Sometimes you have to step away from the game to realise just how much you still have to give.
From Sydney Swifts star… to mum of five… to Head Coach of the newest team in the Super Netball competition.
Nerida Stewart’s journey has taken some wonderful twists and turns.
Growing up through the netball pathway in Sydney’s Hills District and then progressing through the AIS in Canberra, Nerida was fortunate to be coached by some of the legends of Australian netball. Those experiences — and the knowledge she absorbed from some of the great minds of the game — have helped shape the coach she is today.
After stepping away from netball to raise her five children, Nerida returned to the game by coaching a junior team. What followed was something she will always regard as one of the proudest moments of her career — taking them all the way to a NSW Championship.
From the Central Coast Heart to NSWIS and the Australian Men’s team, the Kelpies, Nerida began building a coaching career that would eventually take her into the Suncorp Super Netball environment as an assistant with West Coast Fever and Giants Netball.
In 2025, she got her opportunity to become a Head Coach.
This year her Giants team endured an incredibly tough season but produced a magnificent Sydney Derby victory over the Swifts and pushed both the Thunderbirds and Fever in some memorable contests.
Now comes perhaps her biggest challenge yet — building the Sydney Sirens from scratch.
With some exciting signings already on board, Nerida believes the Sirens have the potential to be a real force when the competition returns in 2027. She also shares her thoughts on the lack of opportunities for Australian players at the elite level, while making it clear that her new team will feature eight Australians.
And, of course, Nerida reveals her all-time Starting Seven — a line-up featuring some of the biggest names and greatest players the game has ever produced.
This is a wonderful story about finding your way back to something you love — and drawing on a lifetime of learning to help shape the future of the game.
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