Collingwood signs code-swapping former netballers Liv Lewis and Maisie Nankivell to AFLW team
Super Netball's defender of the year has traded her bib for a guernsey as Collingwood lands an extraordinary double signing for its AFLW rebuild.
“Here if you need” might be a term more at home on a netball court, but it could be booming down the wing next AFL Women’s season after Collingwood swooped to secure a pair of former netballers to its 2026 playing list.
Former Super Netball duo Liv Lewis and Maisie Nankivell have made their shift to football official, with CODE Sports able to reveal the pair have signed at Collingwood in what is considered a major coup for the battling AFLW outfit.
Lewis sent shockwaves through netball when she announced at the Melbourne Mavericks’ end-of-season celebration — where she was awarded defender of the year — that she was defecting to Australian rules, with Nankivell making a return to the game after playing two games for Adelaide in 2019.
Both have shelved netball entirely to focus on football, with significant interest from a number of Victorian clubs rebuffed in favour of Collingwood.
“It just felt like the right time, I felt like my netball was startuing to plateau a little bit, and I wasn’t enjoying it as much,” Nankivell, who played as a centre, told CODE Sports .
“I loved football when I got to play it, so why not. It feels right so let’s roll with it and delve into it.”
Nankivell, 26, had interest from the likes of North Melbourne, Carlton and Richmond but said Collingwood’s “honesty” about its current position and ambition had impressed her.
“Coming into the club and hearing what they had to say ... they were really honest with where they’re at as a club and squad,” she said.
“I think to hear more so where they see this club going and the growth they want to have ...they want to be winning premierships and being contedners for the cup. It goes to show how much drive they have as a club.
“I felt really at home and comfortable and got a really good vibe from them.
“I’m really loving Melbourne life so I want to stick around as long as possible.”
Lewis has watched the current AFLW season — which sees semi-final action this weekend at Ikon Park — closely after indicating her plans to shift codes in July and said the lasso rule was one that will take some homework.
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But it’s adjusting both body and mind that could take some work.
“I think for me it’s really getting used to being tackled and tackling people,” Lewis said.
“It’s very different to netball, especially a defender. Netball is a physical game, but you do get pulled up for the physicality.
“Putting the body on the line will come a little bit naturally but there’ll be a little bit to get used to, going into contests.
“I’m excited about that and getting used to bodies coming from every direction.”
Lewis grew up as a “staunch Freo Dockers supporter” in Western Australia, and met with fellow Sandgroper and Magpies skipper Ruby Schleicher when weighing up her decision.
“It just wasn’t an opportunity for young girls (back then) to play … I grew up playing and loving netball and was able to progress and have an incredible career that I’ve been super content with,” she said.
“In the background over the last few years with AFLW and its growth and seeing some other cross-coders I was thinking that I’d love to do that.
“That feeling was bubbling away and it got stronger and at the back-end of last year I just thought, ‘what am I waiting for?’.
“I knew I had to be pretty content with my netball career which I 100 per cent am ... I just couldn’t be happier with the decision and where it’s landed and what’s to come.”
The pair are set to add much-needed height to the Collingwood team, which finished in 15th position this season.
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Originally published as Collingwood signs code-swapping former netballers Liv Lewis and Maisie Nankivell to AFLW team
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