From Alice to the Super League

By Stephanie Smarrelli
 

Birmingham is a long way from Australia’s red centre.

But defender Gabby Coffey has never forgotten where she came from. 

The proud Wiradjuri woman made her debut in the UK’s Super League earlier this year, although she will always feel most at home when she’s back in Alice Springs.

“Every time I go back to Alice, I can't help but love it,” Coffey said.  

“I love camping and going for bush walks, it feels so grounding and peaceful.  

“Whenever I go home, I feel instantly better.”  

Her connection to nature goes back to her childhood.  

“Growing up with wide open spaces, I enjoyed Alice for what it was,” she said.  
  
“We didn’t have access to much, but we had a lot of fun camping, adventuring and seeing the sights.”  

Coffey’s favourite way to spend her downtime away from netball is with those closest to her.  
  
“We sit around the fire and tell stories,” she said.  

“That’s the biggest way we catch up, sitting around and eating food.”  

While from Alice Springs, Coffey might be known to Aussie netball fans for her time as a training partner with the Melbourne Vixens and her SSN debut for the Collingwood Magpies.  

She made the move to Victoria as a teenager in hopes to pursue a career in netball, having earned a scholarship at a Melbourne school.   

“It was such a shock moving to Melbourne,” she said.  

“When I first moved over and played netball, I understood why players were so good.   

“They had access to many different facilities and so much support compared to back home.   

“There was a lot of funding being put into women's sport as well, which was amazing but a big culture shock.”  

After spending years living in Melbourne and struggling to move from a training partner position into a full time Suncorp Super Netball contract, she packed her bags and headed over to the UK. 

Playing for the Birmingham Panthers this year in the Netball Super League, she’s kept her heritage front of mind.  

“It’s been quite cool talking about my First Nations background overseas and educating people over there about my history and Australia’s history,” she said.  

  
“Not many people know about it.  

“That's been really exciting, especially teaching them the little bits of language we use in everyday life.”   

With her first full time playing contract under her belt, Coffey is looking forward to what’s next.  
  
“I had a really good first year,” she said.  
  
“The style of netball there is so different to Australia.   
  
“It's fun learning something different and hearing from different coaches and players.”  

There’s one big learning she’ll take with her into 2026.  
  
“I've never just done netball,” she said.  

“That’s been one of my biggest learnings, to use that time to develop my skills more now that I've got the time to work on those one-percenters."  

The defender like any other Aussie living abroad in the UK is making the most of her time there.  

On the doorstep of a European playground, she’s racking up the frequent flyer points.  

“It’s been so good travelling,” she said.  

“My little sister came over at the end of the season and we did a huge trip around Europe,” she said.  

“It was so fun, just beautiful we had a great adventure together.”   

The duo rolled through an itinerary that included the Netherlands, Greece and Italy.  

Their camping experience coming in handy while they were on the road in an unconventional way.  

“When we were in Rome, we had a really early flight and had to be at the airport by three am,” Coffey said.  

“But we got a message to tell us the trains were all cancelled, so we had to get there the night before and camp in the airport.  

“It was so grim, that was the hardest day we were so tired.”  

In the scheme of things, Coffey confessed the trip went relatively smooth.  

“We were pretty lucky, nothing too bad happened,” she said.  

"It felt like we were the luckiest people, we kept getting upgrades.   

“I would go and book a hostel and then we would get upgraded to a single room on our own rather than sharing with other people.”  
  
Back home in Australia until October, Coffey has been continuing to hit the netball court.  
  
The defender repping her home state in the First Nations Tournament.  

But while she was fresh off spending time with her sister Annie, they were on opposing teams during the tournament.  

"She had the opportunity to play for the Northern Territory, but she lives in South Australia,” Coffey said.  

“It worked out easier for her to represent SA as she’s living there.  
  
“I would have loved to play with her, but it's been fun nevertheless.  

“It’s funny, we're only two years apart but we've never played in a netball team together.”  
   
Despite not playing alongside her sister, Coffey has enjoyed being part of the Northern Territory’s team.  

The side only winning their final match during the tournament but there’s a reason that win was a big achievement.  

The team only met on their way to the tournament.  

“It's always like that when you play for NT,” Coffey said.  

“We jumped in and attacked it from the get-go which was exciting.  

“Each game we got closer to a win, we gave it a red-hot crack.  

“The girls were learning heaps, and we got along really well."   

The 25-year-old has a few key pieces of advice for younger First Nations athletes wanting to make their mark in sport.  

“Give it a crack, you never know what can happen,” she said.  

“And then my next piece of advice is to stay with it.   

“When you commit to a season do the whole season, see what can come out of it.  
  
"Netball journeys are never linear, it’s not always a good time so it’s about working on it, building and developing both as a person and a player.   

“Don't give up.”