Natalie Medhurst
Encyclopedia
Natalie Medhurst is an Australian netball
player. Medhurst plays as a goal attack and goal shooter, and is a current member of the Australian national netball team.
Medhurst rose to prominence in 2004, when the then-twenty-year-old had a stunning debut for the Adelaide Thunderbirds. Replacing club stalwart Jacqui Delaney
, Medhurst put many of the world's best defenders to task with her accuracy, speed, and elusive nature.
Medhurst went on to represent Australia at the 2005 World Youth Championships, where they finished in third place. She continued to develop as a player at open level, and in 2007 she finally made her debut, against Jamaica on 8 July 2007. Her shooting accuracy was 100% during the quarter she was on.
Medhurst continued her strong debut season for Australia during the 2007 Netball World Championships
, where she ended the preliminary rounds as the third-most accurate shooter at the championships, with a strike rate of 91%. Her rise continued in the grand final against New Zealand, when she was brought on in the final quarter when Australia's senior shooters were struggling. She calmly converted all three of her attempts at goal, with Australia winning the final 42–38, making Medhurst a world champion.
Medhurst's greatest strengths are her accuracy, elusiveness, speed, and cool demeanour while under pressure. With the start of the ANZ Championship
, Medhurst re-signed with the Adelaide Thunderbirds for the inaugural season in 2008. But in September 2009, she signed with the Queensland Firebirds
for the 2010 season. She won the ANZ Championship in 2011 with the firbirds and was named the season's MVP
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
player. Medhurst plays as a goal attack and goal shooter, and is a current member of the Australian national netball team.
Medhurst rose to prominence in 2004, when the then-twenty-year-old had a stunning debut for the Adelaide Thunderbirds. Replacing club stalwart Jacqui Delaney
Jacqui Delaney
Jacqui Delaney is an Australian netball player and coach.A veteran international goal attack and wing attack and two-time Commonwealth Bank Trophy MVP, she represented the Australian national netball team between 1997 and 2002, retiring after winning the gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games...
, Medhurst put many of the world's best defenders to task with her accuracy, speed, and elusive nature.
Medhurst went on to represent Australia at the 2005 World Youth Championships, where they finished in third place. She continued to develop as a player at open level, and in 2007 she finally made her debut, against Jamaica on 8 July 2007. Her shooting accuracy was 100% during the quarter she was on.
Medhurst continued her strong debut season for Australia during the 2007 Netball World Championships
2007 Netball World Championships
The 2007 World Netball Championships was the 12th staging of the World Netball Championships, a quadrennial international netball world championship co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations , inaugurated in 1963....
, where she ended the preliminary rounds as the third-most accurate shooter at the championships, with a strike rate of 91%. Her rise continued in the grand final against New Zealand, when she was brought on in the final quarter when Australia's senior shooters were struggling. She calmly converted all three of her attempts at goal, with Australia winning the final 42–38, making Medhurst a world champion.
Medhurst's greatest strengths are her accuracy, elusiveness, speed, and cool demeanour while under pressure. With the start of the ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
, Medhurst re-signed with the Adelaide Thunderbirds for the inaugural season in 2008. But in September 2009, she signed with the Queensland Firebirds
Queensland Firebirds
The Queensland Firebirds are an Australian netball team based in Brisbane that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Firebirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was contested...
for the 2010 season. She won the ANZ Championship in 2011 with the firbirds and was named the season's MVP