Fever mentor named Australia Fast5 coach

Stacey Marinkovich has been named coach of the Australian Fast5 netball team.

It was a dose of good news for the West Coast Fever mentor on Wednesday, with her club struggling near the foot of the Super Netball ladder.

Marinkovich led the Fever to the finals in her first season as coach in 2015, and narrowly missed the playoffs last season.

But the Fever have bombed out of contention this year, crashing to a 2-11 record after losing most of their best players at the end of last season.

Marinkovich became the Fever's longest-serving coach last week, with her 40 games in charge eclipsing Norma Plummer's mark of 39.

Australia's netball hierarchy have been impressed by Marinkovich's progress, and have now given her the chance to test herself on the international arena.

NSW Swifts duo Rob Wright and Megan Anderson have been named as Marinkovich's assistants for the Fast5 Netball World Series, to be played at Hisense Arena in Melbourne from October 28-29.

The series features a range of rule changes, including five players a side, shorter quarters, power plays, and super shots.

The Australian team lost to New Zealand in last year's final, and Marinkovich will be aiming to snare the title this year.

Marinkovich, who has posted 18 wins and a draw from her 40 games in charge at the Fever, said it was a privilege to be named as coach of the Australian Fast5 team.

"There's no greater thrill than representing your country, be that as a player or a coach," Marinkovich siad.

"I'm thoroughly looking forward to coming together as a team and playing an exciting brand of netball at the World Series."