Netball Victoria is delighted to announce the six new Life Members appointed in 2022: Gayle Lambert, Richelle McKenzie, Margaret Molina OAM, Marg Morgan, Maxine Wauchope, and Kirrily Zimmerman.
Life Membership is an honour reserved for those who show exceptional dedication to the growth of our game at state level, and this group of six individuals have certainly made a lasting impact on the sport and on the Victorian netball community.
Gayle Lambert
Gayle Lambert has been dedicating her time and expertise to netball for decades, and is a pillar of the sport in Victoria. A State A Grade level player herself, Gayle has also made her mark as a coach and selector for the Victorian representative teams, an umpire, and a talent scout. She was always willing to share her knowledge to other coaches as a mentor, and is dedicated to driving the development of netball through programs like Coaches in the Field. She now sits on the Netball Victoria Board and is a member of the History and Traditions Committee.
Richelle McKenzie
Having begun her netball career as a player, Richelle McKenzie soon became a dedicated coach and an integral part of the committee at both the Knox Women’s Netball Association and the Dandenong Valley Region. After becoming involved in the Netball Victoria High Performance programs, she successfully coached a number of state teams before becoming team manager for the Melbourne Phoenix for five years. She has had strong involvement with the Melbourne Vixens during her tenure on the Netball Victoria Board, including five years as President, and continues that hard work as part of the List Management Committee.
Margaret Molina OAM
Margaret Molina began her netball career as a player in 1963 when she joined the Melbourne Netball Club, where she played for 22 years. She quickly proved her shooting prowess, receiving her first Australian cap in 1967 and going on to claim gold at the 1971 and 1975 World Championships in Jamaica and New Zealand respectively. Continuing her success as a coach and manager, Margaret now sits as an Elected Director and Chair of Nominations Committee on the Netball Victoria Board, and was recently inducted into the Netball Australia Hall of Fame.
Marg Morgan
Coach, umpire, manager, and administrator – Marg Morgan has dedicated her life to all facets of Victorian netball. Marg began her journey with the sport in the 1960s, and has always endeavoured to improve and assist local umpires through mentoring and training. She is driven to use her coaching skills and knowledge to ensure netball is a sport for all, currently coaching and running the competition for the Warrnambool All Abilities team, and coaching All Abilities teams at a state level.
Maxine Wauchope
Beginning her coaching career in 1970, Maxine Wauchope has been a prominent figure in Victoria’s netball landscape for more than five decades. A dedicated coach and selector, there are few netballers along the Peninsula who would not know her name. Maxine has shared her knowledge and expertise from Association to National levels, and even contributed to the 2006 Commonwealth Games as a statistician.
Kirrily Zimmerman
A club volunteer and talented athlete, Kirrily Zimmerman excels both on and off the court and her impact on the Victorian netball community has been profound. Co-founder of the Boroondara Netball Association in 1996, she served on the Netball Victoria Board for 15 years, including 12 months as President. She is also dedicated to her role as a Bench Official at the elite level, advocating for the role to make its vital importance to the elite game more visible.
Stay tuned to Netball Victoria’s social media channels in the coming weeks as we profile each new Life Member in more detail.
