SHARELLE McMahon will captain Australia's netball team at next month's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
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The star goal attack from Bamawm was yesterday named captain of Australia's squad of 12.
McMahon takes over the captaincy from defender Liz Ellis who will miss the Games because of a serious knee injury.
McMahon will compete in her third Commonwealth Games.
While there was good news for McMahon, the Games dream of Bendigo product Rebecca Strachan was shattered.
The former Sandhurst defender, who presently plays with Melbourne Kestrels in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, was left out of the original squad of 15 by coach Norma Plummer.
Plummer said the final selection had been tough. "It's one of the jobs that's always hard, but in the end, you're not there to be popular, you're there to pick a team for all the right reasons," Plummer said. The battle against arch-rival New Zealand is shaping up as a key grudge match at the Games and netball will be the last gold medal to be decided. "We know New Zealand is number one, but they haven't got the gold around their necks yet," Plummer warned. "Don't go selling us short, because these kids are there for it." Australia will commence the round robin section of the netball Games tournament in Group B against Barbados, Jamaica, Samoa, Singapore and Wales. The Jamaicans, ranked No. 3 in the world, are expected to provide the toughest opposition in the group, but Samoa, ranked sixth, and Barbados, seventh, will also provide significant challenges for the new look Australian team. Australia: Sharelle McMahon (captain), Catherine Cox (vice-captain), Natalie Avellino, Alison Broadbent, Bianca Chatfield, Megan Dehn (nee Anderson), Susan Fuhrmann, Selina Gilsenan, Janine Ilitch, Susan Pratley, Jessica Shynn, Natalie von Bertouch.
