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Netball great's cheeky exchange with Aussie PM cracks up fans

Netball viewers have been left in stitches after a hilarious interview involving retired Aussie great Sharni Layton and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

The pair were part of a packed house in Perth to watch Australia clinch netball's Constellation Cup for a seventh straight time after overcoming a frenetic New Zealand comeback.

Star NZ shooter Maria Folau sparked the fightback but the Kiwis fell just short in a topsy-turvy netball clash that the Australian Diamonds won 53-46.

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Layton was speaking with the Aussie PM in the second quarter of the match, asking Mr Morrison about how he was enjoying his experience.

It was all pretty standard until the back half of the interview when the two-time Netball World Cup-winner decided to introduce some of her trademark cheekiness into the interview.

"Now Mr Prime Minister I'm not sure you know this but in my playing days, did you ever watch me play?" Layton asked.

Sharni Layton's interview with the Australian PM had viewers in stitches.
Sharni Layton provided some comedy gold in her interview with the Australian PM. Pic: Ch9

The PM responded frankly by admitting, "I can't say I did."

After conceding that she was "devastated" by Mr Morrison's admission, Layton put the PM on the spot in comical fashion.

"When I did (play) people would have signs like 'Sharni for PM' so I was just wondering are you threatened at all by me?"

The Prime Minister couldn't resist having a chuckle about the audacious question, before responding by saying, "No not at all."

The hilarious exchange had Channel Nine commentators laughing out loud as Layton was branded a "turkey" for her interviewing approach.

Diamonds get it done after blistering start

Mr Morrison would have loved what he saw out on the court as the Aussie women once again exerted their dominance in the Trans-Tasman showdown.

The Diamonds blitzed the Silver Ferns with a 16-7 opening-quarter onslaught at RAC Arena, and led by as much as 16 goals during the second term as their suffocating pressure proved too much to handle.

But with star shooter Folau nailing almost everything that came her way, the Silver Ferns reduced the margin to seven goals in the third quarter, and then just four goals with seven minutes remaining.

The Diamonds kept their cool at the death to secure the win and level the series at 2-2, claiming the Constellation Cup on superior goal percentage.

Star goal shooter Caitlin Bassett nailed 25 of her 28 goal attempts to ensure she celebrated her 100-game milestone with a win in front of 13,233 fans - a new netball record crowd for Perth.

The Diamonds beat the Silver Ferns in Perth to clinch the Constellation Cup.
The Diamonds won the Constellation Cup for a seventh consecutive year. Pic: Getty

The win was also the perfect send-off for retiring shooter Caitlin Thwaites, who replaced Bassett in the third quarter to finish with six goals.

The victory was sweet revenge for Australia, who lost the World Cup final to New Zealand by a goal in July, and also twice lost to the Silver Ferns during the current series by a goal.

Both teams headed to Perth with plenty to play for, but the Silver Ferns barely fired a shot in the opening half.

Bassett and Gretel Tippett (22 goals from 23 attempts) combined brilliantly in the shooting circle to put NZ on the back foot.

But it was unforced errors and ill discipline that cost the Silver Ferns the most.

The contest seemed over late in the second term as Australia's lead ballooned to 31-15.

Folau, playing her 150th Test, was trying her best to keep her side in the match with a series of long bombs.

But with Courtney Bruce wearing her like a glove and the supply scarce, Folau was starved of opportunities.

Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman had six turnovers in an error-riddle first half, with her team committing 25 in total compared to Australia's 16.

With AAP