Veteran defender Emily Mannix plots Vixens comeback following year off after becoming a mum, missing premiership
Veteran Vixens defender Emily Mannix has revealed the terrifying ordeal she endured as her newborn daughter spent a week in neonatal intensive care earlier this year.
Netball star Emily Mannix has opened up on her scary experience as a first-time mum when her newborn daughter had to spend a week in the neonatal intensive care unit earlier this year.
In what she described as one of the hardest weeks of her life, the Vixens defender said the “rocky” start for her infant daughter, Mabel, had put everything else in her life “into perspective”.
Mabel has been a regular visitor at Vixens’ training and games throughout the season with her mum on the sidelines, but she faced a tough start after her birth in January.
“She was born in Geelong and I don’t know if diagnosed is the right word, but with moderate HIE, which is loss of oxygen to the brain,” Mannix said.
“So it was a bit touch and go at the start … it was probably one of the hardest weeks of our lives to be honest.
“Having to spend the time up in NICU, it put everything into perspective and we met some pretty incredible people and families that were doing it much harder than us and we were the lucky ones that got to take Mabel home.
“We were there for a week, but it felt like months to be honest. We were up the highway (at the Royal Women’s Hospital) and ended up staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Fitzroy, which was incredible they were able to get us there … and then going in and out of hospital each day to visit Mabel.”
Mannix said it had been a frightening waiting game while Mabel underwent treatment in the NICU before “the biggest sigh of relief” when her parents learned she had been given the all-clear.
“She had to go through this cooling process where they cool them down for 72 hours, they drop their core temperature to 33 degrees, they basically put them on ice packs to stop any further brain damage developing and spreading,” Mannix said.
“We were very lucky that her MRI came back a few days later all clear and normal and it was the biggest sigh of relief after we heard that because it was basically a waiting game to get this MRI, so it was a lot of waiting around just hoping that it was going to be OK and it was.
“She is tracking really well and going really well and you look at her now and you wouldn’t even think twice about it, but at the start it was pretty scary.
“Going through all of that and how much that affected us from the start was a big part of the decision focusing on her this year and soaking up all of those extra cuddles and time with Mabel.”
After a year on the sidelines soaking up her time with Mabel, Mannix has confirmed she will make a return with the Super Netball premiers next year.
Mannix admitted she felt “a little bit heartbroken” not playing in the Vixens’ premiership win and the inspiration it had given her for a Super Netball return.
While the Vixens’ long-time goal keeper remained heavily involved with the team off the court this year and was a regular at training and matches, Mannix admitted to experiencing “FOMO” as her teammates stormed to the Super Netball crown.
But the 31-year-old defensive stalwart said the Vixens’ thrilling grand final win over the West Coast Fever had only fuelled her desire to make a return to the court next season.
“I feel like stepping away this year after having Mabel and deciding to have the year off and watching the girls out there every week, each week that I was on the sidelines I just got that little bit of excitement and FOMO of not being out there on court,” Mannix said.
“So I think deciding that I do want to give it a crack and see if I can get myself right and get back is the plan.
“That amazing effort by the girls has given me even more inspiration and desire to want to get back out there and be a part of it because it has been a big part of my life for the past 10 years at the Vixens.
“It was so amazing to see them win and they so much deserved it, but a part of me was a little bit heartbroken that I wasn’t out there with them because it was a different role I was playing this year.
“I said to (Kate) Moloney, ‘I’m only coming back if you can promise me a back-to-back premiership’. So that would be nice.”
Mannix’s return is the only change to the Vixens’ team which farewelled long-time coach Simone McKinnis with her third national league title.
A Vixens’ premiership player in 2020, Mannix said she had made the decision early on in the year that she would not attempt a comeback this year.
“I didn’t want to be umming and ahhing and saying, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll come back’. I just wanted to make that decision so everyone could move on,” Mannix said.
“With Maggie (Caris) getting that opportunity to step up, I wanted her to feel comfortable that she was out there, she was getting that opportunity and I wasn’t breathing down her back, like I might be coming back.
“Once I made that decision early on and Simone and the club were so supportive of that and I didn’t feel pressure from anyone to have to get back.
“It allowed me to take that time. Obviously as a first-time mum and having a bit of a rocky start with Mabel when she was born, I think that put everything into perspective and I just really wanted to give all of my attention to her this year and take a back seat at the Vixens and just support from the sidelines.”
On court, Rudi Ellis stepped in to fill Mannix’s shoes at goal keeper and had one of her best games of the year in the grand final against Fever superstar Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard.
Mannix acknowledged her role was likely to look different next season.
“I thought Rudi had such an amazing year … I am not expecting to come in and be starting on the court every week, I think that would be silly of me to think that,” Mannix said.
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“I have a lot of work to do to get myself right and back on court to begin with, so I am happy to play whatever role the team needs … whatever role that is, I am happy with that.
“But, like I said, having Mabel now, it does put everything into perspective and to be honest, if I could just step out on court again and for Mabel – not that she will ever remember it – but for her to be there in the crowd and for me to be able to step out on court again will be pretty special for me, let alone starting seven every week.
“If I can just get out there again, that would be a huge achievement for me.”
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