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Stacey Marinkovich has been named as Australia's netball coach, replacing Lisa Alexander, with the Diamonds hopeful of taking on New Zealand this year.
Stacey Marinkovich will juggle the Australian netball coaching role with her West Coast Fever Super Netball duties after her appointment to the Diamonds job.
Marinkovich will continue to coach the Fever until the end of the 2021 season before moving fulltime into Diamonds position in the lead-up to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and 2023 Netball World Cup in South Africa.
A new mum, with her son born last December, Marinkovich has been coach of the Fever since 2015 after playing for them until 2009.
On the international stage the 39-year-old has most recently been a specialist centre court coach of the Australian development squad and Australian Fast5 head coach.
She beat the likes of Melbourne Vixens coach Simone McKinnis and ex-Australia star Vicki Wilson, who has most recently coached Fiji, for the coveted position.
Marinkovich said she felt "privileged" to be appointed Diamonds coach.
"I'm very aware of the calibre of coaches who would have applied for this position and acutely aware of the responsibility and expectation that I take in accepting this position," Marinkovich said.
"I have a really clear vision for the Diamonds and whilst it's about creating a brand that brings on court success I think there's so much more to do in instilling a national pride."
Marinkovich inherits a side ranked world No.1 but the Australians finished runner-up in last year's World Cup and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which contributed to the downfall of Lisa Alexander.
The long-time tenure of Alexander ended in March after more than eight years in the role and 102 games in charge - with an impressive 81 per cent winning record.
While she will make her mark on the position, Marinkovich doesn't foresee huge changes immediately.
"You're not looking for wholesale changes, just looking to grow the program, not shift and shape it completely," she said.
"My strength is bringing people together and empowering the skills of others."
Until this season New Zealand's Noeline Taurua juggled coaching the Test side as well as Sunshine Coast Lightning.
Marinkovich said Netball Australia and the Fever had lengthy discussions about her commitments and she felt well-supported.
Netball Australia boss Marne Fechner said Marinkovich was the exceptional candidate.
"We're really excited about what Stacey will bring," Fechner said.
"Stacey was a standout in terms of her vision for the program, vision for the team and her understanding of the landscape and plan for those outcomes."
A four-Test Constellation Cup between Australia and the Silver Ferns has been scheduled after the completion of the Super Netball season, pending travel being allowed between the two countries.
WHO IS STACEY MARINKOVICH?
Stacey Marinkovich (nee Rosman)
Age: 39
Born: Queensland
Mother of one: Matthew (born Dec 2019)
Coaching career:
West Coast Fever 2015 - current; Australian Fast4 head coach; specialist centre court coach of the Australian development squad
Playing career:
Queensland Firebirds (2000-01); Perth Orioles (2002-07); West Coast Fever (2008-09)