Melbourne Phoenix
Encyclopedia
The Melbourne Phoenix were an Australia
n netball
team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne
, Victoria
in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy
. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens
in the ANZ Championship
They were based out of the State Netball and Hockey Centre
, along with the Melbourne Kestrels
. The Phoenix were coached by Julie Hoornweg and captained by Sharelle McMahon
and Bianca Chatfield
. Their team colours were purple, green, orange and black.
In 2006 after the loss of Eloise Southby-Halbish
and the surprise inclusion of Cynna Kydd
, the group had lost some of its spark in both attack and defence, and were only just able to hold off previous easy-beats Queensland Firebirds
, before being beaten convincingly by the Adelaide Thunderbirds
in the preliminary final. 2007 proved to be an even tougher year as Kydd departed for overseas and Australian team member Julie Corletto moved to the Kestrels. After the 2007 season, in which The Phoenix won the minor premiership but lost the final to Sydney Swifts
, the Melbourne Phoenix merged with rival team Melbourne Kestrels
due to the new trans Tasman trophy, the ANZ Championship
, forming the new entity, Melbourne Vixens
. A squad of twelve were chosen from the two teams, which left less chance for the younger players to develop as players at an elite level.
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Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball competition in Australia from 1997 to 2007.It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw...
. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens
Melbourne Vixens
The Melbourne Vixens are an Australian netball team in Melbourne that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The team were formed in 2007 as an amalgamation of the Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne Kestrels from the previous Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Sharelle McMahon and Bianca Chatfield have...
in the ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
They were based out of the State Netball and Hockey Centre
State Netball and Hockey Centre
State Netball Hockey Centre is a multipurpose sporting facility located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the home arena of the Melbourne Vixens netball team in the ANZ Championship, and the Melbourne Tigers National Basketball League team. The facility is located in Royal Park, Parkville next to...
, along with the Melbourne Kestrels
Melbourne Kestrels
The Melbourne Kestrels were an Australian netball team. They were based out of the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, Victoria and were one of two teams from the city to compete in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy, alongside the Melbourne Phoenix. The Kestrels were coached by Jane...
. The Phoenix were coached by Julie Hoornweg and captained by Sharelle McMahon
Sharelle McMahon
Sharelle Jane McMahon is an Australian netball player and former captain of the Australian national netball team...
and Bianca Chatfield
Bianca Chatfield
Bianca Lee Chatfield is an Australian netball player. In 2001, she was selected for the Australian team to tour three-nations test series against England and New Zealand in the UK. Bianca plays in the positions of GK and GD...
. Their team colours were purple, green, orange and black.
History
The Phoenix were one of the inaugural teams in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, having formed out of the ashes of the Melbourne-Waverley Pumas, Melbourne's only team in the Mobil League, the competition's predecessor. As a result, the Phoenix had a marked advantage from the beginning, taking on many players from the former Pumas, who had won the final season of the old competition. In all, the Phoenix won five of the eleven seasons contested of the trophy, making them the most successful team over the history of the competition. They finished in the finals in all years except 1998. They secured a naming rights deal in 2005 with First National Real Estate, which provided vital revenue in what is a traditionally cash-strapped sport.In 2006 after the loss of Eloise Southby-Halbish
Eloise Southby-Halbish
Eloise Southby-Halbish is a sports commentator and former Australian netball player. She was co-captain of the Melbourne Phoenix with fellow goaler, Sharelle McMahon.-Netball career:...
and the surprise inclusion of Cynna Kydd
Cynna Kydd
Cynna Kydd is a former Australian professional netball player. Kydd achieved some success in netball and swimming in her early life, and played in the Dairy Farmers State League at the age of 16...
, the group had lost some of its spark in both attack and defence, and were only just able to hold off previous easy-beats Queensland Firebirds
Queensland Firebirds
The Queensland Firebirds are an Australian netball team based in Brisbane that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Firebirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was contested...
, before being beaten convincingly by the Adelaide Thunderbirds
Adelaide Thunderbirds
The Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australian netball team based in Adelaide that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Thunderbirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was...
in the preliminary final. 2007 proved to be an even tougher year as Kydd departed for overseas and Australian team member Julie Corletto moved to the Kestrels. After the 2007 season, in which The Phoenix won the minor premiership but lost the final to Sydney Swifts
Sydney Swifts
The Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the...
, the Melbourne Phoenix merged with rival team Melbourne Kestrels
Melbourne Kestrels
The Melbourne Kestrels were an Australian netball team. They were based out of the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, Victoria and were one of two teams from the city to compete in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy, alongside the Melbourne Phoenix. The Kestrels were coached by Jane...
due to the new trans Tasman trophy, the ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
, forming the new entity, Melbourne Vixens
Melbourne Vixens
The Melbourne Vixens are an Australian netball team in Melbourne that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The team were formed in 2007 as an amalgamation of the Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne Kestrels from the previous Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Sharelle McMahon and Bianca Chatfield have...
. A squad of twelve were chosen from the two teams, which left less chance for the younger players to develop as players at an elite level.
Players
- Sarah Ashmore
- Talei Bari
- Bianca ChatfieldBianca ChatfieldBianca Lee Chatfield is an Australian netball player. In 2001, she was selected for the Australian team to tour three-nations test series against England and New Zealand in the UK. Bianca plays in the positions of GK and GD...
(co-captain) - Natasha ChokljatNatasha ChokljatNatasha Chokljat is an Australian netball player. She has played international netball as a member of the Australian national team, and currently plays in the ANZ Championship for the New Zealand side the Southern Steel....
- Johannah Curran
- Ingrid DickIngrid DickIngrid Dick is an Australian netball player. She played 141 matches in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy for the Melbourne Phoenix from 1997–2007. She is one of only 3 players to participate in 5 Commonwealth Bank Trophy Premierships...
- Renae HallinanRenae HallinanRenae Hallinan is an Australian international netballer. Primarily a wing-defence and centre player, Hallinan is a member of the Australian national team and plays in the ANZ Championship for the Melbourne Vixens...
- Anne Harrison
- Samantha Holt
- Wendy Jones (vice-captain)
- Sharelle McMahonSharelle McMahonSharelle Jane McMahon is an Australian netball player and former captain of the Australian national netball team...
(co-captain) - Julie Corletto
- Chelsey Tregear
- Sophie O'Shea
- Melissa RowlandMelissa RowlandMelissa Rowland is an Australian netball player. Rowland played for the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the 2008 ANZ Championship season. She was listed in the Thunderbirds' extended training squad for the 2009 season, although she did receive a call-up to play in the pre-season SOPA cup, replacing an...
- Abby SargentAbby SargentAbby Sargent is a retired Australian netball player. Sargent was also a member of the England national team that played in the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games. She also played for the Melbourne Kestrels and the Melbourne Phoenix in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy...
- Fiona Themann
- Sarah WallSarah WallSarah Wall is an Australian netball player in the ANZ Championship, playing for the Melbourne Vixens. In 2005 she played her first year of elite netball, for the Melbourne Phoenix in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. She played three years with the Phoenix until the competition was disbanded in 2007...
- Liz Boniello
- Andrea Booth
- Amy Lynch
- Simone McKinnis
- Susan Meaney
- Kelly Vennus
- Eloise Southby-HalbishEloise Southby-HalbishEloise Southby-Halbish is a sports commentator and former Australian netball player. She was co-captain of the Melbourne Phoenix with fellow goaler, Sharelle McMahon.-Netball career:...
- Melanie Vivian
- Christine Waller
- Liz Walton
- Kirsten Wheeler
- Jessica ThomasJessica ThomasJessica Thomas is an Australian netball player. Having grown up in her home town of Drouin, West Gippsland she was added to the Melbourne Phoenix squad in the middle of the 2005 Commonwealth Bank Trophy, as a replacement for Kara Richards who had to withdraw due to school and travel issues...
- Hayley Warne
Final placings
- 1997: 1st
- 1998: 3rd
- 1999: 5th
- 2000: 1st
- 2001: 3rd
- 2002: 1st
- 2003: 1st
- 2004: 2nd
- 2005: 1st
- 2006: 3rd
- 2007: 2nd
External links
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