caps (New South Wales, Collingwood Magpies)
• Courtney Bruce -10 caps (Western Australia, West Coast Fever)
• Laura Geitz - 64 caps (Queensland, Queensland Firebirds)
• Susan Pettitt - 64 caps (New South Wales, GIANTS Netball)
• Kim Ravaillion - 50 caps (New South Wales, Collingwood Magpies)
• Madi Robinson - 54 caps (Victoria, Collingwood Magpies)
• Gabi Simpson (vice captain) - 25 caps (New South Wales, Queensland Firebirds)
• Caitlin Thwaites - 34 caps (Victoria, Collingwood Magpies)
• Liz Watson - 15 caps (Victoria, Melbourne Vixens)
• Jo Weston - 10 caps (Victoria, Melbourne Vixens)
• Stephanie Wood - 8 caps (Queensland, Sunshine Coast Lightning)

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