Catherine Cox

For the American actress, see Catherine Cox (actress). For other people, see Kathy Cox (disambiguation).

Catherine Cox
Personal information
Full name	Catherine Anne Cox
Born	(1976-05-24) 24 May 1976 Whangarei, New Zealand
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Netball career
Playing position(s): GS, GA
Medal record Representing Australia Netball World Championships 2003 Kingston Netball 2007 Auckland Netball 2011 Singapore Netball Commonwealth Games 2002 Manchester Netball 2006 Melbourne Netball 2010 Delhi Netball World Netball Series 2009 Manchester Fastnet
Last updated: 18 October 2010

Catherine Anne Cox (born 24 May 1976 in Whangarei, New Zealand) is an Australian netball player. Cox has played regularly for the Australian national team since her first appearance in 1997 and is one of only four players with more than 100 test matches. With Australia she won two World Championships and one Commonwealth Games. On club level she was active for the Australian Institute of Sport and Perth Orioles. She had afterwards her most successful time playing for the Sydney Swifts, winning the Australian championships of 2004, 2006, and 2007. In 2008 she captained the Sydney Swift's successor team NSW Swifts when it won the inaugural Trans-Tasman championship. In 2012 and 2014 she joined West Coast Fever and Melbourne Vixens, respectively.

Early life and career

Catherine Cox was born in Whangarei, New Zealand but moved with her family to Australia when she was six.

Cox started playing netball at age 11, starting at the Hills District Netball Association in New South Wales. By 1992 she had represented New South Wales at under 17 level. She was first represented her country at Under 21 level in 1994. She was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder.

She was first selected for the Australian national team squad in November 1996 and made her Australian team debut in 1997 against South Africa, aged 21.

Commonwealth Bank Trophy era

Cox's next Australian appearance was in the 1999 Test Series in Australia against England. After a knee operation at the end of 1999, Catherine co-captained the Perth Orioles for the next two seasons. She was selected again in 2000 after the retirement of longstanding shooters Vicki Wilson and Jenny Borlase but did not maintain her place. Her form deteriorated due to injury, a new club, and lack of confidence. She rejoined the Australian Netball Diamonds in 2002 and played in integral part in the victory in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, and has been a fixture in the team since.

In 2002, she joined the Sydney Swifts and shared shooting roles with Jane Altschwager, Megan Dehn and Susan Pratley and contributed to the Swifts consecutive grand final appearances from 2003 to 2007, with success in 2004, 2006, and 2007.

Australian Netball Diamonds

Cox appeared for the national team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and played after half-time in the double over-time final win over New Zealand. She appeared for Australia in the 2003 Netball World Championships, and played the last quarter of the grand final loss by two goals to New Zealand. Cox also played for Australia's successful team at the 2007 World Championships in Auckland. Cox was vice-captain in Australia's successful campaign in the 2011 World Netball Championships in Singapore, after Natalie von Bertouch replaced the injured Sharelle Mcmahon as captain. After von Bertouch was injured, Cox became captain for the series against New Zealand and England in October 2011. During the tournament Cox scored her 2000th goal for Australia and became Australia's fourth most highest capped player, behind Vicki Wilson, Sharelle McMahon and Liz Ellis. On September 20, 2012 during the second test against the New Zealand Silver Ferns in the Constellation Cup series, Cox earned her 100th test cap to become only the fourth player in Australian netball history to reach the century mark.

ANZ Championship era

Cox captained the New South Wales Swifts in the inaugural ANZ Championship season in 2008 and was awarded player of the match in the grand final win against Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. In June 2010, Cox played her 200th domestic match against the Melbourne Vixens, the second Australian to reach that milestone after Sharelle McMahon.

In August 2011, Cox lost the captaincy of the New South Wales Swifts and left to join West Coast Fever. Cox was the captain for the West Coast Fever and is currently the only player to be captain for two different teams since the inaugural season.

In 2014 she joined the Melbourne Vixens, which went on to win the ANZ Championship that year. That year in 2014, she retired from the ANZ Championship.

Cox was a side-line commentator for Sky Sports for the 2014 Constellation Cup Series in New Zealand, is a commentator for Fox Sports for the ANZ Championship.