Katie Walker (netball)

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Katie Walker
Personal information
Full name Katie Walker (née Buchanan)
Born (1978-07-18) 18 July 1978 (age 45)
Brisbane, Australia
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Spouse Shane Walker
Relatives Chris Walker (brother-in-law)[1]
Ben Walker (brother-in-law)
Netball career
Playing position(s): C, WA
Years Club team(s) Apps
2004–2006 Hunter Jaegers 32
2006 → Manly-Warringah
2007–2008 Queensland Firebirds
2009– Queensland Fusion
c. 2012–2019 CLC Tigers
Coaching career
Years Team(s)
2021– Queensland Sapphires

Katie Walker is a former Australian netball player and current netball coach. Walker played for both Hunter Jaegers and Queensland Firebirds during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era. She also played for Firebirds during the 2008 ANZ Championship season. Since 2020, Walker has been a member of the Firebirds coaching staff, serving as an assistant coach, specialist coach and head coach of Queensland Sapphires.

Family[edit]

Walker, née Buchanan, is married to Shane Walker, a rugby league player. Their first child, a daughter, Kobi, was born in November 2006.[1][2][3]

Playing career[edit]

Hunter Jaegers[edit]

Between 2004 and 2006, while her husband Shane was playing for South Sydney, Walker made 32 appearances for Hunter Jaegers in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. She was a vice-captain to Jane Altschwager while playing for Jaegers.[2][4][5][6][7]

Manly-Warringah[edit]

Walker played for Manly-Warringah in the New South Wales state netball league and in 2006 featured in the grand final when she was 27 weeks' pregnant. In 2006 she shared the Nance Kenny OAM Medal, the league's MVP award.[2][5][8]

Queensland Firebirds[edit]

Between 2007 and 2008, Walker played for Queensland Firebirds.[9] She trialed for five successive years to be part of the Firebirds team but missed out each time. In 2007 she was included in Firebirds' Commonwealth Bank Trophy squad.[2][10][11] She also played for Firebirds during the 2008 ANZ Championship season.[3][12][13][14][15] However, she was controversially dropped from the Firebirds lineup for the 2009 season. She was initially cut from the preliminary team list against the wishes of head coach, Vicki Wilson. After Megan Dehn withdrew from the squad, Wilson wanted to re-sign Walker. However, Netball Queensland overruled her decision and offered Carla Dziwoki a contract instead.[16][17][18][19][20]

Queensland Fusion[edit]

Walker played for Queensland Fusion during the 2009 Australian Netball League season.[21][22]

Carina Leagues Club Tigers[edit]

Walker has played for and captained Carina Leagues Club Tigers in various Queensland state netball league competitions. Her teammates at Tigers have included Beryl Friday. She captained Tigers when they won the 2012 Holden Cruze Cup. She continued to captain Tigers until 2019.[23][24][25][26] In 2019 the HART Sapphire Series MVP award was named the Katie Walker Medal after Walker.[27]

Coach[edit]

During the 2020 Suncorp Super Netball season, Walker served as an assistant coach to Roselee Jencke at Queensland Firebirds.[9][28][29][30] In 2021 she was a specialist coach with Firebirds and head coach of Queensland Sapphires.[31][32]

Honours[edit]

Carina Leagues Club Tigers
  • Holden Cruze Cup
    • Winners: 2012
Individual Awards
Year Award
2006 Nance Kenny OAM Medal[5][8]
2011 Holden Cruze Cup Player of the Year[33]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Chris Walker (22 June 2018). "'They'll just pussyfoot around': Walker's On". www.qrl.com.au. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Crying for a chance". www.couriermail.com.au. 22 February 2007. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Netball Origin style as Swifts take on Firebirds". www.couriermail.com.au. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  4. ^ "2005 Netball NSW – Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "Netball NSW – Annual Report 2007" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Netball squad loses shooter to injury". www.smh.com.au. 19 July 2005. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Jaegers edge Darters in netball opener". www.abc.net.au. 6 May 2005. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Netball NSW and NSW Swifts – 2011 Annual Report" (PDF). Netball NSW. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Katie Walker". firebirds.net.au. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Firebirds defence the key". www.couriermail.com.au. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Commonwealth Bank Trophy 1997-2007 (page 6)". netballscoop.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  12. ^ "ANZ Championship 2008 Team Lists". www.womensportreport.com. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  13. ^ "2008 ANZ Netball Championships – Katie Walker (Firebirds)". photoshelter.com. 13 April 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Netball - Magic v Firebirds: Firebirds centre Katie Walker". photoshelter.com. 8 June 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Netball: Late start begat a slow start - coach". www.odt.co.nz. 5 July 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Firebirds sack Morgan via email". The Courier-Mail. www.foxsports.com.au. 16 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  17. ^ "Firebirds coach Vicki Wilson tackles Netball Queensland". The Courier-Mail. www.news.com.au. 7 March 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  18. ^ "Ins and outs of ANZ Championship squads". www.stuff.co.nz. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Netball: Firebirds coach's focus on team, not politics". www.nzherald.co.nz. 26 June 2009. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  20. ^ "Queensland Firebirds dump Aussie netball legend". www.heraldsun.com.au. 8 August 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  21. ^ "Sophie learns to be patient". www.couriermail.com.au. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  22. ^ "Storm grabs a record win". Sunday Territorian. www.pressreader.com. 16 August 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  23. ^ "Cruze to netball trophy for Carina Leagues Club Tigers". www.couriermail.com.au. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  24. ^ "Carina Leagues Tigers aiming to get back to the top of the State Netball League". The Courier-Mail. www.couriermail.com.au. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  25. ^ "Carina Leagues Tigers motivated by a shot at redemption in the state netball finals". The Courier-Mail. www.couriermail.com.au. 16 April 2016. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  26. ^ "History - Brisbane East Netball". brisbaneeastnetball.com.au. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  27. ^ "Queensland Firebirds re-name MV the Laura Geitz Medal". firebirds.net.au. 6 October 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Phoenix Rising – An exclusive with CEO Catherine Clark". firebirds.net.au. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  29. ^ "Super Netball Swifts Firebirds, Queensland Firebirds assistant coach Katie Walker celebrates..." www.imago-images.com. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Super Netball Rd 14 - Magpies v Firebirds: Queensland Firebirds assistant coach Katie Walker". www.gettyimages.co.nz. 26 September 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  31. ^ "Queensland Sapphires to be introduced to netball world at Championships in September". qld.netball.com.au. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  32. ^ "High hopes set for Australian Championships as Queensland Sapphires announce squad". qld.netball.com.au. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  33. ^ "2011 Netball Queensland Annual Report" (PDF). Netball Queensland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.