Melbourne Kestrels
The Melbourne Kestrels are an Australian netball team. They are based out of the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, Victoria and are one of two teams from the city to compete in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy, alongside the Melbourne Phoenix. The Kestrels are currently coached by Jane Searle and co-captained by Rebecca Bulley and Chelsey Nash. Their colours are orange, blue and lime.
The Kestrels were one of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy's founding teams in 1997, and initially played at the Waverley Netball Centre. They moved to the then-new, much larger State Netball and Hockey Centre as their main home in 2001, but returned to Waverley for some home games in 2006. The club's major sponsor is Allied Pickfords.
Though the Kestrels have made the finals several times, they have never played in a grand final, and have often been seen as a lesser cousin of the rival Melbourne Phoenix. The rivalry between the two clubs was exacerbated by the shock defection of Kestrels captain Cynna Kydd to the Phoenix in April 2006, on the eve of the 2006 season, echoing the move of Janine Ilitch from Phoenix to Kestrels years ago. However the loss of Kydd was balanced by the emergence of Caitlin Thwaites, a young former elite volleyball player, as a promising shooter. The Kestrels will merge with the Melbourne Phoenix in 2008 due to the new trans Tasman trophy. This will mean only twelve players from the Phoenix and the Kestrels will be chosen for the 2008 squad, leaving less chance for the younger players of both teams to develop as players at an elite level
Current Players
- Shae Bolton
- Andrea Booth
- Madison Browne
- Rebecca Bulley (nee Strachan) (co-captain)
- Melinda Cranston
- Ashlee Howard
- Rachel Knight
- Tamara Luke
- Chelsey Nash (co-captain)
- Julie Prendergast
- Amy Steel
- Brooke Thompson
- Caitlin Thwaites
- Leah van Rensburg
Former players
- Cynna Kydd
- Nicole Richardson
- Shelley O'Donnell
- Bianca Franklin
- Narelle Garbutt
- Tracey Godden
- Janine Ilitch
Final Placings
- 1997: 8th (last)
- 1998: 5th
- 1999: 4th
- 2000: 5th
- 2001: 5th
- 2002: 4th
- 2003: 4th
- 2004: 4th
- 2005: 4th
- 2006: 5th
- 2007: 3rd