Pasta, Instinct and Defensive Chaos: Inside Amy Parmenter’s Game

Amy Parmenter has built a reputation as one of the toughest defenders in Suncorp Super Netball.

If you watch her play, that part is obvious. The pressure, the intensity - she’s the kind of player who makes life uncomfortable for attackers for 60 minutes straight.

But what’s far more interesting is everything that sits underneath that.

Rather than asking the usual questions about career highlights or favourite teammates, I wanted to get into the details of elite sport that we don’t normally hear about: the preparation, the instinct, the mental side of the game, and the things that stay with players long after junior netball.

As it turns out, one of the biggest game-day secrets at the elite level might just be pasta.

“Pasta makes you run fasta,” Parmenter said, recalling her junior days.

“One of my junior coaches told me how eating pasta the night before fills you up and helps you last longer in a game and it always stuck with me. I’ll always eat pasta the night before a game.”

It’s a funny answer, but also kind of perfect. Even now - as a Diamonds squad member, former Super Netball Rising Star and inaugural Melbourne Mavericks captain - some of the habits that stick are the simple ones.

Parmenter’s journey through netball has been a steady climb. She came through the New South Wales pathway before debuting for Giants Netball in 2019, quickly becoming one of the league’s best wing defences. Since then, she’s earned Australian Diamonds selection and established herself as one of the competition’s most respected defensive players.

But according to Parmenter, the work fans don’t see is often the most important part.

“We usually get to the arena about two hours before the game starts,” she said.

“We do mental prep, have a team chat, lots of prehab exercises, strapping, usually some dancing as well. The vibes are high!”

That balance between preparation and energy seems to be a huge part of how elite athletes operate. By the time players run out onto court, a lot of the mental work has already started.

And for Parmenter, mindset matters just as much as structure.

When asked how she balances instinct with game plans during fast, chaotic passages of play, her answer was one of the more interesting insights into modern elite netball.

“I am a believer that instinct is so important and it can be trained out of you but it’s hard to train into you,” she said.

“While I always take on board what the coaches say and I learn so much, I don’t want to lose my instinct and that involves taking risks.”

In a sport that is becoming increasingly tactical and data-driven, that ability to still trust instinct feels important - especially for defenders, where split-second decisions can completely change momentum.

Parmenter said the key is finding the balance between freedom and structure.

“It’s all about finding a balance between flying, instinct, playing freely but also playing within the game plan and playing for the people around you,” she said.

“At the end of the day the most important thing is how you are playing with the people around you.”

That team-first mentality probably explains why she was chosen to help lead the Mavericks in their inaugural season.

It also ties into another interesting point she raised about the modern game: at the elite level, the biggest challenge often isn’t physical.

“No I don’t think so, especially at this level,” she said when asked whether physical fatigue becomes harder than mental fatigue.

“Everyone is super fit, everyone has been doing the work for months in preseason. It’s more the mental battle of beating your opponent, staying in the game and sticking together when things get tough.”

It’s a reminder that professional athletes are constantly managing far more than fitness. Concentration, resilience and staying connected to teammates are just as important as speed or endurance.

And according to Parmenter, the challenge for defenders is only getting harder.

“I think it’s getting harder and harder for defenders to win balls,” she said.

“The Diamonds performance analysis has shown us lots of data that proves that. Attackers are just getting so clinical and there really are no easy turnovers these days.”

So how do defenders adapt?

“It’s just being creative and mixing things up to try and win some ball back in a game that is becoming very attack heavy.”

That idea of creativity kept coming up throughout her answers. Not just athleticism or hard work, but creativity - trusting instinct, taking risks and finding new ways to impact games.

Which, honestly, feels very Amy Parmenter.

Because while fans see the intercepts and defensive pressure every weekend, the bigger picture is a player constantly thinking about the game: how it’s changing, how to adapt to it, and how to keep finding an edge.