Netball Australia has named its 2026-27 Diamonds squad, putting Jessie Grenvold on the national pathway for the first time after her breakout season for the Melbourne Mavericks. The 18-athlete group, plus four invitees, was selected by Stacey Marinkovich, Anne Sargeant OAM and Michelle Wilkins as Australia builds toward July’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the October Constellation Cup.

For Grenvold, the call-up is the biggest reward yet for a year that lifted her from a promising domestic player to a genuine national prospect. Donnell Wallam also returned to the squad after being elevated from invitee status following her season with the Sunshine Coast Lightning, while Liz Watson and Kate Moloney were among the experienced names retained for another international cycle.

The squad also handed fresh opportunities to Amy Sligar, who returned for a second year as an invitee, and to Macy Gardner, Charlotte Sexton and Grace Whyte, each of whom earned a first Diamonds opportunity. It is the kind of list that shows Australia is trying to widen its options without losing the core that has carried the program through recent seasons.

Marinkovich said the group’s mindset is team-first and that the focus is firmly on winning gold in Glasgow, but this is still not the final tournament side. The squad has been named, yet the team to represent Australia at July’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will not be announced for another few weeks, leaving a clear gap between selection and the 12 who will actually take the court.

That delay matters because the Commonwealth Games sit only 54 days away, and the selection picture can still shift before the event begins. For players like Grenvold, the squad is both a breakthrough and a test: a place among Australia’s best now, but not yet a guarantee of being on the plane when the team is finally confirmed.