The former Lions co-coach has thrived in the top flight, notching a string of impressive shifts at centre and wing attack in her debut season for the Suncorp Super Netball side.
McDonald was a force when called upon in midcourt for Adelaide, registering 74 assists, 37 general play turnovers and nine deflections to tally 84.5 Nissan Net Points in 13 games.
Her dynamism was praised by Thunderbirds high performance manager Pitre Bourdon, who was eager to have McDonald back in the pink dress for 2022.
“Elle is a very versatile athlete and brings great maturity and game smarts to the group,” Bourdon said.
“We saw great signs from her this season and we look forward to seeing her grow again next year.
“She had an interrupted pre-season in 2021, so we’re really excited for her to get a full pre-season behind her and come out firing in 2022.”
McDonald’s journey from Seymour to the City of Churches has been nothing short of monumental.
After stealing the show at Deakin Reserve in late 2019, she flew the Australian Netball League flag with Victorian Fury before joining Melbourne Vixens as a training partner — where again, her cup overflowed with premiership glory in 2020.
The former Lion and title magnet then caught the eye of Thunderbirds head coach Tania Obst and she made the switch to South Australia late last year where she has remained since.
McDonald’s Thunderbirds finished seventh in this year’s campaign and will look at climbing up the rungs when the competition ramps up again in autumn next year.
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