Top 15 netballers in contention for MVP award
Netball Australia has today released the names of the top 15 netballers vying for the 2006 Commonwealth Bank
Trophy Most Valued Player Award (MVP), the most celebrated individual award in Australian netball.
The 15 talent athletes below received the highest number of MVP votes for 2006.
The winner of this prestigious award will receive $10,000 from the Commonwealth Bank and will join netball
\stars such as Australian captain Liz Ellis and vice-captain Sharelle McMahon in the illustrious list of MVP
award recipients.
Reigning MVP, McMahon has received the honour three times (2000, 2003 and 2005) while Ellis has won the
major award twice (1998 and 2002) in the eight-year history of this award. Former Australian representatives
Jacqui Delaney (1999 and 2001) and Cynna Kydd (2004) complete the exclusive club of MVP’s.
Representatives from six of the eight Commonwealth Bank Trophy teams feature in top 15 including 10
Australian Team members who were successful in the three-test series in New Zealand earlier this month.
| FINALISTS (listed in alphabetical order) |
| Name | Age | Position | CBT Caps | Team |
| Caitlin Bassett | 18 | GS, GA | 19 | Perth Orioles |
| Bianca Chatfield | 24 | GK, GD | 119 | Melbourne Phoenix |
| Catherine Cox | 30 | GS, GA | 148 | Sydney Swifts |
| Liz Ellis | 33 | GK, GD | 160 | Sydney Swifts |
| Mo’onia Gerrard | 25 | GD, GK, WD | 89 | Sydney Swifts |
| Selina Gilsenan | 28 | WD, C | 108 | Sydney Swifts |
| Kristen Heinrich | 27 | GS | 112 | Adelaide Thunderbirds |
| Sharelle McMahon | 29 | GA, GS | 155 | Melbourne Phoenix |
| Natalie Medhurst | 22 | GA, GS | 47 | Adelaide Thunderbirds |
| Joanne Morgan | 32 | GS | 114 | Queensland Firebirds |
| Susan Pratley | 22 | GA, GS | 54 | Sydney Swifts |
| Peta Scholz | 30 | WD | 154 | Adelaide Thunderbirds |
| Caitlin Thwaites | 19 | GS, GA | 30 | Melbourne Kestrels |
| Laura von Bertouch | 25 | C, WA | 94 | Adelaide Thunderbirds |
| Natalie von Bertouch | 23 | C, WA, WD | 74 | Adelaide Thunderbirds |
During the 14-week minor round matches the head coach of each Commonwealth Bank Trophy team, plus a third
party accredited coach, voted on this award. The player with the highest number of votes at the end of the
minor round will be crowned Commonwealth Bank Trophy Most Valued Player for 2006.
The winner will be announced at the Netball Australia Annual Awards Dinner that will be held at the Museum
Of Contemporary Arts (MCA), Circular Quay West from 7pm on Saturday November 11.
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