Strong netball representation on Honours list

Netball NSW would like to acknowledge and congratulate the members of our netball community who were awarded Australia Day Honours. 

Coming from the High-Performance, Administrative and Grassroots spaces, the acknowledgements were a reflection of netball's positive impact across the wider NSW community. 

Leading the way was former Australian Diamonds World Cup winner and Swifts captain Cath Cox AM (pictured above), who was made a Member of the Order of Australia. Cox, alongside former teammate Liz Ellis AM, was one of the first netballers to become a household name across the nation and was inspirational for both club and country in a decorated career of international honours and national Premierships.  

Another former Diamonds World Cup winner, Kim Green OAM, was awarded the Order of Australia Medal. Green also won multiple Premierships with the Swifts and captained the team before becoming the inaugural captain of GIANTS Netball when Netball NSW introduced the franchise in 2017. Like Cox, she retired from playing as one of the state's greatest-ever players.

Netball NSW Life Member and former Director Carol Murphy OAM was also honoured with the Order of Australia Medal. A stalwart of the Baulkham Hills Shire Netball Association, Murphy has been a leader of many improvements and opportunities for netball across the state. She has driven and influenced change through her passion for strong governance and processes over a period when the game has had to evolve to keep pace with the ever-changing sports industry. 

And there was reason to celebrate at the Eastwood Ryde Netball Association with President Karen Alden-Waud OAM honoured with the Order of Australia medal too. Involved in netball for 53 years, Alden-Waud was recognised on the back of her brilliant service to both netball and football in her local area. She is proud of her many achievements in netball but has highlighted her association with All Abilities and Walking Netball as something she has a special fondness for. 

In further good news, Campbelltown District Netball Association Life Member and former President Shirley Connolly OAM was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for services to netball particularly in the Macarthur Region.

Connolly has been a one club member since of the Association since 1975 and has also held Executive roles for over 40 years. She has coached many Representative and club teams in her time around the courts.

Announcing the Australia Day Honours List, the Governor-General - His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) - highlighted that of the 732 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia, the highest ever percentage (47 per cent) are for women and 45 per cent are for service to local communities.

“Congratulations to the outstanding Australians recognised in today’s Honours List. Collectively the recipients, whose achievements span community service, science and research, industry, sport, the arts and more, represent the strength and diversity of Australia.

“It has been a challenging couple of years and the recipients announced today are a reminder and reflection of the richness of spirit, selflessness and good in our community.

“The fact that the list includes the highest ever percentage of women is very encouraging and I look forward to this positive trend continuing. We will continue to increase awareness and encourage nominations for people from parts of our community that have been historically underrepresented.”

Netball NSW President Louise Sullivan also congratulated the recipients on behalf of the organsiation. 

"This is a huge honour for each of our netball recipients and I would like to take this moment to thank them again for their immense contribution to our game," she said.

"Both Cath and Kim have are true champions of netball, not just in NSW but across Australia and around the world. They have represented their state and nation with pride and professionalism and been exceptional role models for a generation of netballers. This recongition is not just reward for them, but for everyone who has played a role in their respective journeys.

"Carol, Karen and Shirley are people who demonstrate that what happens off-court is just as important as what happens on it. They have proven themselves to be exceptional leaders in the administration space and without their kind of input and colletive netball knowledge, the game would not be in the position it is in today. 

"It is fantastic to see so many pioneering and strong women acknowledged this year, and it's even more pleasing to see netball so well represented once again."