Claims of umpire intimidation from both Australia and New Zealand are set to add further spice to the third and deciding netball Test in Melbourne.

Australian coach Norma Plummer held a council of war with series umpires Marion Johnson-Hurley from Barbados and Maggie du Plessis from South Africa at training.

Plummer had been critical of the umpires' change of rule interpretation from her side's opening Test victory last weekend to its second Test loss to the Silver Ferns in Perth on Tuesday.

She claimed the New Zealanders had tried to have du Plessis replaced for the second Test before the umpires attended a Silver Ferns training session prior to the match.

In the second Test, the Australians felt New Zealand was able to get away with a much more physical approach without penalty - something that was discussed with the umpires.

When asked whether she herself was trying to intimidate the umpires before a series decider in front of a capacity 10,000-strong pro-Australian crowd, Plummer said: "Absolutely."

"If that's what it takes. I just don't want them to think we're just going to sit back and take that.

"So you can write that any way you like."

As expected, Plummer named injured skipper Liz Ellis in the 12-player squad to take on New Zealand.

But Ellis remains no certainty to play as she battles to recover from an ankle injury which kept her out of the second Test.

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