WEST COAST Fever’s Courtney Bruce is the toast of Australian Netball tonight, having won the Liz Ellis Diamond Award at tonight’s Netball Australia Awards.
The Liz Ellis Diamond Award is the highest individual award in Australia. It is awarded to the best player across the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) competition and the Diamonds campaigns.
The Player of the Year Award went to Bruce’s teammate and volume shooter Jhaniele Fowler, who won the award for the fourth year in a row.
The International Player of the Year Award was the Vixens’ Liz Watson with the Vixens midcourter missing the entire 2021 SSN season due to injury, but being rewarded for her form on teh internatonal stage.
The first award of the night was the Joyce Brown Coach of the Year Award, which was awarded to the head coach of the NSW Swifts Briony Akle.
The Lorna McConchie Umpire of the Year Award was won by Andrea Booth.
Next up it was the Rising Star Award. This year’s winner was GIANTS Netball’s Sophie Dwyer, who was a bit of a surprise packet this season and now finds herself in the Diamonds squad for the upcoming Quad series.
The Team of the Year was also announced tonight, with West Coast and GIANTS Netball players filling many of the roles.
GS: Jhaniele Fowler (West Coast Firebirds)
GA: Jo Harten (GIANTS Netball)
WA: Maddy Hay (GIANTS Netball)
C: Kim Ravaillon (Queensland Firebirds)
WD: Gabi Simpson (Queensland Firebirds)
GD: Sunday Aryang (West Coast Fever)
GK: Courtney Bruce (West Coast Fever)
Reserve Goaler: Sam Wallace (NSW Swifts)
Reserve Midcourt: Jaimee-Lee Price (GIANTS Netball)
Reserve Defender: Shamera Sterling (Adelaide Thunderbirds)
There were two Hall of Fame inductions made tonight, one inductee and one elevation to Legend status.
Tonight’s inductee to the Hall of Fame was Dot Lavater. She played for the Diamonds in the 1950s, but since retiring she is now a volunteer coach and administrator.
Tonight’s Legend inductee was Wilma Shakespeare AM. She played for the Diamonds in the 1960s, but then went on to make a significant impact as a coach.
There were also a few non SSN awards awarded tonight.
The Netball Australia Service Award went to umpire Jacqui Jashari, while the Spirit of Netball Award went to Tasmanian Marjory Keslake.
PREVIEW | VNL Round 8 2024: Time for a road trip
ROUND 8 of the Victorian Netball League sees the competition spread out, in both venue use and days in which the games are played. There are only two fixtures slated for the State Netball Centre tonight, with the rest set to take place in various venues over the weekend. Tonight’s first clash is between the […]
RECAP | 2024 ANZ Premiership: Round 2
THE Central Pulse have made it two wins from as many matches after defeating the WBOP Magic 56-44. It was a tight first half, but a strong third term from the victors made all the difference. Some strong defensive work from the Magic allowed them to be the ones to break centre pass first, and […]
RECAP | NSL 2024 – Round 10
DESPITE the best efforts of a determined Saracens Mavericks, the Loughborough Lightning once again proved too strong and defeated their fellow Londoners 68-60. For the most part it was a tight affair, with the second quarter making all the difference. After initially trading goals to start the match, it was the Lightning who were the […]
RECAP | SSN – Round 2 2024
IN the match of the round in the Suncorp Super Netball, the Melbourne Vixens escaped with a narrow win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds to keep their undefeated record in tact. It was a close match all night but the Vixens pulled away in the dying stages to take the win. After a wayward pass from […]
Games of the Weekend | April 19-22
ON the menu in World Netball this week includes an English top four match up, a much anticipated match up between former team mates in Australia, and an intriguing clash in New Zealand. ANZ PREMIERSHIP MATCH OF THE ROUNDCentral Pulse vs WBOP MagicSaturday at 4pmTSB Arena, Wellington The first fixture of the entire ANZ Premiership […]
Bendigo Strike down Warriors to get back on winners list
THE Bendigo Strikers have won their second match of the VNL after defeating fellow new side the Western Warriors 60 goals to 45. A quick start to the game set up the win for the Strikers, who just kept building on their lead as the game progressed and fended off everything the Warriors threw at […]
PREVIEW | VNL Round 7 2024: Top teams lock horns
OFF the back of an exciting National Netball Championships, the VNL returns to the spotlight tonight. The round’s opening match looms as a one-sided affair, as the Peninsula Waves take on City West Falcons. On one hand, the Waves have found the going tough all season, meanwhile the reigning champions are in a good run […]
RECAP | NSL 2024 – Round 9
THE Cardiff Dragons have now won the most amount of games they have won in a season since 2019 after they defeated Team Bath 52 goals to 46. The game was tight for much of the match, but the Dragons put their foot down just enough in the third term to secure the win. Although […]
RECAP | 2024 ANZ Premiership: Round 1
THE Northern Mystics got their ANZ Premiership title defence off to the perfect start with a 64 goals to 52 win over the WBOP Magic. The Magic were actually the better team for much of the match, but fell apart late and the Mystics swooped. It was the defending champions who got the early lead, […]
