Ameliaranne Ekenasio: Career, Honours and Where She Plays Now

Ameliaranne Ekenasio is one of the most recognisable shooters in New Zealand netball: an Australian-born goal attack who switched allegiance to New Zealand in 2014, won a Netball World Cup and went on to captain the Silver Ferns.

This profile follows her career in order — where she started, the clubs she has played for, the honours she has won, and where she is heading next after signing with an Australian club for 2027.

Who is Ameliaranne Ekenasio?

Ameliaranne Ekenasio, formerly known as Ameliaranne Wells, was born on 11 January 1991 in Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. She is a Māori Australian with Ngāti Kahu and Ngāpuhi affiliations through her New Zealand-born father.

She stands 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) and plays in the two shooting positions: goal attack (GA) and goal shoot (GS).

If those codes are new to you, GA and GS are the only two players on court allowed to score. The goal shoot works close to the post, while the goal attack plays wider — feeding the ball into the circle and shooting from further out. Our guide to the seven netball positions explains how the whole team fits together.

Ekenasio is best known as a long-range goal attack: accurate from distance, and composed rather than physical in style.

Early career in Australia

She started playing netball at 13, first for her school and then for the Across the Waves club, and was part of ATW Gold teams that won Bundaberg Netball Association first-division titles in 2007 and 2008.

She then progressed through the Queensland system, turning out for Wide Bay Thundercats, Brisbane South Wildcats and the Yellow Cab Lions in the state leagues, and was named player of the final when the Wildcats won the 2009 state league title.

Representative and national league netball

Ekenasio represented Queensland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 level, and was part of the Queensland side that won the 2010 under-19 national tournament, shooting close to 90% across the event.

Between 2010 and 2014 she played for Queensland Fusion in the Australian Netball League, helping them finish runners-up in 2014, and she was on the books of the Queensland Firebirds from 2011 to 2014. Her circle time there was limited — she sat behind Romelda Aiken, Natalie Medhurst and Amorette Wild — but she was a fringe member of the 2011 squad that won the ANZ Championship.

Switching to New Zealand

At the end of the 2014 season Ekenasio was close to giving up netball to travel overseas, before Central Pulse offered her a contract. That signing changed the direction of her career.

She was named in New Zealand squads in September 2014 and made her senior debut against Australia on 8 October 2014, in the second test of that year’s Constellation Cup.

Club career

Central Pulse (2015–2020)

Ekenasio played for Central Pulse between 2015 and 2020, missing the 2017 season while pregnant. She was part of the Pulse sides that won the 2018 Netball New Zealand Super Club title and the 2019 and 2020 ANZ Premierships.

She was initially named captain of the 2021 Pulse team but missed the entire season, and in August 2021 the club confirmed she would not be returning.

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic (2022–2025)

She signed with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic ahead of the 2022 season, debuting against the Pulse on 20 March 2022, and was named Magic captain for 2023.

Her strongest domestic season came in 2024, when she was named ANZ Premiership Season MVP — an award the competition also refers to as its Player of the Year.

Return to the Pulse (2026)

After four years with the Magic she re-signed with the Pulse for the 2026 ANZ Premiership, having played 129 domestic games by that point, and was named co-captain alongside defender Parris Mason.

The 2026 season started well for her: in a 53–45 win over the Magic in front of a sold-out crowd at TSB Arena in Wellington, she shot at 100% in the one-point zone and finished with 20 goals.

Moving to West Coast Fever (2027)

In August 2026 it was announced that Ekenasio would join West Coast Fever in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball for the 2027 season, on a one-year deal. She finishes the 2026 ANZ Premiership with the Pulse first, then relocates to Perth with her husband, Damien, and their two children after the New Zealand school year.

She has described the move — a long-held ambition she first pursued in 2019 — as a dream, and said the certainty of a contract took “a lot of weight off my shoulders” amid uncertainty over the future of New Zealand’s domestic league.

Silver Ferns career

Ekenasio represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and was part of the team that won the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series. Background on the wider national side is on our Silver Ferns page.

2019 Netball World Cup

The 2019 tournament in Liverpool was the peak of her international career. She was a key part of the winning New Zealand team, shooting 24 from 26 (92%) in the gold-medal match against Australia, and was named 2019 Silver Ferns Player of the Year. Our Netball World Cup guide covers the tournament’s history.

Captaincy

She was named New Zealand captain ahead of the 2020 Netball Nations Cup and led the side to victory in the 2021 Constellation Cup.

After 18 months out of international netball following the birth of her second child, she was recalled for the 2022 Taini Jamison Trophy Series and re-elected captain by her teammates and coaches. She captained the Silver Ferns at the 2023 World Cup in South Africa, where the team finished fourth without a medal, and led them to another Constellation Cup win in 2024.

Stepping away in 2025

In 2025 she confirmed she would be unavailable for the international season, stepping back after more than a decade at the top of the game and saying she needed a break for her mind, body and spirit. Her 79th and most recent cap came during the 2024 Constellation Cup.

She has since said she has had no contact with the national side’s management, and played down the likelihood of making herself available for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Honours and awards

From junior grades to the top: getting into netball in New Zealand

Ekenasio’s story began at community level — she first picked up the game at 13 — and that same grassroots pathway is still how most New Zealand players start. If her career has inspired a young player in your household, here is how the local game is organised.

Most children begin through Woolworths futureFERNS, Netball New Zealand’s modified junior programme that scales the rules, court and ball to a child’s age. From there, players move into graded competitions run by regional centres. North Canterbury Netball Centre, for example, publishes an overview of grades, days and venues, along with dedicated information for Year 7 and 8 competitions and the Year 5 and 6 Saturday draw and court-duty requirements.

As players progress, centres field open grade and senior representative teams that feed into the wider talent pathway. You can find centre contacts and committee details through your local association; the North Canterbury Netball Centre website is one example of how a centre runs its season.

Two practical things matter before the first whistle. Netball has clear standards for courts, hoops and kit — World Netball sets out the facilities, equipment and uniform requirements that apply from junior to elite level. And because the sport involves constant stopping, landing and changing direction, injury prevention is taken seriously: Netball New Zealand’s NetballSmart programme teaches warm-up and safe landing technique, and ACC injury data shows why reducing knee and ankle injuries is a priority.

Where is she now?

Through the 2026 ANZ Premiership season, Ekenasio is playing club netball for the Pulse as co-captain. From 2027 she moves to West Coast Fever in Australia. Importantly, this no longer rules her out of the Silver Ferns: New Zealand Netball has changed its eligibility rules so that overseas-based players can still be selected.

She has also been open about the financial pressure on the domestic game, with players taking a pay cut for 2026 and uncertainty over broadcasting beyond the current free-to-air deal — factors she has linked to the number of New Zealand players signing with Australian and UK clubs.

This page is for factual and informational purposes only. Squad lists, captaincy, honours and playing status change regularly during and between seasons; for confirmed current details, check Netball New Zealand and the relevant franchise. Details on this page were verified in September 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ameliaranne Ekenasio Australian or a New Zealander?

She was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, and came through the Australian system, representing Queensland at junior and under-21 level. She switched allegiance to New Zealand in 2014 and has Ngāti Kahu and Ngāpuhi affiliations through her New Zealand-born father.

How many caps does she have for the Silver Ferns?

She has 79 test caps for New Zealand, from her debut in October 2014 through to her most recent appearance during the 2024 Constellation Cup.

What position does Ameliaranne Ekenasio play?

She plays goal attack and goal shoot. She is best known as a goal attack, a role that combines shooting with feeding the ball into the circle.

Has she retired from netball?

No. She stepped away from international netball in 2025 but continues to play club netball. She is co-captain of the Pulse for the 2026 ANZ Premiership and has signed with West Coast Fever in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball for 2027.

Which clubs has she played for?

Queensland Fusion and the Queensland Firebirds in Australia, then Central Pulse (2015–2020), Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic (2022–2025), Central Pulse again in 2026, and West Coast Fever from 2027.

What is her biggest achievement?

Winning the 2019 Netball World Cup with the Silver Ferns, where she shot 24 from 26 in the final against Australia. She was also named Silver Ferns Player of the Year for that season.

Was she ever Silver Ferns captain?

Yes. She was first named captain ahead of the 2020 Netball Nations Cup, regained the role in 2022 after the birth of her second child, and led the team until she made herself unavailable in 2025.