Life Members

Comets Club Founder & Life Member. Recently elected in 2019 as MWNA President for 2019/20, and re-elected for 2021/2022 Colette brings to the position a wealth of sports experience and knowledge plus the wide ranging organisational skills of her career. Colette has a long association with Manly. Her time in netball began as a junior where she played rep for MWNA. It wasn’t long before she was an accredited umpire and began coaching rep teams at age 18 taking many teams to State League, State and State age wins.

Her talents have taken her to NSW levels in various coaching positions including two years as Swifts Assistant Coach. She has achieved Advanced Coaching accreditation & Level 2 Course Presenters Accreditation.

Colette has a background and strength in organisation and administration, beginning as the first Coaches Convenor of MWNA, an Executive position she held from 1980 until 1987. Her involvement with MWNA earned her Life Membership with the Association in 2002, & in 2003 she received a Commonwealth Sport Achievement Award. Colette has been a long time member of MWNA Senior Selection Representative Committee and Convenor of the MWNA Representatives Officials Selection Committee.

She also conducts coaching clinics & courses for other associations as a presenter, and

assessor, at varied levels of netball.

In 2019, she received the prestigious NSW Anne Clarke Award in recognition of her significant contribution to the development of netball at an Association level over most of her lifetime, an outstanding service to netball.

In 2020, Colette had built a strong Executive team, and together, successfully led the Association through the rigours imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, receiving accolades for strong leadership, problem solving and team cohesion.

As a Comets Club Founder and Life Member, Michele has a long history with the club, initially as a player, starting out in netball admin as a delegate for Cromer in the late 70s, then a Comets delegate from 1980. Michele was Comets President from 1996 – 2006 and has been Umpires Convenor from 2007 to 2017 and Secretary since 2007 and remains in 2024.

Michele has held various positions in Manly Warringah Netball Association since 1980, including three MWNA Executive positions, Assistant Secretary, Minute Secretary and Coaches Convenor with several years as manager of State Age & State League teams. She has Level 1 Coaching accreditation, Level 1 Strength & Conditioning accreditation, Level 2 Coaching Principles and Level 1 in Administration. Michele was awarded the MWNA Beryl Gartner Outstanding Service to Coaching Award in 2004, the MWNA Service Award in 2005 & in 2009 won MWNA Club Umpires’ Convenor Award & the M.W.N.A Marjory Simmonds Excellence in Administration Award, also 2009.

Comets Club Founder and Life Member, Secretary since the inception of the club in 1979. Nell had also been a member of the MWNA Carnival, Judiciary, Night Competition and Coaches Committees over some 19 years. Nell’s contribution to netball earned her recognition from Warringah Council in 1998, when she was awarded the Warringah Council Outstanding Community Service Award.

In 2011 Nell was awarded the MWNA Service Award. 30+ years as a Club Secretary & 19 years in MWNA Committees amounted to ‘service’ no one could deny! When Nell died in November 2012, she had been at lunch discussing plans for 2013’s registration. 33 years as Secretary! A successful combination of experience and expertise contributing to the club’s evolution & strength over the years.

Collette Longley

Michele McKay

Nell Longley