Giants goal-attack Sophie Dwyer has been elevated from a Diamonds tour invitee to a senior member of the Australian netball squad for the Quad Series against England, New Zealand and South Africa in January.

Set in London, the series will be vital preparation for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, especially considering the Diamonds won't have taken to the court since losing the Constellation Cup in March.

The news comes off the back of Dwyer's breakout Super Netball season, in a year where she was largely expected to play the role of an impact player off the bench.

Back in 2020, the teenager debuted as part of the extended Giants squad, playing just twice during the season for a total of eight minutes.

Her accuracy and long-range shooting impressed, but it was clear she still needed some time to grow into her potential.

This year the 19-year-old re-signed as a fully contracted player, performing well in the pre-season against previous champions the Melbourne Vixens and Sunshine Coast Lightning.

Yet she was still third in line, sitting behind Giants captain and English veteran Jo Harten, and 24-year-old Diamonds shooter Kiera Austin.

Unfortunately, just 20 minutes into the team's first match of the season, Austin ruptured her ACL, requiring Dwyer to step up and play the rest of the game.

Despite the devastating injury to her close friend and teammate, Dwyer didn't skip a beat, splitting the shooting load with Harten to finish at 79 per cent accuracy (22/27 goals, 4/6 super shots).

That performance set the tone for the rest of Dwyer's Super Netball campaign, going on to occupy the starting goal-attack position for the Giants' remaining 17 matches.

She also finished the season high on the stats list, coming in second overall for super shots (52) and in the top 10 for total goals scored (371).

Her selection into the Diamonds squad is therefore likely to be welcomed by netball fans, who have enjoyed the ice queen's cool, calm and collected approach to the game — never seeming to be fazed by her famous and more experienced opponents.

In fact, Dwyer is the frontrunner to take out this year's Super Netball Young Gun Award, but it's a tag she is actually trying hard to shake.

In December she'll turn 20, a birthday she says she is looking forward to in order to shed her teenager status.

"I had a chat with Stacey [Marinkovich] at the beginning of the Diamonds camp about how I didn't want to be thought of as the young player helping to make up numbers in the squad," she told the ABC.

"I wanted to prove I deserved to be there and I think that mentality was able to help me develop and push myself to play with some of the best in Australia."

Whether she enjoys people celebrating her rise to the top at such an early stage in her career or not, Dwyer's drive to be better has meant she has always been playing at a level well beyond her years.

Prior to being signed by the Giants and making her debut in the top tier of the sport, she was already a well-known name in her home state, playing in NSW Premier League grand finals for the Eastwood Ryde Hawks and claiming Player of the Final honours at the age of 17 while representing the NSW Waratahs in the 2019 Australian Netball League.

Dwyer's hard work has clearly won over the Aussie Diamonds coaches and selectors, who have fast-tracked her position into the team since their camp in September and October.

"When I was asked to be a tour invitee, I was over the moon, I didn't expect it.

"Now I'm part of the team, I'm even more excited... I'm still coming to terms with it."

It's a sign that head coach Stacey Marinkovich and her team are looking to the future, investing their time in the next generation of Diamonds with a current shortage of experienced Australian shooters to pick from in Super Netball.

Former captain and centurion Caitlin Bassett's stance on the unlimited imports rule has been made clear during the off-season, as she has openly struggled to find a club to take her on with eight internationals occupying shooting roles across seven Super Netball teams next year.

Dwyer has a different view and believes there are still opportunities out there for Australian shooters, but that they have to make the most of them when they arise.

"I can definitely see both sides of the argument on imports.

"Personally I think their involvement makes it the best league in the world and someone like Jo Harten is such a valued part of our team that I don't think we would be the Giants without her.

"Hopefully the Australian Netball Championships and underage nationals can actually happen next year, because those events really help to identify and develop players for Super Netball."

Shooters:

Gretel Bueta

Sophie Dwyer

Sophie Garbin

Cara Koenen

Steph Wood (vice-captain)

Midcourters:

Yet to be announced

Defenders:

Yet to be announced