As a mum of two children, Ash Brazill might be the "old head" in the Diamonds team but the midcourt star says she feels like a little kid herself ahead of the Netball World Cup.
Aged 33 and announcing her retirement from the sport in May, Brazill thought playing in the game's global showpiece, starting on July 28 in Cape Town, had passed her by.
She'd been overlooked for Australian teams in the most recent World Cup tournaments in 2019 in England and 2015 in Sydney while she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2020 playing AFLW.
Captaining Collingwood, who finished last with the club announcing they were withdrawing from the Super Netball competition, didn't help.
But Brazill's athleticism and versatility, which helped the Diamonds to Commonwealth Games gold last year, saw her earn her first World Cup call-up.
"Before Comm Games selection I remember speaking to my wife and I was like, 'that's it, everything I wanted, it's never going to happen' so I was trying to find happiness in what I'd done, because I'd never won a premiership either," Brazill said from the Diamonds training camp in Melbourne.
"When I got to play Comm Games last year I was beside myself because I really believed that was it, so after announcing my retirement this has just been a bonus.
"As much as I'm 33 and the old head it's my first World Cup, I still feel like I'm that five-year-old kid running around so I'm literally everyone's cheerleader on court so I hope I can bring that vibe."
While she started at wing defence in the Commonwealth Games triumph over Jamaica, Brazill said no positions were guaranteed in the Diamonds line-up with coach Stacy Marinkovich keeping the players guessing.
"It's unreal. You don't know who the strongest line-up is because anyone who is on court is our strongest line-up," she said.
"There's seven games in eight days and not one player is going to be able to play all of that otherwise we're going to fall short at the end.
"It doesn't matter where you are you're a part of the team."
Brazill had her two young children Louis and Frankie with her in Birmingham but they will remain home with grandparents while the Diamonds look to wrest their world title back from New Zealand.
Hosts South Africa, England and Jamaica are also expected to challenge.
The first openly gay elite netballer, Brazill said her wife Brooke had made the juggle of playing two sports and being a mum possible.
"It's the best thing. I've always wanted to be a mum and to share my journey with my kids," Brazill said.
"Brooke is my biggest supporter and I wouldn't be here without her and she's missed a lot of the games, trying to entertain the kids, so we made that call that she gets to come over for the last week and just enjoy our last hurrah."
