The sledge between Diamonds teammates that helped break the ice after Super Netball Grand Final

It hasn’t even been a fortnight since the Super Netball grand final, but Kate Moloney has had to move on quickly.

The Melbourne Vixens captain was clearly devastated as she addressed the crowd on the first weekend of July at John Cain Arena, following a heavy 21-goal defeat to the Adelaide Thunderbirds. The record losing margin was not the kind of history her team had been chasing. It was the stuff of nightmares.

Alas, international duty calls.

“Coming straight into camp with the short turnaround hasn’t allowed me to dwell on it for too long, and the Commonwealth Games only comes around every four years, so it’s not hard to find the motivation to go again,” Moloney told ABC Sport.

Teammates Jo Weston, Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin are also with the Diamonds preparing for Glasgow, while the rest of the disappointed Vixens cohort unwind on holiday together in Bali as they each “find their own way to get past what that grand final was”.

It must be a little awkward, surely, having to meet up on the Friday, six days later and train alongside opposition players like Georgie Horjus and Matilda Garrett?

Focusing intensely on how to beat them for the rest of the year and then putting those Super Netball allegiances aside in order to go after a common goal?

A gentle ribbing from the Thunderbirds captain has at least helped Moloney see the lighter side.

“Georgie Horjus threw a few sledges at me the other day — she’s going to die that I told you this.

“I was rebounding for her and Kiera Austin at practise and mentioned she’d missed a few shots.

“I said, ‘I wish you could’ve done that during the grand final’, and she let me know that by the time she was in goal attack in the third quarter, there wasn’t too much pressure left in the game.

“It was funny because that’s not Georgie’s personality at all, so I actually loved hearing it from her, and it’s a fair comment.

“I’m excited to be playing with her and not against her now.”

The 12-strong team and three reserves fly to Edinburgh this afternoon, where they’ll spend a few more days finessing their plans before travelling via train to Glasgow.

Once the final playing list is submitted to officials on July 24, the reserves will depart camp, and no further substitutions can be made. Even if there is injury or illness.

The Diamonds were hampered by this rule in Birmingham at the last Games, when starting centre Paige Hadley suffered a calf injury during the pool rounds.

Back then, it was widely accepted that Moloney’s inclusion was based on her connection with Australian captain Liz Watson.

Their midcourt combination at the Vixens worked so well in club land that it pulled Moloney into the frame for the Diamonds after previously missing selection for the 2018 Games and 2019 World Cup.

So, when first choice Hadley was unavailable mid-Games, it was all of a sudden up to Moloney to take on the role. Ahead of Birmingham, Moloney had just 12 Test caps.

But true Diamonds are made under pressure, and her safe hands and solid defensive work through the middle saw the side reach the top of the podium.

A lot has changed in four years.

From hopeful selection to an outright must-pick for Glasgow, Moloney has stepped into the vice-captaincy of the national team with more than 50 caps under her belt.

Her career has been shaped by those defining performances in Birmingham.

“Commonwealth Games in 2022 was my first pinnacle event, and when Paige went down, we were playing a midcourter down,” Moloney said.

“It was an opportunity for me to step up and to think I contributed as much as I did to help win that gold medal is something that’s really special to me; it is a real stand-out moment.”

Speaking of that last Games, Moloney remembers the reception.

The Australians were not fan favourites. Even the neutrals turned on the world number ones.

It’s expected to be similar this time, with the major tournament once again being held in the UK.

“Everyone loves an underdog, and when you play for the Diamonds, you’re not considered that at all.

“I don’t think it affects us too much as a group. Hopefully, the way we play can win them over.”

There’s a lot of unknown about the competition from other countries, considering so many teams are missing key players or have had coaching interruptions.

New Zealand, our main rival throughout history, stood down head coach Noeline Taurua for 51 days during the Silver Ferns international window late last year before she was reinstated.

Taurua only regained access to her athletes in recent weeks, and apart from the emotional toll of the ordeal, it has really limited her ability to trial and test things out.

Longstanding England head coach Jess Thirlby resigned just 130 days out from these Games. The Roses will also be without star shooter Helen Housby due to a back injury.

Then there’s Jamaica, Australia’s biggest hurdle in Birmingham. The Sunshine Girls beat the Diamonds for the first time at a Commonwealth Games in the pool rounds and only fell short by four goals in the decider.

In Glasgow, though, they’ll be without six-time Super Netball MVP Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and in-form shooter Shimona Nelson. So, do they still have what it takes to challenge for gold?

South Africa could be deadly. But who knows? The Diamonds had no trouble beating them by significant margins on their 2025 tour of Australia.

The difference now is they’ll have veteran defender Karla Pretorius returning from a sabbatical and Thunderbirds import Elmeré van der Berg fresh off an electric Super Netball debut.

Surely the thought of facing Van der Berg brings up some demons for the four Vixens players, given the way she made every one of their mistakes pay in the grand final?

“One of the great things is we’ve seen her play a lot this year,” Moloney said.

“We know the way she likes to play. I’m sure we’ll do a lot of homework on her and make sure that not only are our defenders ready to go, but that we’re also putting enough pressure out in front of her in the midcourt.”

On the flip side, the word “aging” has been used to describe our squad in comparison to others.

Moloney is one of seven players in the Australian team in their 30s, and it’s likely we’ll see a few superstars retire at the end of this cycle.

Commonwealth Games medals, just like World Cups, are extremely hard to come by because of the gruelling schedule. Seven potential matches across nine days is no easy feat, and some of the soft-tissue niggles the more experienced players are nursing will need to be managed.

“For me personally, my body feels better than it did 10 years ago, so I’m extremely lucky in that sense, but while you’re still enjoying your netball, while you’re still contributing, it probably doesn’t matter how old you are,” Moloney said.

“Age is just a number and the players in this squad that are older are still playing incredible netball and haven’t been too affected by injuries.

“The more professional the game becomes, the longer women are going to be able to play, and that’s where we’re getting to. You’re seeing athletes play at the top level for a lot longer than people were able to 10 years ago, so I don’t see it as a negative, I see it as a real positive.”

Australia will face Tonga in its opening pool match at the Hydro.

 ABC Sport will be live blogging every day of the 2026 Commonwealth Games from July 23.