Bernard: Fowler-Nembhard one of the greatest shooters of all time
Published:Tuesday | August 6, 2024 | 12:11 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
FORMER President of Netball Jamaica, Marva Bernard, says Sunshine Girls shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard is one of the most dominant players in world netball.
The West Coast Fever goal shooter claimed her sixth hold on the Stacey Marinkovich Medal in the Suncorp Super Netball League in Australia , tallying 10 of the 14 votes.
The 35-year-old goal shooter has now won the award, which is given to the Most Valuable Player, six times in the past seven years.
Bernard said Fowler-Nembhard’s work ethic is second to none and this is the main reason for her latest achievement.
“This speaks to her dominance as a goal shooter in the number one netball league in the world. She couldn’t have gotten this far without hard work, as shooting requires a lot of practice and good work ethic. Looking back over the years and seen how she’s grown, there aren’t enough words to describe how proud I am. I’m happy to have been part of her development,” Bernard said.
Fowler-Nembhard amassed a total of 813 goals from 846 attempts in the 2024 season that also saw her reaching her 5,000th Suncorp League goal. As Jamaica celebrates its 62nd year of Independence, Bernard believes the award is a fitting gift for the country.
“She ranks up there as I’ve watched her become hard to defend. When Jhaniele hangs up her netball gear, all of her achievements will go down in the history books. When you talk about the greatest shooters of all time, her name will be called. This is such a wonderful birthday present for our country, that we can have players in Australia doing so well,” Bernard added.
The experienced netball administrator shared that seeing Fowler-Nembhard over the course of this season, in particular, reaffirms her belief that the Sunshine Girls captain is an unstoppable force.
“She’s the backbone of the team and her leadership qualities and dedication have shone through. Whenever I see her standing in that goal circle I know that she’s unstoppable, and her performance throughout the season has proven that she’s indeed unstoppable,” she added.
Bernard said all the Jamaican representatives plying their trade in the Suncorp Netball League have represented the country well on the global stage. She added that awards like Fowler-Nembhards’ latest achievement are a result of the proper grass-roots programme that the country has which enables Jamaica to maintain a certain level of dominance over its Caribbean counterparts.
“They have brought glory to Jamaica. We must not forget about the development programmes that Netball Jamaica has had over the years to produce players like these. Our high school, primary school and preparatory competitions are very integral to this, as we have them learning the game from a tender age; and no country in the Caribbean can match us pound for pound,” Bernard said.