When asked to speak about her mum, Tibbie shared heartfelt words that beautifully captured the impact Gayle has had on, not only her family but on netball, and on the Perth Netball Association.
With pride and admiration, Tibbie described Gayle as someone who has built more than teams, she has built a community, and the naming of the Year 7/8 Division One Most Valuable Player Award in her honor is a fitting tribute to her incredible contribution.
As we celebrate this moment, we invite you to read from Tibbie, who spoke so beautifully about her mum’s dedication and passion at our final round presentation awards night.
Gayle Watson-Galbraith
I feel honored to recognize the Inaugural Year 7/8 Most Valuable Player Award and the incredible person that the award is named after. The Year 7/8 Division One Most Valuable Player award is being named in honor of Gayle Watson-Galbraith and her incredible and continued contribution to Netball and Perth Netball Association.
Gayle, like most of us involved in Netball, played as a young child and teen, representing PLC, however Gayle’s involvement in Sport goes beyond Netball. Gayle was a beautiful dancer and talented Netballer. Gayle’s passion for sport lead her to become a Physical Education Teacher as well as an Australian Rhythmic Gymnastics Coach. However, the pull to our wonderful sport was too strong and Gayle found her way back to her beloved Netball. Gayle’s involvement in Netball was reignited when her first daughter, Jessica, started playing and Gayle was a coach, manager, parent and then a Club Coordinator, and has continued running the MLC Netball Club for the last 31 years, well beyond her second daughter, me, graduating for MLC.
Gayle is a fierce advocate for Women in Sport and her dedication to the growth and inclusion of women in Sport has been demonstrated in numerous roles. Gayle is a former President of Netball WA, former President of Perth Lions, winner of the Australian Sports Medal, a Life Member of WA Ballet, a Netball WA Life Member, a PNA Life Member and an incredibly successful coach.
Gayle has coached too many PNA Teams to count from 12’s to 20’s and attended so many Association Championships, it has become second nature that her June long weekend is spent supporting Perth Netball athletes. Gayle is a current PNA Head Coach and has been one of the most successful Head Coaches in PNA history with many of her PNA teams winning premierships, including 4 out of 5 winning Grand Finals at Association Championships in 2023, under her guidance. Gayle is always assisting at every development trial and is a fantastic mentor to developing Coaches.
Gayle has been on the PNA Grading Committees for years, as she is passionate about ensuring Clubs are contributing at Association level.
Gayle continues to Coach for MLC Netball Club while also running the Club. Gayle’s leadership and amazing commitment was recognized in 2023 when MLC won the PNA large Club of the Year. Gayle firmly believes in inclusion, ensuring every athlete at any level, has a team and a quality coach and this is why, every year, Gayle coaches’ multiple teams. In 2025 Gayle is Coaching a Year 6, Year 7, Year 10/11 and two Open teams. She can be seen walking from court to court, with her stool and basket, notebook in hand, ready to give each of her teams her valuable knowledge and firm feedback as she wants to get the best out of her athletes.
Gayle can be intimidating, she can be heard from a mile away, but no one has her athletes, Club and Association best interest at heart like she does.
Perth Netball Association believe Gayle is a very worthy recipient of this honour.
To the future winners of the Year 7/8 Gayle Watson-Galbraith MVP Medal, I hope this award encourages you to be a fierce and dedicated advocate for Women in this wonderful sport just like Gayle has and continues to be. She has certainly inspired my involvement in Netball as a passion and career and I am sure she will continue to inspire many more in years to come.
Written and presented by Tibbie Galbraith-Eales.