Simone McKinnis

Simone McKinnis
OAM

Personal information
Full name	Simone Cecile McKinnis [1]
Born	4 October 1966[2][3] Victoria, Australia[4]
Netball career
Playing position(s): WD
Years	Club team(s)	Apps
1980s	Herne Hill
1990s	Melbourne Blues
1990	Melbourne City
1993–1996	Melbourne Pumas
1994	→ Adelaide Garville
1997–1998	Melbourne Phoenix
Years	National team(s)	Caps
1986–1998	Australia	63
Coaching career
Years	Team(s)
2003–2007	Singapore Sports School
2007	AIS Canberra Darters
2008–2010	Australian Institute of Sport
2008–2009	→ Australia U21
2010–2011	Tanzania
2012–	Melbourne Vixens
2012–	→ Victorian Institute of Sport
Medal record Representing  Australia World Netball Championships 1991 Sydney Team 1995 Birmingham Team World Games 1993 The Hague Team Commonwealth Games 1998 Kuala Lumpur Team

Simone McKinnis OAM is a former Australia netball international and the current head coach of Melbourne Vixens in Suncorp Super Netball. As a player she was a member of the Australia teams that won gold medals at the 1991 and 1995 World Netball Championships, the 1993 World Games and the 1998 Commonwealth Games. She also captained the Melbourne Phoenix team that won the 1997 Commonwealth Bank Trophy. She was head coach when Vixens won the 2014 ANZ Championship and the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball titles. In 1992, McKinnis was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and in 2010 was inducted into the Australian Netball Hall of Fame.

Early life and family

McKinnis is one of five sisters. The McKinnis family spent time in Western Australia and New South Wales before eventually settling in Geelong.^[5]

Playing career

Early years

McKinnis began playing netball with Geelong-based Herne Hill. She later played for the Melbourne Club at Royal Park. She started in Melbourne Green, alongside Roselee Jencke, before progressing through Reds and Golds and eventually Melbourne Blues.^[5][6]

Esso/Mobil Superleague

During the Esso/Mobil Superleague era, McKinnis played for several teams. In 1990 she played for Melbourne City, a composite team coached by Norma Plummer that also featured Roselee Jencke and Shelley O'Donnell. Melbourne City finished as champions after defeating Adelaide Contax 52–42 in the grand final.^[7] In 1993 she was vice-captain of a Melbourne Pumas captained by Jencke and coached by Norma Plummer. In 1994 she played for Adelaide Garville as an "import player" and helped them reach the grand final.^[8] In 1995 and 1996, McKinnis played for Melbourne Pumas in two successive grand finals, finishing as winners in 1996. Her later Pumas team mates included Janine Ilitch, Eloise Southby and Ingrid Dick.^[9]

Melbourne Phoenix

In 1997 and 1998 McKinnis captained and played for Melbourne Phoenix in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. In 1997 she was the league's MVP as Phoenix won the premiership.^{[6][10][11][12]}

Australia

Between 1986 and 1998 McKinnis made 63 test appearances for Australia. She was a member of the Australia teams that won gold medals at the 1991 and 1995 World Netball Championships, the 1993 World Games and the 1998 Commonwealth Games.^{[4][10][13][14][15]}

Tournaments	Place
1991 World Netball Championships[16][17]
1993 World Games[15]
1995 World Netball Championships[18]
1998 Commonwealth Games[4][10][14]

Coaching career

Melbourne Phoenix

McKinnis began her senior coaching career with Melbourne Phoenix in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, serving as assistant coach to Joyce Brown and then Lisa Alexander.^[10][11][14]

Singapore Sports School

Between 2003 and 2007 McKinnis served as head netball coach at the Singapore Sports School.^[2][4][14]

Australian Institute of Sport

Between 2007 and 2010 McKinnis served as head coach at the Australian Institute of Sport.^[19][20] During the 2007 season she coached AIS Canberra Darters in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.^[21] She guided AIS to two successive Australian Netball League grand finals in 2008 and 2009. However on each occasion they lost to Victorian Fury.^[22][23]

Australia U21

Between 2008 and 2009 McKinnis served as head coach of the Australia U21 team. She was head coach when Australia won the 2009 World Youth Netball Championships, defeating New Zealand U21 64–46 in the final after going undefeated throughout the tournament.^{[11][14][24][25]}

Tanzania

Between 2010 and 2011 McKinnis served as head coach of Tanzania. She subsequently guided them to third place at the 2010 Netball Singapore Nations Cup.^{[2][11][26][27][28][29]}

Melbourne Vixens

McKinnis joined the Melbourne Vixens coaching staff as a support/specialist coach for the 2012 ANZ Championship season.^[10][30] In September 2012 she was appointed Vixens head coach.^[12][25] She subsequently guided Vixens to the 2014 ANZ Championship and the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball titles.^{[31][32][33][34][35]} McKinnis was named the Joyce Brown Coach of the Year after Vixens were minor premiers in 2017 and again in 2020 after a second premiership.^[35][36] As part of her role as Vixens head coach, McKinnis also serves as head netball coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport.^{[25][37][38][39]}

Sargeant–McKinnis Cup

The Sargeant–McKinnis Cup is awarded annually to the aggregate winner of the two Suncorp Super Netball matches between Melbourne Vixens and New South Wales Swifts. It is named in honour of McKinnis and Anne Sargeant. It was first introduced in 2004 during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era. Sydney Swifts, Hunter Jaegers, Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne Kestrels have previously competed for the trophy.^{[40][41][42][43]}

Honours

Player

Australia

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

Melbourne Phoenix

• Commonwealth Bank Trophy
  • Winners: 1997

Melbourne City

• Esso Super League
  • Winners: 1990

Melbourne Pumas

• Mobil Super League
  • Runners up: 1995
  • Winners: 1996

Head coach

Melbourne Vixens

• Suncorp Super Netball
  • Winners: 2020
• ANZ Championship
  • Winners: 2014

Australia U21

• World Youth Netball Championships
  • Winners: 2009

Australian Institute of Sport

• Australian Netball League
  • Runners up: 2008, 2009

Individual awards

Year	Award
1992	Medal of the Order of Australia[1]
2010	Australian Netball Hall of Fame[44]
2014	Australian ANZ Championship Coach of the Year[45][46]
2017, 2020	Joyce Brown Coach of the Year[35][36]

References