Super Netball's Queensland Firebirds bolster staff team with double appointments

Super Netball's Queensland Firebirds have bolstered their off-court staff with the additions of Kirby Short and Tracey Bruce.

Short, a former Brisbane Heat championship-winning captain, has been appointed as the club’s Athlete Development and Wellbeing Manager while former Firebird Bruce, a well-respected figure in the netball community, will provide assistance with the club’s training partners and doing opposition analysis.

Short will be charged with developing personal leadership, accountability and resilience capabilities within the Firebirds’ playing group in her role.

By providing support as players navigate high performance environments, the Athlete Development and Wellbeing Manager empowers them to find a balance between their wellbeing, engagement in activities outside of training and competition, and the requirements of elite sport.

Short brings considerable experience to the role after a sporting career that included being a professional cricketer for the Queensland Fire and Brisbane Heat from 2005 to 2020.

During that time Short captained both teams, winning back-to-back WBBL titles with the Heat in 2018/19 and 2019/20.

Short has also represented Queensland in four other sports - volleyball, softball, Gaelic football and indoor cricket.

She brings to the position extensive experience away from the sporting field as an educator, having recently taken leave from her role as Deputy Principal of a large metropolitan high school, to pursue leadership consultancy.

Looking forward to her new role, Short stated "with an inherent understand of the challenges faced by elite athletes balancing competing demands, I am looking forward to the opportunity to support and enable players individually and collectively, to build capacity and make a positive contribution to our culture, both as a team and holistically across the organisation."

Bruce has a record for identifying and developing talent having been a coach and selector in the Queensland pathways for many years and also as a panellist for Netball Australia at the National Netball Championships.

Commenting on Bruce's appointment, Firebirds Head Coach, Bec Bulley stated “Tracey will be assisting with opposition analysis, the recruitment of potential athletes and the development of our Training Partners.

“I’m excited to bring both Tracey and Kirby’s experience and know-how onto our staff and I’m confident our athletes will benefit greatly from these appointments.”

Image: The Queensland Firebirds on court. Credit: Queensland Firebirds.