New Zealander · Westport, New Zealand · Born 15 April 1983New Zealand defender who won World Championship and Commonwealth titles and became known internationally for the defensive lift tactic nicknamed the Harrison Hoist.
Anna Harrison (née Scarlett) was born on 15 April 1983 in Westport, New Zealand, and first represented her country in indoor volleyball as a teenager before making her Silver Ferns netball debut at 19 in 2002. A long-limbed defender equally capable at goal keeper, goal defence or wing defence, she was part of the Silver Ferns squad that won the 2003 World Cup before taking an extended break from netball to compete internationally in beach volleyball. Harrison returned to the Silver Ferns fold in 2010, going on to win Commonwealth Games gold at both the 2006 and 2010 Games and silver in 2014, plus further World Cup silver medals in 2011 and 2015, across 88 Tests and 15 years in the black dress. She became a household name in 2012 for an entirely different reason: playing for the Northern Mystics against the Melbourne Vixens, she had teammate Jessica Moulds physically lift her into the air to intercept a shot on goal — a legal but never-before-seen manoeuvre that became known as the 'Harrison Hoist' and has since been adopted by defenders around the world. After retiring in 2018, she briefly returned to elite domestic netball with the Northern Stars in 2021 before moving into broadcasting, and was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to the sport.
Innovative Silver Fern defender known for the Harrison Hoist
Career Honours
- 2003 Netball World Championship gold
- Commonwealth Games gold 2006, 2010
- Commonwealth Games silver 2014
- World Cup silver 2011, 2015
- ANZ Championship title 2017
New Zealander Athletes