The NSW Swifts would like to congratulate former Club captains, and Premiership winners, Cath Cox AM and Kim Green OAM who were honoured with Order of Australia Awards this week.
Cox was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), while Green was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM).
The World Cup-winning Australian Diamonds are not only former champions and captains of the Club, but also Swift centurions.
Cox, whose netball career started at the Hills District Netball Association in Sydney, made her Swifts debut in the yellow dress of the original Sydney Swifts and went on to win four Premierships with the Club.
Most notably, and under the tutledge of then head coach Julie Fitzgerald AM, she captained the Swifts to the 2008 ANZ Premiership title, the Club's first since rebranding as the NSW Swifts.
It was no mean feat given fellow Club legends and centurions Liz Ellis AM and Ali Broadbent had retired after the 2007 Commonwealth Bank Trophy success and the Swifts were picked by many to struggle after losing such a powerful defensive unit.
Cox captained the Swifts up until 2011 and went on to win her final Premiership with Victorian rivals the Melbourne Vixens in 2014 after which she retired.
Green, who also made her Swifts debut in the team's original yellow dress, grew from being a talented Sutherland Shire junior into one of the most gifted, respected and feard midcourters in the world game.
After winning Premierships in both the yellow and red dresses of the Swifts, Green went on to become captain of the Club and led it to back-to-back Grand Final appearances against the Queensland Firebirds in 2015 and 2016.
While the Swifts missed out by the smallest of margins on both occasions (once after double extra time), the deciders were rightly lauded for highlighting the skill, intensity and athleticism of elite netball.
Despite missing out on additional Premierships in heartbreaking fashion, Green did the Swifts (and the game) proud by speaking with remarkable dignity in defeat, winning her plaudits from far beyond the netball court.
She departed the Swifts in 2017 to take up the captaincy of Netball NSW's new franchise Giants Netball and retired from the game in 2019.
Tracey Scott, Executive General Manager of the NSW Swifts, congratulated both Cox and Green on their recognition.
"The Swifts have had some incredible represent the Club over the years and not many have achieved as much as Cath Cox and Kim Green," she said.
"At the Swifts we are proud of our history and strive to be leaders on and off the court, and our story would not be as rich as it is were it not for the efforts and achievements of both these players.
"Not only did they represent their state with honour, they also few the flag of the Club on the international stage and we are very honoured to have them in our alumni. We will be forever grateful for their contribution not only to our Club, but netball in Australia, both on and off the court.
"I would also like to thank everyone who worked alongside Cath and Kim down the years at the Swifts to ensure they could perform at their optimum. It takes a village to make successful athletes and teams, and they should be delighted by this recognition too."
