Catherine Cox (netball)

For the Actress, see Catherine Cox (Actress).

Catherine Cox (born May 24 1976) was selected in the Australian 21U Netball Team in 1994 and was the best player in the 1996 World Youth Netball Cup grand final in which Australia beat New Zealand. She is a fixture in the Australian Netball Team line-up, with her main strengths being relaxed shooting with high percentages, calmness, and deceptive movement.

Her performance as a youngster earned her first call up to the Australian National netball team for the inaugural Fisher & Paykel Cup between Australia and New Zealand in November 1996. Whilst Catherine did not get a start in that game she made her Australian Team debut in 1997 against South Africa, aged 21.

Her next Australian appearance was in the 1999 Fisher & Paykel Test Series in Australia against England. After a knee operation at the end of 1999, Catherine headed to Perth to co-captain the Perth Orioles for the next two seasons. Replacing legendary shooters Vikki Wilson and Jenny Borlase, she played very well for Australia in 2000 and looked set to blossom further. However, her stay in Perth was unfortunately troubled, with injuries and lapses in confidence seeing her fall from the national team.

In 2002, she rejoined the Sydney Swifts and has never looked back forming formidable pairings with Jane Altschwager, Megan Anderson and Susan Pratley. Between 2003 and 2007, the Swifts featured in five straight grand final appearances, winning three of them in 2004, 2006, and 2007)

Catherine's outstanding on court performance saw her named in the Australian Team to compete at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester where alongside goaling partner Sharelle McMahon, she helped steer the team to victory in double over time in a game many netball fans consider to be be the most dramatic game in the history of the sport.

Catherine was again selected in the Australian Team to defend their title at the 2003 World Netball Championships, taking the court to attempt to save the championship in the last quarter of the grand final, but Australia was placed second to New Zealand after losing by two goals.

Cox has captained Australia for one test match (in the absence of injured leaders Liz Ellis and Sharelle McMahon), and has won awards as player of the match or player of the series in international fixtures several times.

Catherine was born in Whangarei, New Zealand to a former member of the New Zealand police rugby team, Catherine’s family moved to Australia when she was very young.

See also