Shelley O'Donnell

Shelley O'Donnell OAM is a former Australia netball international. Between 1990 and 1999, O'Donnell made 84 senior appearances for Australia. She was a member of the Australia teams that won gold medals at the 1991, 1995 and 1999 World Netball Championships, the 1993 World Games and the 1998 Commonwealth Games. During the Esso/Mobil Superleague era, O'Donnell played for several teams, including the Australian Institute of Sport and Contax. Between 1997 and 2005, O'Donnell played for Melbourne Kestrels in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. In 1992, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.

Shelley O'Donnell
OAM

Personal information
Full name	Shelley Maree O'Donnell ^[1]
Born	(1967-04-18) 18 April 1967 (age 56) Victoria, Australia^[2]
Height	172 cm (5 ft 8 in) ^[3]
Relatives	Rankin family Graeme O'Donnell (father) Gary O'Donnell (brother)
Netball career
Playing position(s): WA, C
Years	Club team(s)	Apps
1987–1988	Australian Institute of Sport
1989	Melbourne/Doncaster Keas
1990	Melbourne City
1993	Contax
1994	Melbourne Keas
1996	Australian Institute of Sport
1997–2005	Melbourne Kestrels
Years	National team(s)	Caps
1990–1999	Australia	84
Medal record Representing  Australia Commonwealth Games 1998 Kuala Lumpur Team World Netball Championships 1991 Sydney Team 1995 Birmingham Team 1999 Christchurch Team

Early life and family

Shelley O'Donnell is the daughter of Bev and Graeme O'Donnell. The O'Donnell family is from Ringwood North, Victoria. She is a member of a prominent Australian rules football family. O'Donnell's paternal grandmother, Eileen O'Donnell (née Rankin) was the daughter of Teddy Rankin and the sister of Bert, Cliff and Doug Rankin. All four were prominent players with Geelong. Her father and brother, Gary O'Donnell were also notable players. Her sister, Wendy O'Donnell, is also a netball player.^[4][5][6] In 2019 O'Donnell's daughter, Hannah Mundy, was selected to play for Victorian Fury.^[3][7][8]

Playing career

Esso/Mobil Superleague

During the Esso/Mobil Superleague era, O'Donnell and her sister Wendy played together for several teams. In 1987, together with Shelley Oates-Wilding, they were both members of the Australian Institute of Sport team that were grand finalists. In 1989, together with Nicole Richardson, they played for Melbourne/Doncaster Keas. In 1990 they played for Melbourne City, a composite team coached by Norma Plummer and also featuring Roselee Jencke and Simone McKinnis. Melbourne City finished as champions after defeating Contax 52–42 in the grand final.^[9][10][11] In 1993, alongside Kathryn Harby and Julie Nykiel, she played for Contax as an "import player". In 1994 she captained Melbourne Keas while Nicole Richardson served as vice-captain.^[12][13] In 1996 she captained the AIS team after returning as an "import player".^[14]

Melbourne Kestrels

Between 1997 and 2005, O'Donnell played for Melbourne Kestrels in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. She was the inaugural Kestrels captain and continued in the role until 2000. She missed the 2001 and 2002 seasons after giving birth to her daughter, Hannah. She returned in 2003, but then missed the 2004 season after giving birth to her son, Jasper. She then made a second comeback in 2005 and played her final senior netball season.^{[2][15][16][17][18][19]}

Australia

Between 1990 and 1999, O'Donnell made 84 senior appearances for Australia. O'Donnell previously represented Australia at under-21 level, including at the 1988 World Youth Netball Championships, when her teammates included her sister, Wendy. She made her senior debut on 21 November 1990. She was subsequently a member of the Australia teams that won gold medals at the 1991, 1995 and 1999 World Netball Championships, the 1993 World Games and the 1998 Commonwealth Games. O'Donnell was vice-captain of the 1999 World Netball Championship squad and announced her retirement from international netball following their title win.^{[2][18][20][21][22]} In 1992 O'Donnell, along with the rest of the gold medal-winning 1991 World Netball Championship squad, were awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.^[1] In 2010, O'Donnell was inducted into the Australian Netball Hall of Fame.^[18][23]

Tournaments	Place
1988 World Youth Netball Championships^[3]^[22]
1991 World Netball Championships^[24]^[25]
1993 World Games^[21]
1995 World Netball Championships^[26]
1998 Commonwealth Games^[22]^[27]
1999 World Netball Championships^[28]^[29]

Coach and commentator

Since retiring as a netball player, O'Donnell has remained involved in the game, both as a commentator with ABC and as a coach.^[7][30][31] In 2017 and 2018 she coached the Eastern Football Netball League inter-league team.^[32][33][34]

Honours

Australia

• World Netball Championships
  • Winners: 1991, 1995, 1999
• Commonwealth Games
  • Winners: 1998
• World Games
  • Winners: 1993

Melbourne City

• Esso Super League
  • Winners: 1990

Australian Institute of Sport

• Esso Super League
  • Runners up: 1987

References

1. "QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS ORDER OF AUSTRALIA". The Canberra Times. Vol. 66, no. 20, 875. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 8 June 1992. p. 4. Retrieved 29 September 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "Shelley O'Donnell". diamonds.netball.com.au. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
3. "Mundy forging her own path". vic.netball.com.au. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
4. "The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia · Page 54". The Age. 26 June 1994. Retrieved 23 January 2021 – via newspapers.com.
5. "King-sized satisfaction as Rams reach the peak at last". The Age. 7 April 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
6. "Parliament of Victoria – Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)" (PDF). parliament.vic.gov.au. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
7. "Diamonds netball champion's daughter breaks through into Vixens feeder squad". The Australian. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
8. "Next generation of daughters about to boom in Super Netball". The Age. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
9. . Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
10. . Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
11. "Esso/Mobil Superleague 1985–1996 (page 1)". netballscoop.com. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
12. "Esso/Mobil Superleague 1985–1996 (page 2)". netballscoop.com. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
13. "1993 Netball – Sydney Sutherland V Adelaide Contax 4th QTR". 9 October 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 25 January 2021 – via YouTube.
14. "Esso/Mobil Superleague 1985–1996 (page 3)". netballscoop.com. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
15. "Season 2003: How the teams are shaping up". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 April 2003. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
16. "Kestrel back in top flight". The Age. 4 June 2005. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
17. "Kestrels demolish Firebirds". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 7 August 2005. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
18. "Team of the Century". vic.netball.com.au. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
19. "Melbourne Vixens – Our history". melbournevixens.com.au. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
20. (PDF). Netball Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
21. "Women Netball World Games 1993 The Hague". todor66.com. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
22. . Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 13 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
23. (PDF). Netball Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
24. "Women Netball VIII World Championship 1991 Sydney". todor66.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
25. "1991 Australian Netball Team – Sport Australia Hall of Fame". sahof.org.au. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
26. "Women Netball IX World Championship 1995 Birmingham". todor66.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
27. "Shelley O'Donnell". commonwealthgames.com.au. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
28. "Women Netball X World Championship 1999 Christchurch". todor66.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
29. "1999 Australian Netball Team – Sport Australia Hall of Fame". sahof.org.au. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
30. "SkillNet Clinics – Boroondara Netball Association". bna.org.au. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
31. "Shelley O'Donnell – NetFit clinics". bna.org.au. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
32. "Former Diamond to lead EFL". efnl.org.au. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
33. "Inaugural Netball EFL interleague squad named". efnl.org.au. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
34. "Former Diamond re-appointed". efnl.org.au. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2021.