Joyce Brown OAM (1983 Netball World Cup Head Coach)
I was saddened to hear of the passing of the Dianne McDonald (Sidebottom), a member of the winning 1983 World Championship team in Singapore, of which I was coach.
Dianne was a wing defence with beautiful natural spring, a good pair of hands, and moved with athletic smoothness.
She was a fierce competitor and loved by her teammates for this trait, and her sense of humour and no fuss attitude. Her pathway through the illness had become long and arduous and she has been lovingly supported but some of her 1983 teammates and more personally by her older sister Cheryl, who was the Australian goal keeper in the 1975 winning team.
Dianne has at least found her rest and her peace and we of the 1983 Australian team feel a heavy loss for her parting.
With a sad heart,
Joyce Brown OAM
Australian Coach 1983
Julie Francou (1983 Netball World Cup Team Captain)
We are very very saddened by the loss of our Australian Player #85 Dianne McDonald.
Di Mac was an integral part of our winning 1983 World Cup Team. She excelled at Wing Defence with her trademark of leaving her player and taking that “specky” interception down the court.
Di also had the uncanny ability to make everybody laugh in a very tense and stressful situation and was the ultimate team player.
We will miss our fabulous and much loved team mate and pass our sincere condolences to her children Beau and Bree and their families. Our thoughts are also with our fellow Australian Past Player and Di’s sister Cheryl Stevenson and the whole Sidebottom family.
On behalf of the 1983 Australian Netball Team
Julie Francou (Capt.)
