Eleanor Cardwell

A decade since Eleanor Cardwell made her England debut, her experience honed around the world is priceless in the shooting circle.

Cardwell’s netball journey began surprisingly as a defender in the North West, where she made her Netball Super League debut in 2012 for AO Manchester Thunder.

She soon pivoted into the shooting circle in 2015, with the support of Commonwealth Games-winning head coach Tracey Neville.

AO Thunder claimed two titles in 2012 and 2014 with the 31-year-old in the defensive third, and made a third Grand Final in her first spell in Greater Manchester in 2016. 

After a short stint at Severn Stars, Cardwell returned to AO Thunder and picked up two titles in 2019 and 2022, winning the Player’s Player of the Year award alongside her fourth NSL title.

The sharp shooter then decided to make her mark Down Under in Australia, playing an instrumental role in the Adelaide Thunderbirds’ maiden Super Netball title. 

A move to the Melbourne Mavericks was impacted by a serious knee injury playing for England in October 2025, but the forward stunned in her return to fitness and to familiar surroundings in 2026. 

Cardwell shot to the top of the attacking charts in her third spell in black and yellow back in her home patch for AO Thunder as they won the 2026 Netball Super League.

In the red dress, Cardwell made her senior debut in 2016 and earned her first call-up to a major tournament ahead of Birmingham 2022. 

She was part of the England squad that reached the Netball World Cup 2023 final, when the Roses claimed World Cup silver medals for the first time. 

Aside from her skills on the netball court, the fiery competitor, who is nicknamed ‘the claw’ for her long reach, credits taekwondo sessions for her strong presence in the shooting circle.