Netball: Juggling injury list occupies Plummer

Norma Plummer. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Managing niggling injuries in her camp continues to be the primary concern of Australian coach Norma Plummer ahead of the fourth test against the Silver Ferns this weekend.

The Diamonds arrived in Invercargill ahead of Sunday's fourth test with an extra player in tow.

Veteran defender Rebecca Bulley, who was this year dropped from the Australian squad after a poor ANZ Championship season, has joined the Diamonds on their New Zealand tour as a training partner.

Plummer said Julie Corletto and Susan Fuhrmann are hampered by niggling knee injuries and an extra body was necessary to fill in at training.

"We just have to make sure we don't overload [Corletto and Fuhrmann] so Bec is here to pick up some of the training load," said Plummer.

"And also I just want to keep her around. She didn't have a reasonably good year, in fact the Swifts as a whole really struggled, so coming back into this group gives them a different focus and picks them up."

Corletto, who has been in outstanding form this season, will have arthroscopic surgery to clear out cartilage in both knees following the transtasman series. It means the 22-year-old will miss next month's World Series in Manchester.

"If she has it all done now, she'll be all right for next year," said Plummer. "The focus has to be on the Commonwealth Games. So we just need to look after her."

Plummer hopes the loss of Corletto will be offset by the return of Bianca Chatfield and Mo'onia Gerrard, who are expected to be fit for the English tour.

But young Queensland Firebirds defender Laura Geitz, who broke her hand at a training camp last month, definitely won't be back before the end of the year.