Another Australia-New Zealand netball classic was the perfect end to the biggest sporting year in Canberra’s history. More than 3000 fans packed into the stands, there were fireworks and an electric atmosphere as Australia clawed its way back from behind in the last quarter to clinch a one-goal win. It marked the end of an international year of sports in the capital. There was netball, cricket, rugby league, golf, rugby union and basketball. Massive crowds followed each sport and filled the stands as Canberra sparkled in the spotlight. There’s little doubt Canberra has the appetite for big events and the best sport in the country. Now it’s time to update Canberra’s facilities so the sports want to come back.

Australia versus New Zealand in netball is undoubtedly the closest trans-Tasman rivalry across all sports. While the Wallabies and All Blacks have the Bledisloe Cup, cricket has the underarm ball and rugby league the Anzac Day Test, nothing can match the closeness and the intensity of netball. The matches are always decided by only a handful of goals and the Diamonds rallied late to clinch a one-goal win in Canberra. The crowd erupted as there was a flurry of turnovers in the last minute of the match. The fans got even louder as Caitlin Bassett nailed her third goal in less than two minutes to lift the Diamonds to victory with 14 seconds left in the game.

The clash in Canberra was the last between the teams before the Commonwealth Games next year. The Diamonds got the perfect psychological boost, winning the last four Tests of the series to break a 15-year record and prove they’re capable of reclaiming Commonwealth Games gold. The Silver Ferns have won the past two Commonwealth Games gold medals despite Australia winning the world championships. Australian coach Lisa Alexander experimented with some different combinations but put her full-strength team on in the last quarter to rise to victory. Veteran Catherine Cox could also make an international comeback next year.

Former Diamonds captain Liz Ellis joined the team in camp on Saturday night for a last-minute pep talk before the last Test of the Constellation Cup. Her pre-game chat wasn’t just about positional play and beating the Kiwis. Apparently she got the team involved in an activity where players had to draw pictures of their teammates on balloons. There were plenty of laughs and as bizarre as it seems, it must have worked with the Diamonds rallying late to score a victory.

The Canberra Test sold out within days when tickets were released and officials had to set up a live site at Canberra Stadium to accommodate for an overflow of netball tragics. Australia may return to Canberra in the coming years, but it won’t be for a Diamonds-Silver Ferns clash. If the Diamonds come back to Canberra, it will be for a game against Jamaica, Malawi or South Africa because of the AIS Arena can only fit 4000 fans. There will be an ANZ Championship game in Canberra next year with the Sydney Swifts moving a home match to the AIS Arena on Anzac Day. The only hope Canberra has of securing another trans-Tasman contest is if a new undercover venue is built with increased capacity … or Canberra celebrates another milestone birthday.

Goal attack Natalie Medhurst’s preparation hit a massive hurdle on the Diamonds’ game-day walk when she was attacked by a magpie and had blood streaming down her face. It didn’t seem to bother the 29-year-old as she played the majority of the match and finished with 10 goals from her 13 attempts despite a massive height difference. Medhurst was replaced by Erin Bell in the last quarter. Bell came on and sunk three goals, including a long-range attempt to get the Diamonds back in the contest. Despite being opened up by a swooping magpie, Medhurst got off the court without claret spilling down her face during the game. ‘‘Day didn’t start off that great. But we definitely drew the last blood! Awesome game,’’ she tweeted.