Liz Ellis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Liz Ellis
AO

Liz Ellis, Celebrity Grand Prix Day, 11 March 2008
Personal information
Full name	Elizabeth Margaret Ellis
Born	(1973-01-17) 17 January 1973 (age 52) Windsor, New South Wales, Australia
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
School	St Andrews College, Marayong
University	Macquarie University
Occupation	Netball player television presenter
Spouse	Matthew Stocks
Children	2
Netball career
Playing position(s): GK
Years	Club team(s)	Apps
1997–07	Sydney Swifts	173
Years	National team(s)	Caps
1992	Australia U21
1993–07	Australia	122
Medal record Representing  Australia Netball World Championships Gold 2007 Auckland Netball Silver 2003 Kingston Netball Gold 1999 Christchurch Netball Gold 1995 Birmingham Netball Commonwealth Games Silver 2006 Melbourne Netball Gold 2002 Manchester Netball Gold 1998 Kuala Lumpur Netball
Last updated: 2015-06-24

Elizabeth Margaret Ellis, also known as Liz Ellis, is a famous Australian netball player who has now retired. She was born on January 17, 1973. Liz was a key player for the Australian national netball team from 1992 until 2007.

For the last four years of her career, she was the team's captain. Liz Ellis holds the record for playing the most international games for Australia in netball. After her amazing sports career, she became a well-known television presenter.

Early Life and Education

Liz Ellis was born in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia. This was on January 17, 1973. She went to Holy Family High School for her early education. Later, she finished her last two years of high school at John Paul II Senior High School. This school is now called St Andrew's College.

Liz was very talented in netball from a young age. She received a special scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport. While she was becoming a top netball player, she also studied hard. She earned a law degree from Macquarie University.

Netball Career Highlights

Liz Ellis started her journey at the Australian Institute of Sport in 1991 and 1992. She made her first appearance for the Australian Netball Team in July 1993. This game was against Wales.

International Success

In 1995, Liz truly shined at the World Championships in Birmingham. She played incredibly well in the final game against South Africa. This performance helped her become a regular player for the Australian team. She played in four World Championships: 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007.

Liz also competed in three Commonwealth Games: 1998, 2002, and 2006. She was named the team's Vice-Captain in 2000. In 2004, she became the Captain. In 2005, she broke the record for playing the most test matches for Australia. Liz was recognized as Australian Netball's Most Valued Player four times. These awards were in 1996, 1998, 2002, and 2006.

Domestic Team Captaincy

In 2000, Liz Ellis became the captain of the Sydney Swifts team. She led her team to win the Commonwealth Bank Trophy championships in 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2007. Liz played her entire club career with the Swifts. She holds the record for playing the most games in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, with 173 matches.

In October 2005, Liz faced a serious knee injury during a game against New Zealand. Many people thought her career might be over. However, she made a full recovery after surgery on her knee. She then played some of her best netball in the next two years. Liz announced she was retiring from netball on November 19, 2007. This was just two days after she led Australia to win the World Championship against New Zealand.

Television Career

After retiring from netball, Liz Ellis started a new career in television. She became a netball commentator. She first worked for Fox Sports and Network Ten. She covered games for the ANZ Championship and Australian Diamonds test matches.

Later, she moved to the Nine Network when they started showing the Super Netball league. Liz also became a regular guest on the network's weekly Sports Sunday program.

In 2023, Liz Ellis was a contestant on the Australian TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. She won the ninth season of the show. In 2023, she also started appearing regularly as a panelist on Network 10's The Project.

In October 2023, Network 10 announced that Liz Ellis would host a new version of the sports entertainment show Gladiators Australia in 2024. She hosted it alongside Beau Ryan. The show officially started on January 15, 2024.

Personal Life

Liz Ellis met Matthew Stocks in 1992. They got engaged in 2000 and married in 2006.

On September 28, 2011, Liz gave birth to her first child, a daughter. On April 4, 2016, she welcomed her second child, a son.

In 2018, Liz Ellis wrote a book called "If at First You Don't Conceive." In this book, she shared her personal experiences about trying to have children.

In August 2022, she appeared on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?. On the show, she learned about her family history. She found connections to Condobolin and an ancestor who was an Irish convict.

In May 2024, Liz Ellis was chosen to be the Chair of the Netball Australia Board. This means she helps lead the sport in Australia.

Recognition and Awards

Liz Ellis has received many honors for her contributions to netball and the community.

Honour Roll and Order of Australia

In 2006, Liz was added to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. This recognized her achievements. In 2018, she was given a very special award. She became an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). This award was for her great service to netball as a player and coach. It also recognized her support for young women, her work in media, and her community involvement.

Since 2008, the top award for an Australian netball player each year is called the Liz Ellis Diamond. This award is named after her to celebrate her amazing career.

Hall of Fame and Ferry Naming

In 2019, Liz Ellis was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Australian Women's Health Sport Awards. This is a big honor for athletes.

In 2020, a new ferry in Sydney was named after her. This ferry is part of the Sydney Ferries network. It is a special way to remember her contributions.