Briony Akle

Briony Akle is an Australian former netball player and current netball coach. Between 1999 and 2004, Akle played for Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Akle was a member of the Sydney Swifts teams that won premierships in 2001 and 2004. Since 2017 she has been head coach of New South Wales Swifts, guiding them to the 2019 and 2021 Suncorp Super Netball titles.

Briony Akle
Personal information
Full name Briony Akle (née Thornley)
Born c. (1977-08-16) 16 August 1977[1]
School Castle Hill High School
University University of Western Sydney
Netball career
Playing position(s): WA,C
Years Club team(s) Apps
1999–2004 Sydney Swifts 53
Coaching career
Years Team(s)
2011 NSW Under-17s
2014 NNSW Blues
2014–2015 NSW Under-19s
2016–2017 NNSW Waratahs
2016–2017 NSWIS
2017– New South Wales Swifts

Early life, education and family

Akle grew up in Sydney's northwestern suburbs.[2] Between 1990 and 1995, she attended Castle Hill High School. She graduated from the University of Western Sydney after completing a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sports Management. Akle is married to Sarkis Akle, a hairdresser and salon owner. She is the mother of four sons – Xavier (born c. 2016), Sebastian (born c. 2006) and twins Charlie and Sam (born c. 2009).[3][4][5][6]

Playing career

Sydney Swifts

Between 1999 and 2004, Akle made 53 appearances for Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Her team mates at Sydney Swifts included Megan Anderson, Catherine Cox and Liz Ellis. Akle was a member of the Swifts teams that won premierships in 2001 and 2004. She played as a wing attack in both the 2001 and 2004 grand finals.[1][4][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Coaching career

New South Wales

Between 2011 and 2015, Akle served as an assistant coach or head coach of various teams that represented New South Wales at the Australian National Netball Championships. In 2011 she was head coach of the under-17 team that were runners-up. In 2012 she was assistant coach of the under-21 team that won the title. In 2014 and 2015 she was head coach of the under-19 teams. In 2015 Akle guided the under-19s to the title.[13][15][16][17][18]

Australian Netball League

Between 2014 and 2017, Akle served as an assistant coach or head coach for teams that represented New South Wales in the Australian Netball League. In 2014 she was head coach of NNSW Blues. In 2015 she was assistant coach with NNSW Waratahs. Between 2016 and 2017 she was head coach of Waratahs. In 2016 and she guided them to the ANL grand final.[2][13][17][18][19][20]

NSWIS

In 2016, Akle was appointed head coach of the New South Wales Institute of Sport netball program. In July 2017, Akle coached the NSWIS team that finished third in the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament. The NSWIS team was a composite team featuring players from both New South Wales Swifts and Giants Netball.[2][13][20][21][22][23]

New South Wales Swifts

In September 2017, ahead of the 2018 season, Akle was appointed head coach of New South Wales Swifts, replacing Rob Wright.[13][24][25][26][27] In 2019, she guided Swifts to their first Suncorp Super Netball title. In the grand final they defeated Sunshine Coast Lightning 64–47.[28][29][30] She was subsequently named the 2019 Joyce Brown Coach of the Year.[31][32] In 2021, despite having to go into isolation and having restrictions preventing her from entering Queensland due the COVID-19 pandemic, Akle guided Swifts to their second Suncorp Super Netball title. In the grand final they defeated Giants Netball 63–59.[1][5][33][34][35]

Other employment

Between September 2004 and February 2006, Akle worked as an administration coordinator for Sydney Swifts. Between February 2010 and January 2013, she worked as a community relations manager for Sydney Roosters. Between February 2013 and February 2019 she worked as a community relations manager for Parramatta Eels.[2][3][36]

Honours

Player
Sydney Swifts

Coach
New South Wales Swifts
NNSW Waratahs
New South Wales

Individual awards
Year Award
2019Joyce Brown Coach of the Year[31][32]

References
  1. "Briony Akle: A Swift history on and off court". www.theinnersanctum.com.au. 26 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  2. "Coaching comes naturally for Akle". supernetball.com.au. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  3. "Briony Akle". au.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  4. "Life on the run for Swifts' centre". www.smh.com.au. 7 June 2002. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  5. "Netball: NSW Swifts coach Briony Akle isolated from her team and two of her kids after close contact encounter". www.news.com.au. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  6. "Champion Mums of Today". hairbyphd.com.au. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  7. "Briony Akle of the Swifts..." www.gettyimages.co.uk. 31 August 2001. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  8. "Best mates to enemies: Premiership winners go head-to-head in Super Netball opener". www.smh.com.au. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  9. "Sydney Swifts - 1997-2007". nswswifts.com.au. 29 November 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  10. "Netball NSW – Annual Report 2007" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  11. "Commonwealth Bank Trophy 1997-2007 (page 3)". netballscoop.com. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  12. "Commonwealth Bank Trophy 1997-2007 (page 5)". netballscoop.com. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  13. "Briony Akle named NSW Swifts Head Coach". www.nswis.com.au. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  14. "Swifts celebrate 25 years by going back to yellow". thenetballpost.com. 4 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  15. "Netball NSW and NSW Swifts – 2011 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  16. "Netball NSW and NSW Swifts – 2012 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  17. "2014 Annual Report – Netball NSW" (PDF). nsw.netball.com.au. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  18. "2015 Annual Report – Netball NSW" (PDF). nsw.netball.com.au. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  19. "Netball NSW – 2016 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  20. "Netball NSW – 2017 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  21. "Netball Super Club team takes NSWIS to New Zealand". www.nswis.com.au. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  22. "NSWIS" (PDF). www.netballnz.co.nz. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  23. "Third for NSWIS in netball's NZ Super Club". www.nswis.com.au. 11 July 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  24. "Former player Briony Akle new NSW Swifts coach for Super Netball". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. 7 September 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  25. "Briony Akle named as NSW Swifts head coach". www.smh.com.au. 12 September 2017.
  26. "NSW Swifts - 2018 Season". nswswifts.com.au. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  27. "Netball NSW – 2018 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  28. "NSW Swifts - 2019 Season". nswswifts.com.au. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  29. "Netball New South Wales – 2019 Annual Report" (PDF). nsw.netball.com.au. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  30. "Akle's Vision Behind Swifts' Ascendance". supernetball.com.au. 16 September 2019. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  31. "Akle Named Joyce Brown Coach of the Year". supernetball.com.au. 30 November 2019.
  32. "Akle wins Coach of the Year Award". nswswifts.com.au. 30 November 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  33. "NSW Swifts celebrate Super Netball grand final triumph over Giants". www.theguardian.com. 28 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  34. "NSW Swifts win 2021 Grand Final". supernetball.com.au. 28 August 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  35. "Swifts down Giants to secure seventh Premiership". nswswifts.com.au. 28 August 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  36. "Trent Robinson's advice for new Swifts coach". www.nrl.com. 12 December 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
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