KEY POINTS:
Australian Catherine Cox has done the terrorist training, overcome her greatest fear and has never been more primed for an assault on the world No 1 mantle.
Cox, the New Zealand-born shooter who out-gunned the Silver Ferns during their series in July, is in an even stronger frame of mind for this weekend's opening game of the world netball championships.
After surviving a boot camp with Victoria's special tactics police, and then beating her dread of heights to abseil down a 50m wheat silo in Melbourne, Cox figures she's ready to tackle anything over the next 10 days.
The Australians have trained steadily towards this tournament since January, and are easing themselves into Auckland with light training sessions and a hit out against South Africa.
"This team is probably the best I've ever been involved with. We're the fittest, fastest and strongest we've ever been," said Cox, one of three players in the side who have been to previous world championships.
In their final training camp in Melbourne a fortnight ago, Australian coach Norma Plummer called in the Special Operations Group police to put the players through a mock terrorist situation: "We were in a four-storey warehouse with guns, lasers and headsets," Cox laughed.
Abseiling the silo was a "fantastic confidence boost", she said.
"I was kind of hoping that in the latter part of my career I wouldn't have to do this stuff anymore. I hate it that much. But I'm one of those people who if I have to do something I fear, I do it first.
"I didn't look over the edge, it took a lifetime, but it was relatively painless in the end."
Cox, 31, is also one of those people who aren't afraid to learn new techniques late in their careers. Plummer encouraged her to change the way she played, or face being dropped from the side, and she responded with a stronger, more accurate style that has earned her a regular starting spot at goal shoot this year.
"It's been a long career, but from my point of view, it is only in the last three or four years that I've played decent netball. I've improved astronomically - I would never have picked me back in 1997. I had soft hands, I couldn't shoot, I was a disaster," she says.
Training with captain Liz Ellis for Australia has helped make the difference.
"She's tough to train against, and she makes you improve," Cox says.
"I felt like I had been sitting on the [Australian] bench for a long time behind Susan Pratley, which was fair because she's a great player." But now she feels she's deserves her place in the starting seven: "Absolutely".
It's that self-assuredness that helps make the Australians the assertive side they are, but they're watchful of not claiming to be favourites in the world championships race.
"I guess we have a bit of confidence, but not arrogance. We want the No 1 title again. The only way to get it back is at a world championships, and I think we're ready," Cox said.
It's been five years since the Australians beat New Zealand at a major international tournament, but there are clear differences from last year's Commonwealth Games side.
"You can't overlook the fact that Mo'onia Gerrard is back. We've definitely had more time together, so now we can mix combinations up without missing a beat," Cox says.
The Australians played South Africa in a warm-up match on Tuesday night - much to the South African's surprise. The bemused Proteas were expecting to play the Australian under-21s. Today's planned match against Malawi has been canned because of the late arrival of the African side.
