McMahon preparing for Commonwealth Games

Acting Australian netball captain, Sharelle McMahon, is currently in preparation for the Commonwealth Games and at the same time looking ahead to the 2006 Commonwealth Bank Trophy season.

McMahon, who is he acting captain in place of injured captain Liz Ellis, believes the Australian team has returned home with renewed confidence after losing to New Zealand prior to three Tests against Jamaica.

“Not everything went according to plan against New Zealand,” McMahon told radio station SEN.

After the loss in the one off Test against New Zealand, McMahon believes winning all three Tests against the Jamaicans is good preparation for the Commonwealth Games.

“The team didn’t do well in New Zealand, but we had three good wins against Jamaica.”

Liz Ellis, who has very much been the face of Australian netball when it comes to marketing and media exposure, is progressing well with the recovery from knee surgery in Sydney.

“I spoke to her last night and she is in good spirits, but a very small chance of making it for Commonwealth Games,” McMahon told SEN.

“Her recovery is going well, but we will have to wait and see.”

McMahon’s club, the Melbourne Phoenix, have seen three players (Kirsten Martin, Melanie Vivian and Susan Meaney) recently retire from national league netball.

Both Martin and Vivian, along with McMahon, were members of the record breaking Phoenix team the won the 2005 Commonwealth Bank Trophy premiership.

Meaney didn’t play at all last season, allowing for the birth of her first child and McMahon spoke highly of her, despite not having played elite level netball after giving birth.

“Sue is an awesome player and she has been around forever. She’s on to another part of her life, as is Kirsten,” McMahon told SEN.

Australian coach Norma Plummer, took some of the Victorian based Australian players for a session in the gym at the Victorian Institute of Sport yesterday.

“We had a gruelling session with Norma yesterday and I’m full into training, treating it as a pre season for CBT.”

The players, in the initial squad for the Commonwealth Games, will go into a training camp at the AIS in Canberra where Plummer will then trim the squad to 15 players.

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