Vixens complete new-look 2026 coaching panel
The Melbourne Vixens have completed their new-look coaching panel for the 2026 season, with club legends Eloise Southby-Boyle and Joh Munro signing on to join the Suncorp Super Netball champions as specialist coaches.
New head coach Di Honey’s panel already featured assistant Kate Upton, fresh from Australia’s World Youth Cup triumph, with Southby-Boyle and Munro both returning to the shooting and defensive specialist roles respectively.
In her playing career Southby-Boyle was a mainstay of the Vixens’ predecessor club the Melbourne Phoenix, donning the purple dress in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy between 1997-2005 and forming a famous partnership in the shooting circle with fellow club co-captain Sharelle McMahon.
A strong and accurate shooter, Southby-Boyle won five championship titles with the Phoenix, Commonwealth Games gold with the Australian Diamonds in Manchester in 2002, and was the Vixens’ shooting specialist coach when they claimed their fourth national league title this year.
Dynamic defender Munro (née Curran) is also no stranger to Victorian netball and the Vixens, etched in the club history books as a Phoenix championship player and member of the inaugural Vixens squad in 2008.
With stints as the Vixens’ defensive specialist coach already under her belt from 2017-2019 and in 2022, Munro returns to the club with an opportunity to build on existing connections with the Vixens’ coaches and athletes.
Netball Victoria General Manager, High Performance and Pathways, Sharelle McMahon said:
“The depth of talent in Victorian coaching is something we’re really proud of, and being able to bring such high calibre coaches – and people – like Eloise and Joh into our Vixens program is testament to that.
“We know they both offer invaluable tactical expertise, as well as great energy and high performance standards, so I’m excited to see the impact this group of coaches can have together.”
Melbourne Vixens head coach, Di Honey said:
“With Eloise and Joh coming in, this is an experienced and passionate group of coaches to lead and work alongside which is really exciting.
“I think we each bring different strengths to the table, but we have a lot of common ground in our shared values and our passion for developing athletes.”
The Vixens will begin their title defence against the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane on Sunday 15 March. View the 2026 SSN fixture
More news
We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of all the lands and waters where netball is played throughout Victoria and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We also wish to recognise the tremendous contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make to sport, and in particular netball in Victoria. We are committed to a journey of Reconciliation, working to break down barriers and ensuring equal opportunities for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across our state.
Netball Victoria is a proudly diverse and inclusive organisation, that actively celebrates LGBT+ diversity, inclusion and pride within the sport of netball throughout Victoria.
The Melbourne Vixens compete in Australia’s premier netball league, Suncorp Super Netball.
Read more
My items
You have not looked at any packages recently.
There are no featured packages.