The woman behind the best defensive end in Super Netball has been entrusted with the important task of preparing the next generation of Australian Diamonds.

Last year, Adelaide Thunderbirds assistant coach Cathy Fellows helped guide the side to its first title in a decade, and this season, they’re in the box seat to win the minor premiership.

Fellows has been the mastermind behind the scintillating form of Jamaican stars Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson, both frontrunners to take out this season’s MVP award.

For Sterling-Humphrey, it would make it two in a row.

Fellows has also had a hand in developing the skills of Diamonds defender Matilda Garrett and rising midcourt star Tayla Williams.

As the new head coach of the Australian U21 team, set to play at the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar, many hope Fellows can therefore bring these teachings to the role.

Fellows is a born and bred Victorian, who actually started her coaching career in her home state, working with the U17s, U19s and U21s state representative sides.

She was also part of the coaching staff at the Melbourne Kestrels back in the days of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy and in the early years of the Collingwood Magpies in Super Netball.

Fellows is no stranger to the national set-up either, as a former Australian Fast5 and Australian U21 assistant.

But this time, she gets the opportunity to step up and take charge of Australia’s brightest young talent as a head coach, hoping to shape them into the next word-number-one ranked Diamonds players.

Improving the Thunderbirds’ defence

In club land, for the past five years, Fellows has been living interstate in Adelaide and working closely with Thunderbirds head coach Tania Obst.

Powering towards the finals again, the team’s backline is their strongest asset.

For a third straight season, they’ve conceded fewer goals than any other team and caused several headaches for some of the world’s best shooters.

So how did Fellows get her defenders all firing at the same time?

“We’re lucky to have super intelligent, talented athletes to work with at Thunderbirds,” Fellows told ABC Sport.

“How we’ve grown their game over time is to work hard on their understanding of their roles and how they read the play.

“We like to focus on creating opportunities for ourselves, rather than just trying to stop another team because the game has evolved so much that teams just don’t throw the ball away anymore.

“We’ve done a lot of work on how we can make the ball go where we want it to go.”

However, Fellows acknowledges their backline wasn’t an instant success. It took several years to build consistent form.

Their most pivotal signing came in 2018 when they managed to lure then-22-year-old Sterling-Humphrey from the Loughborough Lightning in the UK Super League to South Australia.

It was clear how influential the goal keeper would be when she finished her debut game in April the next year with 10 gains – five intercepts, 12 deflections and three rebounds.

Sterling-Humphrey has always been rangy and light on her feet, with impeccable timing and aerial finesse.

By 2021, her Sunshine Girls teammate Wilson had joined her in the pink dress. As had Garrett, shifting from Melbourne to Adelaide after playing limited minutes at Collingwood.

Still, even with this calibre of players, the Thunderbirds finished four seasons straight in seventh place, unable to move from second last on the ladder.

They were winning ball often at the back but were unable to retain that possession through the middle of the court to convert at the other end.

That changed in their premiership-winning season of 2023, with the recruitment of English goal shooter Eleanor Cardwell and coach Tracey Neville as a specialist.

These additions went a long way to sorting out those attacking issues, but it also felt like a culmination of potential team-wide, as the defensive unit’s awareness and teamwork peaked.

“Again, it comes back to understanding and reading the play,” Fellows said.

“You can have the best athletes and all the ideas, but they’re going to need to be able to know when to attack the ball and make sure they have those skills ready to execute.

“All three have got very different skill sets and they all know how to work together, which is probably how they’re able to consistently create opportunities for each other as a team.”

An influx of young talent with no fear

When you consider the depth of Australia’s talent pool, Fellows really is spoilt for choice.

In this year’s Super Netball league, there are several young players who have burst onto the scene and been able to have an impact.

Some of these bolters will still be 21 or under by the time the Netball World Youth Cup rolls around, such as Zara Walters, Lily Graham, Olivia Wilkinson and Ruth Aryang.

But there is also plenty of talent in the next tier down, that Fellows says selectors are keeping their eyes on.

Those that may already be Super Netball training partners or playing in the reserves league, as well as featuring in state competitions.

“I think that is going to be a huge advantage for our team, to have the players sitting in that space compared to other countries,” Fellows said.

“We won’t get much opportunity to work together before we head overseas, so these players should still be well prepared because of their links to that elite level and exposure to imports.

“Hopefully, that will be a real point of difference for us.”

Asked why it seems the next generation of players are able to play seemingly with no fear, Fellows linked back to those opportunities to train alongside Super Netball teams.

“It’s not scary for them, because it’s just the same people they train with all the time,” Fellows said.

“It’s not like they’re coming into a foreign space.

“I know there’s a difference between training and actually taking the court, but they are already being exposed to that intensity day to day.”

U21s crucial to Diamonds’ future

Right now, the Diamonds remain number one on the world rankings, with all major pieces of silverware locked firmly in their trophy cabinet.

But Fellows witnessed the world order change firsthand at the recent Netball World Cup held in South Africa, as she was there working as an assistant with the Fijian Pearls.

The Diamonds managed to come away with a win despite immense pressure, and Fellows is adamant that the Australian U21 set-up is crucial to carrying on that success.

“Nearly every Diamond you see now had some exposure to the U21s program.

“Not all of them were maybe in the team, but they were in squads and training environments.

“We’re hoping to work really closely with the Diamonds for this U21s program, so the athletes find that transition seamless.

“What they learn here will prepare them for the challenges they’ll face later on, coming up against different playing styles and athletes – it’s an invaluable learning space.”

There are some qualifying events still yet to take place for the Netball World Youth Cup, but without seeing the final list of competing nations, Fellows still has a rough idea of their biggest threats.

“One of the things that we’ve always done well is this development space: training loads, monitoring athletes, preparing them physically and skilfully earlier than other countries.

“But with more funding and opportunities they are starting to catch up, so there is that challenge to try and stay ahead.

“You’d expect our biggest threats will be New Zealand, England and Jamaica, probably South Africa too – all those teams should be highly competitive.”

The Netball World Youth Cup will take place from September 19-28 in 2025.

Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds will be back in action in Super Netball this Sunday in their final match of the regular season.

They will be looking to clinch the minor premiership with a win over fellow top-four ranked side, the Sunshine Coast Lightning.