Australian Institute of Sport are a former Australian netball team based in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They were the netball team of the Australian Institute of Sport. They effectively acted as a development/under-21 team for the Australia national netball team. Between 1985 and 1996, AIS played in the Esso/Mobil Superleague. In 1985 and 1986 they finished as champions. Between 2003 and 2007, the AIS and Netball ACT entered a combined team known as AIS Canberra Darters in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Between 2008 and 2012, the AIS entered a separate team in the Australian Netball League. They were ANL grand finalists in both 2008 and 2009. They have also entered teams in the NSW State League, Victorian State League and the South Australia State League.

History Esso/Mobil Superleague When the Australian Institute of Sport was established in 1981, netball was one of the eight original sports chosen to be part of the development program. Former Australia national netball team coach Wilma Shakespear was appointed the program's first head coach.

Between 1985 and 1996, AIS played in the Esso/Mobil Superleague. The league was formed as a partnership between the All Australia Netball Association and the AIS in order to provide the AIS team with more competitive matches. With a team coached by Shakespear and featuring Shelley Oates-Wilding and Vicki Wilson, AIS subsequently won the first two titles in 1985 and 1986. AIS also played in the 1987 and 1989 finals, losing to Melbourne Blues and Sydney Tigers respectively. Other AIS players from this era included Natalie Avellino, Sharon Finnan and Shelley O'Donnell. In 1990 Gaye Teede succeeded Shakespear as the program's head coach. Teede had served as assistant coach at the AIS since 1982. She remained as head coach until 1998.

Esso/Mobil Superleague placings

Season Position Won Lost19851st5?019861st5019872nd 19892nd42 1990 4th23?19914th2119923rd51 19937th 19947th 19957th1619967th16

Commonwealth Bank Trophy

AIS Canberra Darters was originally formed as a partnership between the Australian Institute of Sport Netball Program and Netball ACT. They subsequently entered a combined team in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They joined the competition in 2003, replacing Adelaide Ravens. They continued to play in this competition until its demise in 2007. Their best performance came in 2004 when they finished 5th.

Regular season stats Season Position Won Lost Drawn 20036th59020045th410020057th2120 20068th0140 20078th1130

Australian Netball League The AIS and Netball ACT subsequently entered separate teams in the Australian Netball League with the Netball ACT team continuing to use the Canberra Darters name. The AIS played in the ANL between 2008 and 2012. In 2008 and 2009, Simone McKinnis guided AIS squads featuring Shae Bolton, Ashleigh Brazill, Shannon Eagland Jasmine Keene, Sharni Layton, Samantha May, April Letton, Chelsea Pitman, Kara Richards, Jacqui Russell, Laura Scherian, Amy Steel and Courtney Tairi to two successive grand finals. However, on each occasion they lost to Victorian Fury.

Regular season stats Season Position 20082nd20092nd20103rd2011n/a20124th

State leagues As well as entering teams in national leagues, AIS also entered teams in state leagues. During the 1980s and 1990s they regularly played in the New South Wales state netball league In 1997 they also began entering a team in the Dairy Farmers Victorian State League. In 2001, with a squad coached by Norma Plummer and featuring Jane Altschwager, Kristy Doyle, Susan Pratley, Kimberley Purcell, Rebecca Bulley and Natalie von Bertouch, an AIS team won the South Australia Farmers Union League title. Bertouch was also named the league's best and fairest player and was selected in the Team of the Year.

Grand finals National leagues Esso Gold Club Championship Season Winners Score Runners up Venue1983AIS39–34Melbourne BluesSurfers Paradise Australian Club Championships Season Winners Score Runners up Venue1984Melbourne Blues20–19AIS Adelaide Esso Super League Season Winners Score Runners up Venue1985AIS52–46Manly-Warringah (NSW)1986AIS61–35East Doncaster (Victoria)1987Melbourne Blues AIS1989Sydney Tigers57–36AISState Sports Centre

Australian Netball League Season Winners Score Runners up Venue2008Victorian Fury56–41AIS2009Victorian Fury46–32AISBCEC

State leagues Season League Winners Score Runners up 1997NSW Dairy Farmers State LeagueParramatta Auburn44–42AIS1998Dairy Farmers Victorian State League AIS1999Dairy Farmers Victorian State League 47–45AIS2000SA Dairy Farmers State LeagueContax AIS2001SA Farmers Union LeagueAIS Matrics

Tours The program also organised an annual international tour. Destination Year Hawaii1981, 1984Canada1982Jamaica1982, 1998, 2007, 2008Trinidad and Tobago1982, 1984, 1988, 1989, 1993, 2012 New Zealand1982, 1983, 1993, 1994, 2010 Fiji 1982, 1983, 1990 Malaysia1982England1983, 1985, 1990, 1992 Barbados1984, 1988, 1993Northern Ireland1985, 1990 Papua New Guinea1986China1990Scotland1990Republic of Ireland1990Wales1992Barbados1988, 1993Cook Islands1993, 1994Caribbean1995South Africa2009 Singapore2010

Notable former players Internationals

Jane Altschwager Megan Anderson Natalie Avellino Natalie von Bertouch Kate Beveridge Courtney Bruce Rebecca Bulley Natasha Chokljat Catherine Cox Nicole Cusack Liz Ellis Sharon Finnan Susan Fuhrmann Mo'onia Gerrard Laura Geitz Kimberlee Green Paige Hadley Janine Ilitch Roselee Jencke Cynna Kydd Sharni Layton April Letton Demelza McCloud Clare McMeniman Joanne Morgan Lauren Nourse Shelley O'Donnell Chelsea Pitman Susan Pratley Kim Ravaillion Nicole Richardson Peta Scholz Gabi Simpson Amy Steel Jo Weston Vicki Wilson Stephanie Wood

Karyn Bailey Emily Beaton Shae Bolton Carla Dziwoki Samantha Poolman Maddy Proud Kate Shimmin Verity Simmons Kaylia Stanton

Chelsea Pitman Abby Sargent Kate Shimmin

Courtney Tairi

Coaches Head coaches YearsWilma Shakespear1981–1990Gaye Teede1990–1998Norma Plummer1999–2003Michelle Wilkins2003–2005Brenda Scherian 2006Simone McKinnis2007–2010Sue Gaudion2010–2011Julie Fitzgerald2011–2013

Assistant coaches YearsGaye Teede1982–1990Margaret Caldow1984–1985Jill McIntosh1990Michelle Fielke1991Roselee Jencke2005

Premierships Esso Super League Winners: 1985, 1986: 2 Runners up: 1987, 1989 : 2 Australian Netball League Runners up: 2008, 2009: 2 South Australia State League Winners: 2001 Runners up: 2000

References