By Renae Smyth
Launching a campaign on International Women’s Day, Netball Victoria highlighted the huge disparity between male and female representation across public monuments and called for change.
Across Melbourne, a city known as the sporting capital of Australia, there are 35 sporting statues – 29 of which are men. I wish I could tell you that the remaining six honoured a handful of our greatest female sporting icons. Unfortunately, there have been just as many horses depicted in bronze as women. Just three.
Female athletes deserve to have their place cemented in sporting history, alongside their fellow sportsmen. Courts, fields and pitches are no longer reserved for men to battle it out amongst themselves. Australian women are dominating, inspiring the next generation, and selling out the biggest arenas too.
The yet to be named netball pair will join renowned Olympic runners Betty Cuthbert and Shirley Strickland, at the MCG, and AFLW star Tayla Harris at Federation Square.
For almost 100 years, netball in Australia has celebrated women’s achievements as athletes, from grassroots to the elite. The sport has been a driver for female empowerment, on and off the court, and remains the number one sport for females in the country.
Netball Victoria CEO, Rosie King is thrilled with the contribution from the Victorian Government and looks forward to bringing the project to life.
“Our incredible sportswomen have inspired us over generations to get involved in sport and recreation, however there is a lack of visible symbols across Melbourne that honours our female sporting icons,” said King.
“Statues and sculptures may be silent, but they speak volumes through symbolism. We are thrilled that the Victorian Government has made to our netball icons which will help to level the playing field when it comes to honouring the legends of sport.”
The overwhelming absence of recognition for female athletes demonstrates how particular sports are valued and as the saying goes: “You can’t be what you can’t see.” Something that is certainly not lost on the thousands of young kids who go to watch their favourite team play each and every weekend.
Included in their proposal, Netball Victoria highlighted that they would like to erect a statue outside John Cain Arena, the home ground of the much-loved Melbourne Vixens.
Legends of the game, Sharelle McMahon, Joyce Brown, Lisa Alexander, Simone McKinnis and Norma Plummer are among the proposed names to be immortalised in bronze. So, let’s take a look back at the achievements of the five women who could be honoured for their impact and immense contribution to netball.
Sharelle McMahon
Bamawm product Sharelle McMahon is known as Australia’s greatest goal attack. Inducted into both the Sport Australia and the Netball Australia Hall of Fame, McMahon has played 118 games for Australia, is a two-time world champion and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
And who could forget the match-winning goal she shot for Australia against New Zealand in the 1999 World Championship final. Iconic.
At a national level, McMahon was a part of six premiership teams - five with the Melbourne Phoenix and one with the Melbourne Vixens, where she is now Assistant Coach.
Joyce Brown OAM
Joyce Brown's impact on the game is still very much felt today. In a career that spanned more than 40 years, Brown was unbeaten as a player and coach at the Netball World Championship, the captain of the inaugural World Cup winning Diamonds and the coach and mentor of many of Australia's best coaches and players.
Brown was National Coaching Director between 1980 and 1983 where her visionary outlook set new benchmarks for a National Coaching Accreditation Scheme and introduced the first modified form of the game for children.
Returning to coaching in the former Australian national league with the Melbourne Phoenix between 1999 and 2001, Brown guided the club to their 2000 premiership.
Lisa Alexander AM
Leading the Diamonds into battle on 102 occasions, Lisa Alexander was able to maintain the side’s world No.1 ranking and earned herself the most capped Australian Diamonds Head Coach of all time title.
Her successful high-performance program from 2011 to 2020, saw Alexander achieve gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2015 Netball World Cup, and silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2019 Netball World Cup.
Alexander also held the Assistant Coach role at the Adelaide Thunderbirds from 2008 to 2011, coached the Australian 21/Under team in 2006, and was Head Coach of the Melbourne Phoenix, where she successfully guided them to title wins in 2002 and 2003.
In the 2021 Australia Day Honours, Alexander was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to netball at the elite level. In addition, to being named Coach of the Year in the Australian Institute of Sport Performance Awards in 2014 and awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
Simone McKinnis OAM
Regarded by many as the best to ever wear the WD bib, Simone McKinnis was part of the Australian squad for many years before finally making her Test debut in the 1991 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
Not wasting any time in making her mark, McKinnis went on to play a key role in Australia’s back-to-back wins in 1991 and 1995 as well as the side that won the inaugural netball gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
Following her playing career, McKinnis turned her sights to coaching, working at the Melbourne Phoenix, Australian Institute of Sport and Singapore Sports School Netball Academy, before finding her way to the Melbourne Vixens and taking up the Head Coach role.
Whilst Head Coach, McKinnis has notched a long list of achievements including being inducted into the Netball Australia Hall of Fame in 2010, being named Suncorp Super Netball Coach of the Year in 2017 and guided the Vixens to premiership wins in 2014 and 2020.
Norma Plummer AM
Norma Plummer needs no introduction. Plummer made her international debut as part of Australia’s 1975 Netball World Cup winning team and would later serve four Tests as national captain.
When her playing career ended, Plummer turned her attention to coaching and carved out an outstanding career at both domestic and international level. She was Australian coach between 2004 and 2011, winning 67 of her 89 Tests in charge and leading the team to the Netball World Cup titles in 2007 and 2011.
Plummer was the foundation coach of the Melbourne Phoenix in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, leading the team to the inaugural title in 1997. Between 1995 and 2003 Plummer was coach of the Australian 21/U program where she had a remarkable record that included winning back-to-back world titles in 1996 and 2000. Crucially, she is credited for helping to develop some of Australia’s modern-day greats.
Which netball legends do you think should be immortalised? Someone above or someone else?
