The annual VicSport Awards were held last night with several Netball Victoria nominees taking home awards across multiple categories.
Melbourne Vixens co-captain Liz Watson was named the Governor’s Award Victorian Female Athlete of the Year - Kitty McEwan Award. Watson was recently announced in the Australian Diamonds squad for the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and is once again set to captain the national side. The talented midcourter is also preparing for the Vixens semi final clash this weekend.
Netball Victoria’s collaboration with Barwon Health, the Barwon Respect Cup, took out the My Sport Live Community Sporting Event of the Year. The event offered a round robin netball tournament that catered for over 100 primary school students, featuring workshops that helped to promote the importance of respect and positivity. The Barwon Respect Cup also tapped into local community service providers to make use of their professional knowledge regarding diversity, inclusion and healthy relationships. The main aim of the Cup is to engage the attendees on exploring issues of gender equity and the impact of behaviours in preventing violence against women.
A recipient of Netball Victoria’s very own Community Awards at the end of last year, Anita Hill went one step further last night awarded the etrainu Community Official of the Year. An umpire in the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League, Hill established a program to help develop the next crop of aspiring umpires and has provided direction for the league’s umpire pathway. Hill’s work in the netball community doesn’t stop there, mentoring officials throughout the COVID pandemic to keep netball alive in her region.
Netball Victoria also received the View Melbourne Outstanding Media Coverage of Sport Award for our International Women’s Day campaign, advocating for greater recognition of female sporting icons. After launching our campaign in March 2021, the petition quickly gained awareness and media traction with global organisation Statues for Equality and the Victorian Government committing their support. In December the campaign took the next step forward, announcing that Victorian netball legend Sharelle McMahon will be immortalised in bronze out the front of John Cain Arena.
We're also proud to have had finalists named in the Sports Administrator of the Year category (Tanya Gamble) and Community Coach of the Year (Shaylah House).
The VicSport Awards recognise excellence and achievement in the Victorian sporting community, and we offer our congratulations to all nominees and winners for their inspiring work right across the state.
