An elite junior talent, the 21-year-old joined the Magpies after one season as a training partner with the Melbourne Vixens.
After making an impression in her pre-season campaign with the Magpies, Rainbow has been added to the club’s training partner list, and will join Collingwood’s SSN training program throughout the season.
Kelsie made her debut for the Collingwood Magpies in front of a home crowd at the Silverdome during last month’s series of friendlies in the TNIS against Wales and Northern Ireland.
Originally from Winnaleah in Tasmania, Rainbow moved to Melbourne three years ago to pursue her netball career, and signed with the Tasmanian Magpies in the Australian Netball League at the beginning of 2018.
Magpies Netball head coach Kristy Keppich-Birrell said the club was thrilled to be able to offer Rainbow this opportunity.
“Kelsie is an outstanding young person and player, and we are so excited to have her on board as a training partner in 2018.”
“She has put in a load of work and effort into the program and her own performance, and that is a credit to her professionalism and determination. She has truly earned this opportunity.
“It’s also a very exciting development for our partnership with Tasmania, and it’s an exciting step towards a very bright future for both Collingwood and Netball Tasmania.
“We are hoping Kelsie will be a trailblazer for up and coming Tasmanian netballers, and the Tasmanian pathways into Australian netball.”
Netball Tasmania hopes that Kelsie will follow in the footsteps of those who went before her, the most notable of which were Fiona Geappen (Doran) who won a title with the Melbourne Phoenix and Natasha Chokljat who won titles with Melbourne Phoenix and Vixens and went on to be a longstanding Australian Diamond.
Chief Executive Officer of Netball Tasmania, Aaron Pidgeon was thrilled with the news, saying “Netball Tasmania is extremely pleased with Kelsie’s signing as Magpies training partner.
This is a fantastic reward for Kelsie following many years of hard work and dedication; and it is proof that Netball Tasmania’s partnership with Collingwood provides a genuine pathway for Tasmanian Netballers to play in the SSN competition”.
Collingwood Magpies Netball Training Partners: Cody Lange (Tasmanian Magpies captain), Mary Livesey (Tasmanian Magpies vice-captain), Sharni Lambden (Tasmanian Magpies Player), Samantha Gooden (Tasmanian Magpies Player), Vanessa Augustini (Tasmanian Magpies Player), Mel Bragg (Tasmanian Magpies Player), Kelsie Rainbow (Tasmanian Magpies Player)
