Netball: Aussie skipper in fitness race

Sharelle McMahon. Photo / Getty Images

MELBOURNE - Injured Australian netball skipper Sharelle McMahon rates herself a 50-50 chance of playing in the second test against Jamaica, from whom she expects an improved performance after their opening defeat.

The Jamaicans were disappointing in their 59-38 loss to the Australians in Melbourne on Sunday when their attack lacked flair and precision.

McMahon was forced to watch the match from the stands after a training collision with defender Laura Geitz resulted in a badly corked thigh.

She said she hoped to play in the second test in Sydney tomorrow night, and was a definite starter for the final encounter on the Gold Coast on Sunday.

"It's pulled up pretty well and it's getting better every day, which is good," McMahon said. "It's all about fairly intensive rehab to hopefully get it up for the game on Wednesday. It's a fairly quick turnaround for us so I'd say I'm about 50-50."

While the Diamonds were impressive for their first international of the year, the Jamaicans badly missed some of their absent stars, including captain and goal attack Simone Forbes.

Sunshine Girls coach Connie Francis singled out shooter Romelda Aiken, who plays for Queensland in the transtasman competition, and said she was playing the Australian style of netball rather than Jamaican.

McMahon predicted the tourists would lift for the second test.

"Even though we've had a big win over them, it's not going to be unheard of if they come out and have a really strong game on Wednesday night," she said. "They're that sort of team, they can pick themselves up from that, and even though the scoreline was quite big it was still a tough game out there.

"I think the whole team will benefit from that run together."

The Diamonds leader said she believed Aiken had benefited from her exposure to the transtasman league.

"I think it's a real positive for the international players to be coming into what is fairly easily the best competition in the world," McMahon said.

"There's always adjustments when you go from playing with different players, even within the Australian team when we have different combinations. I guess it's just a matter of those girls coming together and making those adjustments."

- AAP