Liz Ellis
Sportsperson, Speaker, Sports and General Broadcaster
Liz is one of Australia's most successful Netballers ever. Until her retirement at the end of last year, she was captain of the Australian Netball Team and the Sydney TAB Swifts. She surpassed the record for most test matches played for Australia.
Liz’s career highlights include three World Championships, two Commonwealth Games Gold Medals and four National Premierships, as well as being named Australia’s Most Valuable Netballer on four occasions.
Last year Liz led the Australian Netball team to victory in the World Championship final against New Zealand and was awarded Best Player for the game. Earlier in the year she led Sydney TAB Swifts to their fourth Commonwealth Bank Trophy title, which was also a back-to-back win. In 2006 after an historic undefeated season record Liz’s Swifts were awarded National Team of the Year along with West Coast Eagles (AFL) at the 2006 Australian Sport Awards.
Netball has become one of Australia’s most played sports and Liz has helped increase the game’s profile through her on-court talent and off-court drive and passion. In 1997, Liz initiated the Liz Ellis Netball Clinics, which coach more than 2000 young netballers every year. It is this enthusiasm for promoting netball that has made Liz a positive role model for young sportspeople and it’s not surprising she was voted Favourite Female Sports Star for the 2006 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.
As well as being one of the country’s highest profile elite athletes, Liz Ellis is also a highly sought after speaker and broadcaster. She has appeared on numerous television and radio programs as a general sports commentator and presenter which has included working on the 2000 and 2004 Olympics and 2006 Commonwealth Games.
She has appeared on various TV panel, quiz and chat shows including 20 to 1, Good News Week, David Tench Tonight, 60 Minutes, Sunrise, Celebrity Ready Steady Cook, 110% Tony Squires, ABC TV’s The Fat, The Glasshouse and The Einstein Factor. Liz has been heard regularly on Triple M’s Wil and Lehmo, The Shebang, The Cage and Dead Set Legends, as well as Radio National, 2UE and presented a weekly sports segment on Triple J for five years.
Liz has also contributed to The Australian and Australian Netballer Magazine and written two netball related books Playing the Game and Netball Heroes.
She has an Arts/Law degree from Macquarie University and is on the board of various organizations including NSW Institute of Sport and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre. She put her legal career on hold to concentrate on netball, her business commitments and media projects.
Liz is in high demand as a motivating and entertaining guest speaker. Her achievements, strategies and philosophies on life are inspiring.
Testimonials
"[Liz was] able to engage everyone both from personal experiences and what they are trying to achieve in their business life in a very warm, honest and humorous manner"- Dick Shaw, Richard Shaw and Associates Pty Ltd
"Great - very practical and down to earth - great sense of humour and very easy to relate to her ideas... very motivating and everyone could have taken away [something] to use in their day-to-day roles"- From Bayer Management Development Day 2008
"Liz pitched it just right and the content was perfect - she was outstanding"- Hugh McKid, Head of Finance, Ruralco Holdings Pty Ltd
Player
- 2007: Captain Sydney TAB Swifts and Australian Netball Team- Awarded Best Player after winning World Championships
- 2006 : Commonwealth Bank Trophy Most Valued Player for 2006 Season
Awarded player of the CBT Grand Final in addition to the Swifts undefeated season
Captain Australian Netball Team and Sydney TAB Swifts
150 Commonwealth Bank Trophy Matches (June 9 2006) - 2005 : Captain Australian Netball Team and Sydney TAB Swifts (2001, 2004 Premiers)
Achieved record for most test matches ever played for Australia - 2004 : Played 100th test match for Australia
Captain Australian Netball Team and Sydney TAB Swifts - 2002 : Commonwealth Bank Trophy Most Valued Player
Players’ Player of the Year
Goal Keeper of the Year
Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist
Captain Sydney TAB Swifts - 2001 : Awarded Player of the Grand Final
Captain NSW Netball Team - 1999 : Winners Netball World Championships
- 1998 : Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist
- 1992 : Captain Australian Under 21 Team
- 1991 : Australian Netball Team member
Coach
Liz Ellis Netball Clinics:- Now in 10th year - over 9,000 participants
- Largest commercial netball clinic in Australia
- Also runs private clinics
TV appearances
- 2008: Netball Trans-Tasman series hosting on The Back Page, Fox Sports, Foxtel
- 2008: Guest appearance on Good News Week, Channel 10
- 2006/7 : Guest appearance on 20 to 1, Channel 9
- 2007 : Guest spots on Sunrise, Channel 7
- 2006 : Guest appearance on David Tench Tonight, Channel 10
Guest appearance on Celebrity Ready Steady Cook, Channel 10 - 2005/6 : Regular guest on The Glasshouse, ABC TV
- 2005 : Guest spot on 60 minutes, Channel 9
Guest appearance on The Einstein Factor and Beat the Chef ABC TV - 2004 : Presenter for Athens Olympics overnight updates, Channel 7
Regular guest panelist on 110% Tony Squires on Channel 7 - 2003 : Reporter/Panelist for the Rugby World Cup Channel 7, Oct/Nov
- 2003/4 : Sports wrap presenter (1 segment per week) on Sunrise, Channel 7
- 2001/2 : Presenter (7 week series) for Personal Best Network 10, Jan-Dec
- 2000/1 : Commentator for Winter X Games Channel 10
- 2001 : Commentator for the Great Outdoor Games, Channel 10
- 2000/3 : Regular guest panelist on Sportsworld Channel 7
- 2000 : Overnight host for the Sydney Olympic Games, Channel 7
- 1999/0 Regular guest panelist on The Fat, ABCTV
Radio
- 2007/8 : Regular guest spot on Triple M’s drive time show Wil and Lehmo
- 2006/7 : Regular guest on Triple M’s top rating national drive program The Shebang
- 2005/6 : Regular guest on The Cage Breakfast show Triple M, Sydney/Melbourne
Regular panelist on Dead Set Legends, Triple M Sydney
Monthly guest spot on Radio National
Saturday Breakfast spot on 2UE - 2003 : Guest spot on Big Sports Breakfast (1 segment per week) on 2KY
- 1999/4 Friday Breakfast show Sports Wrap on Triple J
Print Media
- Netball Heroes, Book, Allen and Unwin June 2005
- The Australian, Regular Columnist 2003
- Playing the Game, A guide to playing netball, Published 2001, Reprinted 2002, Harper Collins Publishers Pty Ltd
- Australian Netballer Magazine, regular contributor
Guest Speaking
Liz is an inspirational speaker and has been involved in a diverse range of public speaking roles including: MC, guest/keynote speaker and presenting awards. Some of Liz's speaking topics include:
- Team building
- Goal setting
- Leadership
- Motivation
- Achievement
- Nutrition
- Sport
- Coaching
Board Member
- State Sports Centre
- Australian Sports Drug Agency
- Institute of Sport Management
- NSW Major Events
- Australian Sports Commission
Other Accolades
- 2008: 10th place in the Fiat Celebrity Challenge, Melbourne Grand Prix
- 2007 : Sydney TAB Swifts awarded National Team of the Year along with West Coast Eagles (AFL) at the 2006 Australian Sport Awards
- 2006 : Nominated for Australian Sports Woman
Voted Fave Female Sports Star for the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards - 2003 : 10th place in the Mini Celebrity Challenge, Melbourne Grand Prix
Current Sponsors
- Avon
- Dunlop Sport
- Horsell International
- Reliance Gripper Netballs
- ORIX Australia (car rentals)