Netball Super League | Eleanor Cardwell leaves Manchester Thunder for opportunities overseas

Eleanor Cardwell has left Manchester Thunder to pursue opportunities overseas, the club have confirmed today.

The 27-year-old was instrumental in helping Thunder to the Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) title with a Grand Final victory over Loughborough Lightning in June.

Cardwell scored a career-high 641 goals – more than any other goal attack – in 21 league appearances last term which had her fourth on the Gilbert Top Scorer leaderboard.

In fact, her performances earned her both Sky Sports Fans’ Player of the Season and the Players’ Player of the Season at the 2022 #VNSLAwards.

The Vitality Rose with 39 international caps consequently earned her a place in Team England’s 2022 Commonwealth Games squad – her first major international tournament – last month.

The shooter made her first VNSL appearance more than a decade ago for Thunder and earned a Superleague title in her first full season in 2012. She then went onto win a further three titles in 2014, 2019 and 2022. Cardwell also featured for Severn Stars for one season in 2017, scoring an impressive 612 goals.

Cardwell is the third player to have left the Manchester outfit since the end of the season following the departures of Joyce Mvula and Laura Malcolm to ANZ Premiership sides Central Pulse and Mainland Tactix respectively.

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