A former member of the national team - known as the Australian Diamonds - Wilkins has been a part of the netball landscape for over 30 years.

She has been involved in netball involvement in all corners of the country - Victoria, Northern Territory and most recently in Western Australia.

That work has involved multiple teams and programmes, including the under-17 programme and acting as a selector for the current team.

"As Netball Centre of Excellence head coach, Wilkins will lead the delivery of netball’s high-performance pathway strategy to develop the next generation of elite athletes, critical in maintaining sustained success of the elite national program and the Diamonds’ international number one ranking," a Netball Australia statement said.

The main focus for Wilkins "will be around communication and collaboration with each of the State Institute of Sport and Academy of Sport programmes and to better align the expectations and values of the Diamonds environment to aid in progression".

"I am really excited about staying involved in elite performance, and particularly that underage talent; it’s something I’ve always enjoyed and has been my niche group," Wilkins said.

"I’m looking forward to working more closely with Lisa Alexander [Australian Diamonds head coach], as I’ll be directed by what she identifies our junior talented athletes need to prepare and progress through the system.

"We’re really looking to try and engage more within and around our network, with our sister networks and academies, coaches and the athletes so we get a strong alignment and consistency across the year, not just a one-off hit at each of the national camps.

"The biggest task will be aligning the athletes towards what we expect of a Diamonds player, so the future of the Diamonds continues to build, and we maintain and sustain our number one position."

Wilkins will continue her role as an Australian Diamonds national selector and is due to start in her new role next Thursday (March 1).