McMahon returns in major coup for Victorian netball

In a major coup for Australia’s premier women’s sport, Netball Victoria today announced McMahon as its new General Manager, High Performance and Pathways.

McMahon is switching codes after more than three years as head of female cricket at Cricket Victoria, where she oversaw significant growth and development in the Victorian Women's Cricket Program and pathways.

She will work closely in her new General Manager role with Melbourne Vixens head coach Simone McKinnis OAM, as the Vixens look to go one step further in the Suncorp Super Netball competition in 2025 and beyond. She also takes responsibility for pathway development of players, coaches, umpires, and bench officials across the state.

Hailing from Bamawm in Victoria’s north, McMahon is a netball icon. The former Australian captain played 118 games for the Diamonds – making her the second most capped Diamond player in their history – winning Commonwealth Games gold medals in 1998 and 2002, as well as the 1999 and 2007 Netball World Cups.

She played more than 200 national league games and collected six titles with the Melbourne Phoenix and Vixens, before taking specialist coaching roles after retiring in 2013.

Credited with helping grow the popularity and professionalism of the sport, she became the first netballer in Victoria to be immortalised in a bronze statue outside Melbourne’s John Cain Arena.

Netball Victoria General Manager, High Performance & Pathways Sharelle McMahon said: “Netball has always held a special place in my heart and I am very proud of the role I played as a player in the promotion of women in sport.

“Now in an off-field role, I am delighted to have this opportunity to further contribute to growing the game which I first fell in love with playing as a seven-year-old in country Victoria.

“While I am excited to be back, I am also incredibly grateful for the opportunities and development I received while at Cricket Victoria.”

Melbourne Vixens Head Coach Simone McKinnis OAM said: “Sharelle McMahon is one of the most iconic names in female sport and her passion for developing athletes has been invaluable to the Victorian netball program over many years.

“We are excited to welcome her back to Netball Victoria and the Melbourne Vixens as we look to build an even stronger elite and pathways program.”

Netball Victoria CEO Andrea Pearman said: “Sharelle’s well-heralded off and on court leadership qualities, on top of her recent experience outside of netball, make her the perfect candidate to help take the Vixens to the next level, as well as to develop the next stars of the game.

“Sharelle’s appointment caps off a tremendous year for Victorian netball, with grassroots participation reaching record levels and the continued success of the Vixens in front of record crowds. We look forward to an even bigger 2025.”

McMahon will begin her new role in February 2025, replacing Megan Simpson in the key post at Netball Victoria. Simpson was appointed as Executive General Manager of Netball at Netball Australia in September.