Gabi Simpson

Australian defender who won the Liz Ellis Diamond in 2017 and captained the Queensland Firebirds for five years after relocating from Sydney as a teenager.

Gabrielle 'Gabi' Simpson was born on 17 October 1992 in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, growing up in Randwick. She moved to Brisbane as a teenager ahead of the 2013 season to join the Queensland Firebirds alongside Kim Ravaillion, going on to play four consecutive Grand Finals and winning back-to-back ANZ Championship premierships in 2015 and 2016. Simpson made her senior Australian debut on 20 October 2015 against New Zealand, having represented Australia at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, and went on to earn 41 caps, serving as vice-captain of the Diamonds squad that won silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. In 2017 she was named Firebirds captain, a role she held until stepping down ahead of the 2022 season, and capped a standout year by winning both the Liz Ellis Diamond and the Firebirds' MVP award. Simpson retired at the end of 2023 after an 11-year career in the purple dress, becoming just the third Firebird to make 150 appearances for the club, behind only Romelda Aiken-George and Laura Geitz. She completed a Bachelor of Physiotherapy at the University of Queensland, graduating as valedictorian in 2022, and has since become an ambassador for the Diamond Spirit program, which empowers First Nations girls and young women through netball.

Tough, tenacious wing defence renowned for shutting down opponents and never giving up on a contest

Remembered as one of the finest wing defences of her generation and celebrated for building inclusive team cultures both as a player and later as a program ambassador

• Liz Ellis Diamond 2017
• Commonwealth Games Silver 2018 (vice-captain)
• 2x ANZ Championship Premiership (2015, 2016)
• Firebirds captain 2017-2021