Goal shooter Sophie Garbin has completed her fairytale rise to the top, after winning netball’s prestigious 2024 Liz Ellis Diamond on Saturday night.
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Awarded to the nation’s best netballer across both domestic and international performances, Garbin becomes the first goaler since Gretel Tippett in 2019 to claim the top honour.
It’s a remarkable rise for the West Australian Garbin, who just 12 months ago was left in limbo and without a Super Netball deal when her club the Collingwood Magpies folded.
But Garbin bravely opted to remain in Melbourne, where she joined her third Super Netball club the Melbourne Vixens.
“I felt so lucky and grateful the Vixens showed interest in me,” the 27-year-old told Fox Netball.
“After I spoke to Simone (coach McKinnis) just after the World Cup, it was so easy to make my decision.
“She didn’t try and schmooze me and tell me how good I was or sell myself or anything like that. She just spoke about the Vixens environment, the standard… after speaking to Simone that definitely cemented my decision.”
And it was there she shone at her more comfortable role of goal shooter – first helping the Vixens to their heartbreaking grand final appearance before standing tall for Australia in back-to-back series against England and New Zealand.
Capping off a stellar night, Garbin also became the seventh player in the past decade to claim the Liz Ellis Diamond and International Player of the Year double.
“It hasn’t been straight to the top for me,” she said.
“I feel like I went into the Swifts environment, was battling international shooters there for court time and then had to make the move to another club.
“I feel really grateful for my career and the path that it’s taken me to get there has probably shown it’s not easy. You’re not just going to sign an SSN contract and step right on the court.”
Garbin was the recruit of 2024 after stepping in to start at goal shooter in the absence of pregnant Vixen Mwai Kumwenda.
She finished the year with more than 500 Super Netball goals, and two Vixens records including the most points in a game (54 back in Round 8).
Garbin also shot more than 300 goals at 95 per cent accuracy across the 11 international matches she played.
In the other awards of the night, Adelaide Thunderbird Georgie Horjus was named Suncorp Super Netball Player of the Year, after helping her side to back-to-back premierships.
Both Garbin and Horjus were named in the SSN Team of the Year (see the full team below) where only four clubs had representatives for 2024.
No Swift, Giant, Firebird or Maverick managed to get the nod for the 10-player squad.
Horjus’ Thunderbirds teammate Lauren Frew was named Rookie of the Year after her impressive debut season, while their coach Tania Obst was crowned the Joyce Brown Coach of the Year.
And in more award glory for the Thunderbirds, goaler Lucy Austin, was named Australia’s Fast5 Player of the Series.
Maverick Amy Parmenter was awarded the inaugural ANPA Heart of the Game honour.
Suncorp Super Netball 2024 Team of the Year
GS Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard (Fever)
GA Kiera Austin (Vixens)
WA Georgie Horjus (Thunderbirds)
C Kate Moloney (Vixens)
WD Latanya Wilson (Thunderbirds)
GD Sunday Aryang (Fever)
GK Shamera Sterling-Humphrey (Thunderbirds)
Bench:
Attack Sophie Garbin (Vixens)
Midcourt Liz Watson (Lightning)
Defence Ashleigh Ervin (Lightning)
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