 Thwaites in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Caitlin Thwaites | ||
| Born | (1986-12-29)29 December 1986 (age 38)[1] | ||
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||
| School | Girton Grammar School | ||
| Netball career | |||
| Playingposition(s): GS, GA | |||
| Years | Club team(s) | Apps | |
| 2002, 2004–2007 | Melbourne Kestrels | ||
| 2008–2010 | Melbourne Vixens | ||
| 2011–2013 | Central Pulse | ||
| 2014–2016 | New South Wales Swifts | ||
| 2017–2018 | Collingwood Magpies | ||
| 2019–2020 | Melbourne Vixens | ||
| Years | National team(s) | Caps | |
| 2012–2019 | Australia | 55 | |
| Last updated: 1 November 2019 | |||
Caitlin Thwaites (born 29 December 1986) is a former Australiannetball player andvolleyballer.
Caitlin Thwaites was born inBendigo, Australia. Thwaites began her career at for theMelbourne Kestrels of theCommonwealth Bank Trophy at the age of 16. However, once theANZ Championship was founded in 2008 she moved to theMelbourne Vixens.[1] Thwaites played for the Vixens from 2008 to 2010 and was part of the2009 premiership team which defeated theAdelaide Thunderbirds. In 2011 she joined New Zealand–based ANZ Championship side theCentral Pulse. In 2012 Thwaites made her international debut for theAustralian Diamonds.[2] Thwaites performed a vital role for the Pulse, scoring 431 goals for an accuracy percentage 81.3 per cent in the2011 season. Thwaites later became the only New Zealand–based player to be picked for the Australia national team.[3][4] She returned to Australia to play her domestic league netball in 2014 with theNew South Wales Swifts and won the club's MVP award in 2015.[5][6]
Thwaites began playing for theCollingwood Magpies in theSuncorp Super Netball competition from2017, where she won the league'sleading goalscorer award, scoring 594 goals in the regular season.[7] She was awarded the Magpies'best and fairest for her efforts that year.[1] On 5 September 2018, after not being offered another contract at the Magpies, Thwaites announced she would be signing with theMelbourne Vixens for the 2019 season.[8][9]
Thwaites has wongold medals representing Australia at the2014 Commonwealth Games and the2015 Netball World Cup, as well as asilver medal at the2018 Commonwealth Games. She was selected in theAustralian Diamonds squad for the 2018/19 international season and featured in the Diamonds’2019 Netball World Cup squad.[10] She announced her retirement from international netball in October 2019, finishing with 55 caps for the national team.[11] Thwaites was part of the Melbourne Vixens premiership team that won the2020 Grand Final; she announced her retirement from netball after this match.[12]
Thwaites has also represented Australia in women's volleyball, most notably at the 2004 Olympics qualifications.[1][13]
Sources:[1]
Thwaites finished the night with 37 goals to be the highest individual goal scorer on the court. It capped statistically her best season at the top domestic level, having topped the league's goal scoring with 594, five goals ahead of perennial top goal scorer Caitlin Bassett.
