Sharni Norder has called time on a decorated sporting career after announcing her AFLW retirement.
Key points:
- Sharni Norder, nee Layton, captained Australia’s national netball team and was an AFLW All Australian ruck
- She played 23 games for Collingwood in AFLW, her last being the Magpies’ preliminary final loss to Brisbane
- Norder says she and her husband will now “start building a life together away from the sporting arena”
The 33-year-old Collingwood vice-captain spent three years in the AFLW following a distinguished netball career that included 46 caps for the Diamonds.
Norder (nee Layton), who ranks as one of Australia’s best cross-code athletes, bows out after Collingwood’s four-point AFLW preliminary final loss to Brisbane at the weekend.
“My journey to AFLW was different to netball,” she said.
“Rather than being the best player, I wanted to instil the values I had learned in the high-performance environment of netball and bring that experience to Collingwood’s women’s football program.”
Norder captained the Diamonds in 2017 and was a member of world championship-winning teams in 2011 and 2015.
AAP: Scott Gelston
)Twice named international player of the year, Norder also played a starring role in the Diamonds’ team that claimed gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Norder played for six Australian netball franchises and retired from the sport in 2018 after 28 games for Collingwood.
She was soon drafted into Collingwood’s AFLW side and as a ruck played 23 games for the Magpies.
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Norder was honoured with AFLW All-Australian selection for her breakout year in 2020.
“Whilst I feel lucky that my body is strong, it is time for me to focus on other areas in life and spending time with loved ones, especially my husband Luke, and start building a life together away from the sporting arena,” Norder said.
AAP
