The Diamonds starred on court, outplaying and outmuscling the old rival.
WHAT a great show the Australian netball team put on in Bendigo on Sunday.
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The Diamonds starred on court, outplaying and outmuscling the old rival in front of a passionate and vocal crowd.
Central Victorians held up their end of the bargain and so did the Aussies.
Fresh from their Constellation Cup win against the Silver Ferns, the Diamonds picked up where they left off, blowing England away in the first 15 minutes of the game.
The English team, were hungry for the win, they wanted revenge after their heartbreaking one goal loss to the Australians in the Commonwealth Games.
Shooter Jo Harten had the chance to clinch that match but was unable to, with the Aussies able to move the ball down the court and score the winning goal with less than a minute on the clock.
That one goal loss haunted the English team, losing the semi-final by the same margin.
With that in mind the Australians came out firing in Sunday's match.
The Diamonds made it difficult for England, the defenders efforts particularly in the first quarter were the key to their fast start.
Despite being without one of the best defenders in the world and Australian captain Laura Geitz, the trio of Australian defenders stood up.
Sharni Layton, Julie Corletto and Renae Hallinan played pivotal roles.
With the defenders all applying plenty of pressure, the rest of the Diamonds also were able to cause crucial turnovers.
Madi Robinson's (pictured) drive through the mid-court and into the goal-ring also paved the way for Australia's great start.
Natalie Medhurst's speed and accuracy was also great to see.
She is always reliable.
Corletto, from Kerang, has also had a standout year.
She has worked extremely hard and has deserved everything she has received over this past year.
In 2015, she will join fellow central Victorian netballer Caitlin Thwaites at the NSW Swifts after spending time with the Northern Mystics.
What a whirlwind year it has been for the sharp shooter.
Thwaites was a part of the team which won the gold medal at Glasgow and she also got to play in front of her home crowd on Sunday.
Thwaites, along with her fellow Bendigo team-mate Rebecca Bulley, got the chance to get on court and play their part in the dominant win.
It will be something they will remember forever.
Now, Lisa Alexander and her Australian team will quickly turn its attention to their final Test game against England on Wednesday night.
If they win, it will be their 19th in a row.
Also for the first time since 1999 the Aussies will be chasing a clean sweep of wins having won all of their 13 Test matches this year.
The Diamonds have had an extraordinary year and I hope their golden form continues.