Joan Harnett

Joan Frances Harnett-Kindley ONZM (née Martin; born 24 February 1943) is a New Zealand former netball player and real estate agent.

Harnett played in three editions of the World Netball Championships in 1963, 1967 and 1971 and was named player of the tournament of the 1967 competition that New Zealand won.

[3][2] Harnett was part of the New Zealand squad that contested the 1963 World Netball Championships in England, where the team finished runners-up to the Australian side by a single goal.

[4] For the 1967 World Netball Championships in Perth,[1][4] she and the rest of the New Zealand team trained for ten days in Christchurch.

[3] In 1972, Harnett began a career in the real estate industry and at first assigned appointments around her netball matches.

[2] For the 2020 Birthday Honours in June of that year,[4] she was appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) "for services to netball and the real estate industry.

[1] During Harnett's netball career, she received press attention for her photogenic appearance,[11] and had less focus on her achievements.

[12] Harnett is however credited with changing the perception of how netball is viewed in New Zealand,[4] during a time when women's sport received little coverage from the nation's media.

[10] She has been said to "have redefined the scope and skill of the shooting positions, with her ability to read the game and instinctive play."