Adelaide Thunderbirds shooting revelation Elmeré van der Berg has been crowned MVP of the world’s best netball competition in her debut season.
The South African international star was named Suncorp Super Netball’s Player of the Year at the Netball Australia awards on Friday, October 30.
Van der Berg took the competition by storm in 2026, leading the league in goals scored with 810 from an impressive 91% shooting accuracy.
She also topped the league’s Net Points standings with a remarkable 1375, cementing her status as one of the standout performers.
On debut, the GS/GA made club history when she set a new record of 59 goals in a match and continued to dominate week after week.
Van der Berg saved her best performance for last, shooting 51 goals at 98% accuracy in the grand final and sharing fan-voted MVP honours with teammate Kate Heffernan.
Reflecting on 2026, van der Berg said winning this award was the icing on the cake for what has been an incredible year in her netball journey.
“Making the move to Adelaide was a massive step for me but I loved every minute of this season,” van der Berg said.
“I’ve felt so at home at the Thunderbirds and I’m grateful to be a part of the amazing culture at the club.
“Joining the Thunderbirds and playing in Super Netball has been huge for my development and I’d like to thank everyone at the club, from the coaches to my teammates to the staff, for welcoming me and making this year so great.
“I can’t wait to get back to Adelaide to do it all again in 2027.”
