Natalie Avellino
Encyclopedia
Natalie Avellino is a retired Australian netballer, and current co-coach of the Southern Steel
netball team in the ANZ Championship
. She made the Australia national netball team
from 1994–1995, 1997–1999 and again in 2002–2003 and again in 2006 which included key competitions like three world championships
and three Commonwealth Games
.
Domestically, Avellino played for three Australian Commonwealth Bank Trophy
teams, the Adelaide Ravens, Sydney Sandpipers
and the Sydney Swifts
. In 2004 she fell out with Netball Australia and was drafted to New Zealand
playing for the Invercargill-based Southern Sting
in the National Bank Cup
, a team which won seven out of ten of the National Bank Cup titles (1999–2004, 2007) as a backup shooter for Donna Wilkins
and Tania Dalton
who later got injured.
Avellino played for the Sting until 2007 when she retired to become the Southland Netball coach in the National Provincial Championships. She recently took Southland to the National Provincial Champs, where they won the National title for the first time in 49 years after previously being big contenders in the 50's. She has since been announced as the new Southern Steel
co-coach and will work with former Otago Rebels coach and current New Zealand under 21 mentor Janine Southby
. They replace Robyn Broughton
who had coached the Steel for the previous four seasons, and all ten years in the National Bank Cup with the Southern Sting
.
Avellino has also worked in New Zealand media. She is a netball writer for The Southland Times, and worked for Sky Television
as a commentator during the ANZ Championship from 2008-2011. She will give up the microphone in 2012 though, because of her Steel commitments.
Southern Steel
The Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The franchise was formed as an amalgamation of two teams from the National Bank Cup, the Dunedin-based Otago Rebels and the Invercargill-based Southern Sting...
netball team 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...
. She made the Australia national netball team
Australia national netball team
The Australia national netball team, commonly known as the Australian Netball Diamonds, represent Australia in international netball tests and competitions. The team was formed in 1938 and played in the first international game of netball, against New Zealand...
from 1994–1995, 1997–1999 and again in 2002–2003 and again in 2006 which included key competitions like three world championships
Netball World Championships
The World Netball Championships is a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963. Since its inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australian national netball team and the New...
and three Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
.
Domestically, Avellino played for three Australian 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...
teams, the Adelaide Ravens, Sydney Sandpipers
Sydney Sandpipers
The Sydney Sandpapers were one of the inaugural teams in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, Australia's national women's netball league. Based out of University of Sydney, the team's strip was a vivid sky blue and they competed from 1997 to 2003, after which the Sydney Swifts were left as the only New...
and the 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...
. In 2004 she fell out with Netball Australia and was drafted to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
playing for the Invercargill-based Southern Sting
Southern Sting
The Southern Sting were a netball team based in Invercargill, New Zealand that competed in The National Bank Cup competition, formerly known as the Coca Cola Cup....
in the National Bank Cup
National Bank Cup
The National Bank Cup was the pre-eminent national netball competition in New Zealand between 1998 and 2007. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship.-Format:...
, a team which won seven out of ten of the National Bank Cup titles (1999–2004, 2007) as a backup shooter for Donna Wilkins
Donna Wilkins
Donna Wilkins is one of New Zealand's leading sportswomen, representing her country in both netball and basketball. She became married to Southland farmer Mike Wilkins on 17 March 2007...
and Tania Dalton
Tania Dalton
Tania Dalton is a New Zealand former international netball player. She currently works as a netball commentator on SKY Sports for international tests, the ANZ Championship and National Championships, alongside former internationals Anna Stanley, Natalie Avellino, Kathryn Harby-Williams and Bernice...
who later got injured.
Avellino played for the Sting until 2007 when she retired to become the Southland Netball coach in the National Provincial Championships. She recently took Southland to the National Provincial Champs, where they won the National title for the first time in 49 years after previously being big contenders in the 50's. She has since been announced as the new Southern Steel
Southern Steel
The Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The franchise was formed as an amalgamation of two teams from the National Bank Cup, the Dunedin-based Otago Rebels and the Invercargill-based Southern Sting...
co-coach and will work with former Otago Rebels coach and current New Zealand under 21 mentor Janine Southby
Janine Southby
Janine Southby is a retired New Zealand netball player and current co-coach of the Southern Steel in the ANZ Championship. Southby played for the Western Flyers in the National Bank Cup competition from 1997–2001, before transferring to her home team the Dunedin based Otago Rebels in 2002...
. They replace Robyn Broughton
Robyn Broughton
Robyn Broughton MNZM is a New Zealand netball coach. Broughton coached the Southern Sting from 1998–2007 during the National Bank Cup, winning seven titles in ten years. She was also an assistant coach for the New Zealand national netball team from 2000–02, and is currently a national selector...
who had coached the Steel for the previous four seasons, and all ten years in the National Bank Cup with the Southern Sting
Southern Sting
The Southern Sting were a netball team based in Invercargill, New Zealand that competed in The National Bank Cup competition, formerly known as the Coca Cola Cup....
.
Avellino has also worked in New Zealand media. She is a netball writer for The Southland Times, and worked for Sky Television
SKY Sport (New Zealand)
Sky Sport is a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by New Zealand's satellite pay-TV company, Sky Network Television. Sky Sport 1 was launched in 1990...
as a commentator during the ANZ Championship from 2008-2011. She will give up the microphone in 2012 though, because of her Steel commitments.