Netball great Liz Ellis AO will be officially recognised as a Legend of NSW Sport at the prestigious NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony at The Star Event Centre, Pyrmont, on Monday, November 24.
Ellis, considered one of the best Netball players of the mid-1990s, becomes the 26th NSW athlete and the second Netball player to be elevated to Legend Status in the NSW Hall of Champions, located at the Quaycentre at Sydney Olympic Park.
As an NSW Hall of Champions Legend, Ellis joins the company of fellow Netball player, Anne Sargeant OAM, Sir Donald Bradman AC, Dawn Fraser AC MBE, Shane Gould AM MBE, Ian Thorpe AM, Louise Sauvage OAM and others in the highest echelon of NSW sport.
The Awards ceremony will also celebrate the induction of five NSW sports greats into the NSW Hall of Champions. They are Graham Arnold (Football), Mo’onia Gerrard OAM (Netball), Naazmi Johnston (Gymnastics), Mark “Mono” Stewart (Adaptive Surfing) and Ricky Stuart AM (Rugby League).
Liz Ellis began her elite career in 1992 and became the most capped Australian Netball player of all time with 122 Test match appearances. She was a valued member of the Australian teams which won three World Championships in 1995, 1999 and 2007,and two Commonwealth Games gold medals in 1998 and 2002.
She captained the Sydney Swifts for eight years, winning four national premierships. She also captained the national team, the Australian Diamonds, from 2004-2007, retiring as the winner of the 2007 Netball World Championships.
In her final season with the Swifts in 2007, Liz captained the team to victory in the National League and became the most capped Commonwealth Bank Trophy player in history with 173 match appearances.
Liz retired as a four times winner of the most prized individual honour in Australian netball, the Most Valuable Player Award – in 1996, 1998, 2002 and 2006. The annual award is now named in her honour - the Liz Ellis Diamond.
Liz has continued her passion for the sport through coaching, operating the Liz Ellis Netball Clinics from 1997 until 2014, and she is currently the coach of the mighty Headlands Breakers U/14s team in Ballina. She is an advocate for equality and representation in sport and has appeared on multiple media programs as a sports commentator and host.
In 2018, Liz was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her service to the sport and community. In 2024, Liz was elected Chair of Netball Australia.
NSW Hall of Champions Committee Chair, Alan Whelpton AO, said Ellis’ elevation to Legend status and the accomplishments of the five inductees throughout their distinguished careers earned them worthy selection.
“Liz has made a remarkable contribution to Netball as a player, coach, media commentator, and administrator for over 30 years. She becomes the 11th female sporting great to be elevated to Legend status and she now sits proudly alongside NSW’s greatest ever athletes,” said Whelpton.
“We also welcome five new inductees to the Hall of Champions in Graham Arnold, Mo’onia Gerrard, Naazmi Johnston, Mark “Mono” Stewart and Ricky Stuart. They have each reached the pinnacle in their chosen sport and paved the way for the next generation of athletes to aspire to reach greatness,” he added.
Sport NSW Chief Executive, Stuart Hodge, paid tribute to Ellis and to the five new inductees.
“Liz’s tireless contribution and leadership, both on and off the court, has been immense over several decades. The sport of Netball and the wider NSW sporting fraternity owe Liz a huge debt of gratitude for her services, and we are delighted to see her elevated to Legend status in the NSW Hall of Champions,” said Hodge.
- Greg Campbell, PRISM Strategic Communications
