From tears to glory: Star’s stunning redemption complete as netball awards revealed

Midcourter Jamie-Lee Price has taken out the Liz Ellis Diamond as Australia’s best netballer for 2025.

The 29-year-old becomes the first Giants player to ever claim netball’s top honour – which combines both her Super Netball and Diamonds efforts this year.

While Price has since signed for the Mavericks in 2026, the title of Australia’s best caps off a remarkable return to Diamonds ranks for the midcourt star.

Get all the latest netball news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

It was just three years ago Price was left heartbroken at missing out on the 2022 Commonwealth Games, leaving her netball career at a crossroads.

She was part of that 2022 Comm Games squad – but ultimately trained as a reserve and missed selection in the final 12.

“I was a part of it … it almost felt like I was going to the Comm Games,” Price told Fox Netball.

“It didn’t really hit me until we got to the point where the girls were going off. I remember calling dad and crying.

“I just needed time to separate myself from netball and enjoy myself.”

And it was while she stepped away from netball, opting to travel Europe as her Diamonds teammates fought for Comm Games gold, that Price had her “light bulb” moment.

“It’s never a given (playing for Australia) – I think that’s the hardest thing,” she said.

“But it’s the best thing as well … You always have to be at your best – you can never be complacent.

“That’s why I keep playing netball – it’s always pushing me, pushing me to be the best player, the fittest. I think it’s really exciting.”

Since then, Price has cemented herself as the Diamonds’ go-to wing defence, stepped up as Giants captain and then made a life-changing decision to leave the only Aussie club she’s ever known.

Winning the Liz Ellis Diamond in 2025 is a massive achievement for the star who endured a tough year splitting her time between Sydney and Melbourne, where partner AFL star Harry Perryman had been traded at the end of 2024.

Eventually opting to relocate to Melbourne and walk away from the Giants, Price admits it was a big call.

“I think it’s a massive relief in a way – it was really heavy on me over the year,” she said.

“The best thing about it was I was able to be really honest and open – the Giants were really amazing about the whole situation which I am really grateful for.”

Now, Price has cemented herself as one of Australia’s netball greats by becoming the 13th winner of the prestigious Liz Ellis Diamond.

She’s also the first player not from either the West Coast Fever or Melbourne Vixens to claim the honour since 2019.

NETBALL AWARD WINNERS

In the other awards, Vixens star Kate Moloney was named international player of the year off the back of her efforts in both the South Africa Series and Constellation Cup.

West Coast Fever star Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard claimed an incredible sixth Super Netball Player of the Year crown – despite missing the first three games of the season due to personal leave.

Since the league’s creation in 2017, only four players have ever won that coveted crown – and Fowler-Nembhard had five straight between 2018 and 2022.

Her award ensured she was a lock at starting goal shooter for the Super Netball Team of the Year, edging out Kiwi star Grace Nweke who was named on the bench after her debut season at the NSW Swifts.

Fowler-Nembhard was one of three Fever stars included in that Team of the Year, with Alice Teague-Neeld (WA) and Sunday Aryang (bench) also getting the nod.

The Swifts also featured three players in the team, with Paige Hadley (C) and Teigan O’Shannassy (GK) named – despite O’Shannassy playing just 11 games, and splitting time between GK and GD before her season was cut short by injury.

Kiera Austin was reigning premiers Melbourne Vixens’ sole representative, while Liz Ellis Diamond winner Price herself missed out on Team of the Year selection – instead Giants teammate Amy Sligar got the nod at wing defence and Lightning’s Liz Watson took the final midcourt bench spot.

For Watson, that’s now her eighth Team of the Year nod.

It’s the first selection for both Sligar and O’Shannassy.

Adelaide star Latanya Wilson was named in her fourth straight Team of the Year, this time in goal defence.

Coach of the Year went to premiership winner Simone McKinnis who left the Melbourne Vixens on the ultimate high, while young Adelaide star Sophie Casey took out Super Netball Rookie of the Year.

LIST OF WINNERS

Liz Ellis Diamond: Jamie-Lee Price

International Player of the Year: Kate Moloney

Super Netball Player of the Year: Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard (West Coast Fever)

Super Netball Rookie of the Year: Sophie Casey (Adelaide Thunderbirds)

Joyce Brown Coach of the Year: Simone McKinnis (Melbourne Vixens)

Super Netball Team of the Year:

GS Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard (West Coast Fever)

GA Kiera Austin (Melbourne Vixens)

WA Alice Teague-Neeld (West Coast Fever)

C Paige Hadley (New South Wales Swifts)

WD Amy Sligar (Giants)

GD Latanya Wilson (Adelaide Thunderbirds)

GK Teigan O’Shannassy (New South Wales Swifts)

Bench: Grace Nweke (New South Wales Swifts), Liz Watson (Sunshine Coast Lightning), Sunday Aryang (West Coast Fever)

Super Netball Reserves Player of the Year: Lucy Voyvodic (Thunderbirds Futures) and Frederika Schneideman (Swifts Academy)

First Nations Black Swan Award: Tia Molo

Australian Netball Players’ Association Heart of the Game: Tayla Williams (Adelaide Thunderbirds)

Lorna McConchie Umpire of the Year: Tara Warner

Australian World Youth Cup Player of the Tournament: Tabitha Packer