Netball icon Julie Fitzgerald is celebrating 25 years of coaching in the national league.
Starting as a New South Wales State level coach, Fitzgerald worked her way up the ranks before leading the Sydney Swifts to a remarkable four championships between 2001 and 2007.
A move across the ditch did little to slow Fitzgerald’s charge as a head coach, as she led the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic to New Zealand conference titles before returning home to Australia as inaugural coach of the GIANTS Netball.
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Speaking on The 4th Quarter podcast, Julie names her best starting seven from those she’s coached.
GK – Liz Ellis
The Julie Fitzgerald-Liz Ellis combo lasted the entire duration of the Sydney Swifts era. For a decade, starting back in 1997 Ellis played under Fitzgerald and went on to become one of the greatest players in Australian netball history. The star goal keeper Ellis is the most capped Swift and endured a highly -successful reign as team captain, winning the Commonwealth Bank Trophy four times in seven years – and runner up twice in that same period. Ellis would go on to finish a three-time Netball World Cup gold medallist and a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, representing Australia 122 times.
GD – Casey Kopua
Julie Fitzgerald and ex-Silver Ferns captain Casey Kopua may have only worked together for three seasons, but the Kiwi defender certainly left an impression. Kopua (nee Williams) played under Fitzgerald at the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. Together, the duo led the Magic to back-to-back New Zealand conference titles. Kopua was a standout in Fitzgerald’s first year at the helm at goal defence – as she was named an All Star for the third straight year. A serious knee injury stalled Kopua’s charge, but she instead turned her hand to assisting Fitzgerald on the bench.
WD – Serena Guthrie
English midcourter Serena Guthrie came to Australia to play under Fitzgerald at the newly formed GIANTS netball. With the Super Netball competition just beginning, Guthrie spent two seasons at the club where her ferocious attack on the ball and unrivalled physicality impressed Fitzgerald. Guthrie was named the GIANTS’ MVP in her debut season before announcing her decision to return home to England at the end of 2018. During that final season in Australia, Guthrie helped England shock the netball world and win gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
C – Jamie-Lee Price
Jamie-Lee Price became the youngest player in the ANZ Championship when she made her debut under Julie Fitzgerald for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. At just 16, Price impressed Fitzgerald as she followed in her father and uncle’s footsteps to become a professional athlete. When Fitzgerald accepted the job at the GIANTS, she was determined to bring Price to Australia with her. Fitzgerald has been Price’s only club coach for her 139 caps since going professional.
WA – Kim Green
The inaugural GIANTS captain was reunited with Julie Fitzgerald six years after their time together at the NSW Swifts. But the duo’s journey began years earlier at the Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy when Green was just a fresh face. Under Fitzgerald’s guidance, Green turned herself into one of the premier wing attacks in the game, representing Australia 74 times winning gold at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and back to back golds at the World Netball Championships.
GA – Susan Pettitt
Susan Pettitt (nee Pratley) was one half of Julie Fitzgerald’s championship winning Swifts attack end. The versatile goal attack had the timing and footwork to dodge even the best defenders in the league. While her accuracy was one of her biggest strengths. Pettitt joined Fitzgerald at the Sydney Swifts in 2006 after finishing up her scholarship at the AIS. From that point, the duo worked together until 2011 when Fitzgerald’s time as New South Wales Swift coach came to an end. Under Fitzgerald, Pettitt became as Australian Diamond, winning gold at the Netball World Championships and a two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist. Pettitt would go on to win another silver at the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast before retiring from the sport.
GS – Catherine Cox
Arguably Australia’s ever goal shooter, Catherine Cox was integral to the Sydney Swifts’ success under Julie Fitzgerald. Cox helped her side to three championships in just four years in a remarkable run of dominance. Remarkably, the Swifts career wasn’t Cox’s first rodeo with Fitzgerald, after playing under the super coach back in the Mobil Superleague in the late 1990s. Together with Liz Ellis, Cox was coached by Fitzgerald at the Sydney Cenovis before the Commonwealth Bank Trophy commenced. Cox finished her international career with 108 Test caps, two World Netball Championships gold medals and the 2002 Commonwealth Games gold from Manchester.
