Ambassadors

Ali Clarke was born in Brisbane but has called Adelaide home for over twenty years. She has spent most of that time waking up with the people of Adelaide on Breakfast radio, with #1 rated shows on three different networks, she has returned home to MIX102.3.

Ali formerly wrote a weekly sports column for the Adelaide Advertiser, was a sports reporter for Channel 9 and a courtside reporter for Adelaide Thunderbirds Netball matches for Channel 10. She has an Honours degree in Human Movement Studies and a degree in Journalism from The University of Queensland. Her honours research led to two publications on Women’s Rugby in Australia. She is also on the Local Advisory Committee for next years Beach Volleyball World Championships to be held in Adelaide.

Jenny played 167 games for the Australia Women’s Basketball Team (The Opals), competing at two Olympic Games and four World Championships. She was Captain of the Opals from 1980 until her retirement, going on to become assistant coach of the Opals for seven years including two Olympic Games.

Jenny’s basketball career started at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the Canberra Capitals in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL). Whilst playing at the highest level with the Opals, Jenny was appointed assistant coach of the AIS (WNBL Team). Appointed head coach in 1990, Jenny was awarded Coach of the Year in her inaugural year.

At 15 years of age, Jenny was selected to play for the Australian Softball team and won a bronze medal at the World Softball Championship. She was a champion in three sports and was a member of the South Australian senior and junior softball, netball and basketball teams in the one year.

Jenny’s other accolades include winning the Halls Medal for the best and fairest player in the South Australian Women’s Basketball competition on three occasions: 1974, 1977 and 1978. She was awarded an AM in the Queen’s birthday honour list for services to basketball. Jenny was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame, Australian Hall of Fame and automatically inducted into the SA Hall of Fame the same year.

She has served on the Australian Sports Drug Agency Board (ACT); Bruce Stadium Interim Committee (ACT); Olympic Athlete Committee and the Boxing Martial Arts committee (SA).

Jenny believes her most important role is as a Mum to her three beautiful daughters, Jacinta, Brooke, and Holly.

Melody Cooper is a passionate leader dedicated to empowering and advocating for women in sport. A former New Zealand Black Sticks women’s hockey player, Melody competed in the 2012 London Olympics, where New Zealand placed fourth. She began her career in club hockey in New Zealand before moving to South Australia, where she captained the South Australian Suns to victory in the Australian Hockey League Championship in 2011.

In her coaching career, Melody broke barriers as the first woman to lead-coach a men’s team in the Australian Hockey League. She served as co-head coach of the Southern Hotshots and later took on the role of head coach
for the Adelaide Hockey Club’s Men’s Premier League team. Her coaching excellence was recognised in 2014 when she was named Coach of the Year by Hockey SA in the South Australian Premier League.

Currently, Melody serves on the Hockey South Australian Board, co-founder of Thoegayn Zugub and a Commonwealth Games Federation Regional Development Manager for Asia & Oceania. She also contributes as
the lead support for the Australian Opals with the Australian Basketball Players Association. Her past roles include Chief Operating Officer of Indigenous Basketball Australia and General Manager of Adelaide Thunderbirds and Elite Pathways.

Melody is a passionate advocate for gender equity and inclusion, committed to creating pathways for women in sport to achieve excellence. Her vision is rooted in a deep connection to culture, community, and humanitarian values, where she emphasises empowerment, kindness, and resilience. Balancing her career, volunteer roles, and responsibilities as a dedicated parent to two children, Melody is driven by the belief in equal opportunities and the transformative power of sport.

Bruce Djite currently serves as the Executive Director of the South Australian Division of the Property Council of Australia. Prior to this role, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer at the Committee for Adelaide and served as the Director of Football at Adelaide United FC.

In addition to these roles, Bruce holds several positions including Deputy Chair of the West Beach Trust and is a member of the South Australian Multicultural Commission. He is also involved with the Children’s University Australasia Advocacy Board, and as a member of the Winston Churchill Trust South Australian Regional Committee.

The former Socceroo and Adelaide United FC footballer is a football analyst on Paramount+ and Network 10. Additionally, he was a Beyond Greatness Champion for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

He has a reputation for passionate advocacy in South Australia, particularly amongst the state’s political, media, sporting and business circles.

Wendy is a former Australian lacrosse representative (World Championship team member) and cricketer. She is a multi- sport athlete at state and club level, in lacrosse, cricket, basketball, netball and touch football.

Wendy has a wealth of extensive coaching experience spanning across all levels of participation. She holds qualifications as a Qualified Health and Physical Education specialist teacher, having earned a Bachelor of Education degree as well as obtaining a Master of Science.

Wendy currently holds the position of Senior Lecturer at the University of South Australia in Education Futures, as well as Lead in Health & Physical Education teacher education and Program Director Master of Teaching (secondary and primary). An integral part of Wendy’s University teaching focuses on research and professional development in teaching and learning (pedagogy), which is the application of play practice for engaging and developing skilled players from beginners to elite and team dynamics. Wendy has a special interest in program design with specific application to coach and teacher education. Her dedicated industry knowledge has enabled Wendy to hold positions as international, national, state and community presenter.

In addition to her educational pursuits, Wendy is an active board member and former coaching director in women’s lacrosse, across club, state and national levels.

A passionate advocate for women’s sport, Louise is a former state league netballer and premiership captain with Matrics Netball Club, Australian representative in Indoor Netball, assistant coach for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and AFLW Player Development Manager for the Adelaide Football Club.

Throughout the many diverse roles, she has held from corporate positions to non-for-profit directorships, to those of a mother and wife, she draws unquestionably, most often on the skills garnered from her time in sport as an athlete, coach, umpire, and mentor. It is the depth of these life skills and the power of friendships and networks built over many decades that drives her passion to support, empower and create opportunities for girls and women through the medium of sport.

Louise commenced her role on the SANFL Commission as the sole female director and shortly after was appointed to the Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority where she was the first and only female. At the SANFL, she sat on the Finance & Audit Committee and chaired the Women’s Football Committee with a charter to fully develop the SANFLW league to include all eight clubs, expand the length of the season and to provide improved pathways for females to engage and enjoy all levels of football within South Australia. Additionally, Louise played a pivotal role in establishing the inaugural Female Personal Development Pathway program which delivered leadership, financial literacy, and wellbeing education for every SANFLW player. Today, Louise proudly sits as one of three women on the SANFL Commission, with three women also now directors of AOSMA.

With a confessed passion for sports and huge appetite for learning, Louise is driven in her ongoing desire to empower females to reach their potential. This motivation fuels her continuous engagement in sports at varying levels.

Louise’s current role is General Manager at Turnbull Built, an award-winning building firm based in Adelaide. Her leadership has been recognised through various accolades including the Professional Women’s Award and the Small Business Management Award from the Housing Industry Association of South Australia.

Eleni is a distinguished Australian Football League (AFL) and AFL Women’s field umpire, boasting outstanding credentials in her field. She made history by becoming the first female umpire to officiate in a match sanctioned by the AFL, in the NAB Challenge match between the Carlton Football Club and Essendon Football Club. Eleni also became the first female to be appointed field umpire for an AFL Premiership season match, when she was selected to officiate the Essendon and West Coast match in Round 9 of the 2017 AFL season.

Her successful career as an umpire began with the North Eastern Metro Junior Football Association in Adelaide, South Australia, before commencing to umpire in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). In August 2013, she umpired her first senior SANFL match becoming the first female to officiate as a field umpire in a State League match nationally. It is from this national platform that Eleni gained further recognition and in 2014 she was offered a three-year AFL Field Umpire Pathway scholarship in Melbourne, where she umpired in the VFL throughout the 2015 and 2016 seasons. This position was then elevated to the AFL Field Umpire Senior list in 2017.

In recognition of her remarkable contributions, Eleni was honoured as the 2019 South Australian Young Australian of the Year and in 2021 was awarded a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for her services to umpiring nationally.

Eleni’s personable nature and competent public speaking skills have empowered many young athletes/people throughout her career, presenting and speaking at events. Outside of umpiring, Eleni is employed at the AFL as Umpiring Growth and Development Coordinator – Schools and Female and at the SANFL as Umpire Growth and Female Academy Manager.

Katrina is recognised and acknowledged for her success as a Paralympic athlete. She has won multiple gold, silver and bronze medals in athletics at three Paralympic Games. Recognised for her successes, she was appointed as the first torch bearer to enter the stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney Paralympic Games and selected on behalf of the International Paralympic Committee to speak at the United Nations in New York.

Katrina’s outstanding achievements include her selection in the Australian Netball 17 and Under Netball Squad; being awarded an Australian Institute of Sport Netball Scholarship; winning gold and silver at the IPC Athletics Championships; winning two silvers at the World Athletic Championships; setting a new world record and awarded an Australian Institute of Sport Scholarship and silver medal at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Katrina’s impact on the Australian Paralympic community was recognized with several prestigious honours. She was bestowed the Order of Australia medal (OAM), the Centenary Medal and was honoured as the South Australian Sports Institute Female Athlete of the Year.

Off the track, Katrina serves as the director of Silver 2 Gold High Performance Solutions, a specialised organisation dedicated to empowering organisations, teams and individuals. Leveraging her role as a global ambassador for the International Paralympic Committee and drawing from her personal journey navigating disability, Katrina channels her passion for aiding others by founding and directing Newday Leadership, a platform to inspire leadership for the greater good.

In addition, Katrina is an international speaker, leadership and personal mastery consultant, trainer in wellbeing, resilience and diversity and inclusion and a physiotherapist. Loving a challenge, Katrina has walked the Kokoda track and has trekked to Basecamp Everest twice. She is also a mother to three beautiful boys and has worked with Seven as a reporter at the Tokyo 2020 and Nine at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. In total she has attended 7 Paralympic Games and 2 Commonwealth Games. Katrina is currently an Australia Team Deputy Chef de Mission for Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Ambassadors

Ali Clarke

Jenny Cheesman AM

Melody Cooper

Bruce Djite

Wendy Piltz

Louise Small

Eleni Tee OAM (nee Glouftsis)

Katrina Webb OAM