ANZ Premiership: Hawke’s Bay netballer and Mainland Tactix legend Ellie Bird to play final game for club in grand final

Ellie Bird in action for the Mainland Tactix. Photo / Photosport

Hawke’s Bay-raised netball star Ellie Bird will play her final game for the Mainland Tactix during Sunday’s ANZ Premiership grand final.

Her teammates will want to send the prolific goal shoot out on a high after eight seasons with the Christchurch-based club, including two grand final losses in 2020 and 2021.

Bird – who is in red-hot form in front of goal – will be pivotal to lifting the trophy if the Tactix are to claim their first national title, against the Northern Mystics in Auckland.

“I really want to win,” she said.

“The Tactix haven’t won it before, so to be there after putting in so much work for this side would be awesome, and I have full faith in this team.

“When we are firing, we are firing.”

Hawke's Bay-raised Ellie Bird (right) has been in red-hot form for the Mainland Tactix this season. Photo / Photosport

The 32-year-old is moving to Melbourne next month, where her focus will be on building a new wellness business.

“It would be the cherry on top in terms of closure of this chapter in my life,” Bird said of finally winning the title. “It would mean a lot.”

Plenty of people in Hawke’s Bay will be cheering on Bird and the Tactix on Sunday.

Bird grew up on a farm near Waipukurau and played netball for her local primary, St Joseph’s School.

She went on to attend Central Hawke’s Bay College and Iona College and played a couple of seasons for Hastings High School Old Girls’ netball club before heading off to Wellington and eventually Christchurch.

Her older brother, Dominic Bird, is a former All Black and her father, John Bird, who clocked up 82 games for the Hawke’s Bay Magpies between 1981-1992, still lives in Twyford, Hawke’s Bay.

Bird retired from professional netball in 2023, but the 1.96m goal shoot was sent an SOS to rejoin the Tactix in 2024.

The last two seasons have been the most enjoyable of her career, she said.

“I retired two years ago and then got pulled back in.

“During that transition, I went from a really pressured approach in netball – I was putting so much pressure on myself – to coming back in and taking a lot more of an enjoyment approach.

“Obviously still doing my best and wanting to win, but not caring so much because it is just a game.

“The most important thing is enjoyment, because if you are not enjoying it, why are you doing it?”

Bird said “being out there with teammates that I absolutely love” had also been amazing.

She said to play her final game alongside some long-standing teammates was going to be pretty special, including the likes of Erikana Pedersen, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Jane Watson and Karin Burger.

The ANZ Premiership grand final will be held at Trusts Arena in Auckland at 4pm on Sunday, between the Mainland Tactix and the Northern Mystics.