Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Julie Fitzgerald | ||
Coaching career | |||
Years | Team(s) | ||
1994–1996 | Sydney Ku-ring-gai/Cenovis | ||
1997–2007 | Sydney Swifts | ||
2008–2011 | New South Wales Swifts | ||
2009 | → World 7 | ||
2011–2013 | Australian Institute of Sport | ||
2013–2016 | Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic | ||
2016– | Giants Netball |
Julie Fitzgerald AM is a veteran Australian netball coach. Between 1997 and 2007, Fitzgerald served as head coach of Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. She guided Swifts to premierships in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007. Between 2008 and 2011, she served as head coach of New South Wales Swifts in the ANZ Championship. In 2008, she guided Swifts to the inaugural ANZ Championship title. Between 2014 and 2016, she guided Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic to the Finals Series every year in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017, Fitzgerald has served as head coach of Giants Netball in Suncorp Super Netball, guiding them to two grand finals and two minor championships. In 2020, Fitzgerald was made a Member of the Order of Australia.
Fitzgerald is originally from Sydney, growing up in Hornsby Shire. She started playing netball in Hornsby Heights when she was about eight years old. She is a single parent to four children – Katie, Kristie, Vicky and John – and is a resident of Wahroonga. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Between 1985 and 1999, Fitzgerald served as head coach of various New South Wales teams that played in the Australian National Netball Championships at under-19, under-21 and open levels. [6] [7]
At state league level, Fitzgerald served as head coach of a team that represented the Ku-ring-gai area. She had previously coached several junior representative teams for the Ku-ring-gai Netball Association. Between 1994 and 1996, Fitzgerald served as head coach of the Sydney Ku-ring-gai/Cenovis team in the Mobil Superleague. The team featured a young Liz Ellis and Catherine Cox. In 1994 and 1996 they were Mobil Superleague semi-finalists. [1] [6] [8] [9] [10]
Between 1997 and 2007, Fitzgerald served as head coach of Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. With teams featuring Liz Ellis, Catherine Cox and Megan Anderson, she guided Swifts to premierships in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007. In 2004, 2006 and 2007 she was named Netball Australia Coach of the Year. [1] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]
Between 2008 and 2011, Fitzgerald served as head coach of New South Wales Swifts in the ANZ Championship. [1] [2] [3] In 2008 she guided Swifts to the premiership and was named Australian ANZ Championship Coach of the Year. [6] [17] On 18 May 2009, she took charge of her 200th combined Sydney Swifts/NSW Swifts match when Swifts played Queensland Firebirds in Round 7. [18] [19] In 2010 she guided Swifts to the minor premiership. [20] [21] 2011 was the last season that Fitzgerald served as Swifts' head coach. Following a controversial "internal review" conducted during the 2011 season by Netball New South Wales , she was replaced by Lisa Beehag. [10] [22] [23] [24]
Fitzgerald served as head coach of a World 7 team that defeated New Zealand 2–1 in the 2009 Taini Jamison Trophy Series. Lisa Alexander served as Fitzgerald's assistant during the series. [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31]
Between 2011 and 2013, Fitzgerald served as head netball coach at the Australian Institute of Sport. In 2012 she guided an AIS team to fourth in the Australian Netball League. [16] [32] [33] [34] [35]
In July 2013, Fitzgerald was appointed head coach of Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. [36] [37] Between 2014 and 2016, she guided Magic to the Finals Series every year in the ANZ Championship. [38] [39] While Magic head coach, she was also named head coach of the 2014 ANZ Championship All Star Team. [40] [41] [42] In both 2015 and 2016, Fitzgerald guided Magic to the New Zealand Conference titles. [43] [44] On 27 June 2016, at a 2016 Round 13 match against Queensland Firebirds, Fitzgerald coached her 100th ANZ Championship match. [45] [46]
In August 2016, Fitzgerald was announced as head coach of Netball New South Wales's new franchise. [44] [47] [48] [49] Since 2017, Fitzgerald has served as head coach of Giants Netball in Suncorp Super Netball. [1] [2] [3] In 2017 she guided them to the grand final. [50] [51] In 2018 she guided Giants to the minor premiership. During the 2018 season Fitzgerald also coached her 300th senior league match. [1] [52] [53] In 2020, Fitzgerald was made a Member of the Order of Australia. [4] [54] [55] [56] In 2021, Fitzgerald guided Giants to both a second minor premiership and a second grand final. [57] During the season she coached her 350th senior league match. [2] The grand final was her 360th in charge. [5]
Fitzgerald has worked with the Australia national netball team as both an assistant and development coach. In 2006 Fitzgerald served as an assistant to Lisa Alexander with the Australia under-21 team. [13] Between 2011 and 2013 she served as Alexander's assistant at various series and tournaments including the 2011 World Netball Series and 2012 Fast5 Netball World Series. [35] [58] [59] In 2019 Fitzgerald was appointed as head coach of Netball Australia's athlete development program. [60] In 2021 she was re-appointed to the role. [61]
In July 2017, alongside Rob Wright, Fitzgerald served as an assistant coach to Briony Akle as she coached the New South Wales Institute of Sport team that finished third in the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament. The NSWIS team was a composite team featuring players from both New South Wales Swifts and Giants Netball. [51] [62] [63]
As well as being a netball coach, Fitzgerald has also been a local basketball administrator. Between 1996 and 2007 she worked as a general manager for the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Basketball Association. During the mid‑1990s she helped establish Hornsby Spiders Basketball Club. [3] [4] [64]
Year | Award |
---|---|
2004 | Netball Australia Coach of the Year Award [12] |
2006 | Netball Australia Coach of the Year Award [13] [15] |
2007 | Netball Australia Coach of the Year Award [14] [15] |
2008 | Australian ANZ Championship Coach of the Year [6] |
2014 | ANZ Championship All Star Coach [40] [41] |
2015 | New Zealand ANZ Championship Coach of the Year [65] [66] |
2016 | New Zealand ANZ Championship Coach of the Year [66] [67] |
2019 | Netball NSW Life Membership [54] |
2020 | Member of the Order of Australia [4] [54] [55] [56] |
Catherine Anne Cox is a former Australian netball international and current netball commentator and podcaster. Between 1997 and 2013, she made 108 senior appearances for Australia. She was a prominent member of the Australia teams that won gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 2007 and 2011 World Netball Championships. She was also a member of the Australia teams that won silver medals at the 2003 World Netball Championships and the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. Cox captained Australia on seven occasions, including when they won the 2011 Constellation Cup.
The ANZ Championship, also known as the Trans-Tasman Netball League, is a former netball league featuring teams from both Australia and New Zealand. Between 2008 and 2016, it was the top-level league in both countries. The competition was owned and administered by Trans-Tasman Netball League Ltd (TTNL), a joint venture between Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand. It was effectively a merger of Australia's Commonwealth Bank Trophy and New Zealand's National Bank Cup. Its main sponsor was the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are a New Zealand netball team based in Hamilton. The team were formed in 1998, following the merger of Waikato Wildcats and Bay of Plenty Magic. In 1997, Wildcats and Magic had been founder members of the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Between 1999 and 2007, the new team continued to play in the league. Magic are the only team from the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup era to have retained their original name. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017, Magic have represented Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty in the ANZ Premiership. Netball Waikato Bay of Plenty is the governing body that represents the North Island regions of Waikato and Bay of Plenty. During the National Bank Cup era, Magic were premiers in 2005 and 2006. During the ANZ Championship era, Magic were the most successful New Zealand team. In 2008 they were minor premiers and they were grand finalists in 2008 and 2010 before winning the overall title in 2012. They were the only New Zealand team to win the ANZ Championship.
The 2008 ANZ Championship season was the inaugural season of the ANZ Championship. The 2008 season began on 5 April and concluded on 28 July. Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic were minor premiers after finishing top of the table following the regular season. New South Wales Swifts, with a team coached by Julie Fitzgerald and captained by Catherine Cox, won 10 of their 13 matches and finished second behind Magic. Swifts subsequently defeated Magic in both the major semi–final and the grand final to become the inaugural ANZ Championship winners. The grand final was played on 28 July at Acer Arena. Overall, 6792 goals were scored during the season, averaging 98.44 per match. Fox Sports (Australia) and Sky Sport attracted an average audience per match of 56,581.
New South Wales Swifts are an Australian professional netball team based in Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have represented Netball New South Wales in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team was formed in 2007 when Netball New South Wales merged its two former Commonwealth Bank Trophy league teams, Sydney Swifts and Hunter Jaegers. In 2008, Swifts were the inaugural ANZ Championship winners. Swifts were also grand finalists in 2015 and 2016. They won their second and third premierships in 2019 and 2021.
Megan Anderson, also known as Megan McWilliams and previously known as Megan Dehn, is a former Australia netball international and current netball coach. Between 2000 and 2006 she made 20 senior appearances for Australia. She was a member of the Australia team that won the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. During the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era, Anderson was a member of Sydney Swifts teams that won premierships in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007. During the ANZ Championship era, she played for Southern Steel and Northern Mystics. After retiring as a player in 2011, she became a coach. In 2020 Anderson was appointed head coach of Queensland Firebirds.
Amorette Wild, also known as Amy Wild, is a former Australian netball player. Wild played for both New South Wales Swifts and Queensland Firebirds during the ANZ Championship era. She was a member of the Firebirds team that won the 2015 ANZ Championship. She also represented Australia at under-19, under-21 and Fast5 levels.
The 2011 ANZ Championship season was the fourth season of the ANZ Championship. The 2011 season began on 13 February and concluded on 22 May. With a team coached by Roselee Jencke, captained by Lauren Nourse and featuring Romelda Aiken, Laura Geitz, Clare McMeniman and Natalie Medhurst, Queensland Firebirds finished the season undefeated. They became the first team in the history of the ANZ Championship to go through the regular season and the playoffs without losing a single match. In the major semi-final, Firebirds defeated Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and in the grand final they defeated Northern Mystics, winning their first premiership. This marked the beginning of a golden age for Firebirds. Between 2011 and 2016, Jencke guided them to five grand finals and three premierships.
The 2011 New South Wales Swifts season saw New South Wales Swifts compete in the 2011 ANZ Championship. During the regular season, Swifts finished in third place. They qualified for the playoffs but subsequently lost to Northern Mystics in the minor semi-final, finishing the season in 4th place. After fifteen seasons as Sydney Swifts/New South Wales Swifts head coach, this was the last season Julie Fitzgerald served as head coach. Following a controversial "internal review", Fitzgerald was replaced as head coach by Lisa Beehag. The review was conducted during the 2011 season. Catherine Cox and Liz Ellis publicly criticized Netball New South Wales for distracting players with the review and even alleged that it was responsible for Swifts losing the 2011 minor semi-final.
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The 2013 ANZ Championship season was the sixth season of the ANZ Championship. The 2013 season began on 24 March and concluded on 14 July. With a team captained by Natalie von Bertouch and featuring Erin Bell, Carla Borrego, Renae Hallinan, Rebecca Bulley and Sharni Layton, the Adelaide Thunderbirds won both the minor premiership and the overall championship. Having previously won the 2010 ANZ Championship, the Thunderbirds became the first team to win a second championship. The Thunderbirds secured the minor premiership with a 64–48 win over Northern Mystics in Round 13. They subsequently defeated Melbourne Vixens 49–39 in the major semi-final and Queensland Firebirds 50–48 in the grand final to win the championship.
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The 2008 New South Wales Swifts season was the inaugural season for both New South Wales Swifts and the ANZ Championship. Swifts were formed in late 2007 when Netball New South Wales merged its two former Commonwealth Bank Trophy league teams, Sydney Swifts and Hunter Jaegers, in order to enter a single team in the 2008 ANZ Championship. With a team coached by Julie Fitzgerald and captained by Catherine Cox, Swifts won 10 of their 13 matches during the regular season and finished second behind Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. Swifts subsequently defeated Magic in both the major semi–final and the grand final to become the inaugural ANZ Championship winners.
The 2015 ANZ Championship season was the eighth season of the ANZ Championship. The season began on 28 February and concluded on 21 June. The 2015 season saw the introduction of several major format changes and initiatives, including a Conference system, a six-team Finals Series, drawn games and a new Ranfurly Shield-style competition, the Challenge Trophy. With a team coached by Roselee Jencke, captained by Laura Geitz and featuring Romelda Aiken, Clare McMeniman and Kim Ravaillion, Queensland Firebirds won the Australian Conference, the Challenge Trophy, the minor premiership and the overall championship. Firebirds narrowly defeated New South Wales Swifts in both the Australian Conference final and the Grand Final on their way to effectively winning four titles.
The 2016 ANZ Championship season was the ninth and last season of the ANZ Championship. The season began on 1 April 2016 and concluded on 4 July 2016. Southern Steel were minor premiers. However they subsequently lost the New Zealand Conference Final to Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and were defeated in the semi-finals by Queensland Firebirds. With a team coached by Roselee Jencke, captained by Laura Geitz and featuring Romelda Aiken, Clare McMeniman and Kim Ravaillion, Firebirds won the Australian Conference, the Challenge Trophy and the overall championship. Firebirds became the first and only team to retain the title. In a repeat of 2015, Firebirds defeated New South Wales Swifts in both the Australian Conference Final and the Grand Final.
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The 2014 New South Wales Swifts season saw New South Wales Swifts compete in the 2014 ANZ Championship. Rob Wright replaced Lisa Beehag as head coach. Swifts finished the regular season in third place but subsequently lost to Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the minor semi-final.
The 2015 New South Wales Swifts season saw New South Wales Swifts compete in the 2015 ANZ Championship. Swifts finished the regular season in second place in the Australian Conference. In the play-offs, they defeated West Coast Fever and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic but twice lost narrowly to Queensland Firebirds in both the Australian Conference final and the Grand Final. It was Swifts' first appearance in the title decider since their successful 2008 campaign.
The 2009 New South Wales Swifts season saw New South Wales Swifts play in the 2009 ANZ Championship. With a team coached by Julie Fitzgerald and captained by Catherine Cox, Swifts won only 2 of their 13 matches during the regular season and finished ninth.