THE last time Australian netball great Catherine Cox was in Newcastle, she told the Herald that she had been stripped of the NSW Swifts captaincy by new coach Lisa Beehag.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A week later Cox revealed that Beehag did not even want the Australian vice-captain in her team.
Nine months on from that coaching clinic at National Park, Cox will return to the Hunter as captain of West Coast Fever to take on the Swifts at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Sunday in the trans-Tasman league.
It will be the first time she has taken on the her former team since linking with former Australian coach Norma Plummer in Perth.
But Cox, who had played for the Swifts since 2002, winning four championships and three most valuable player awards, said she was approaching the game like any other.
‘‘I moved on and moved over here, and with that in mind, completely moved on from everything that happened,’’ Cox said.
‘‘The move was a forced one I guess, but having said that, it’s an opportunity that I wouldn’t have had any other time.
‘‘Everything that happens in the past is in the past and I’m just looking forward to getting over there and having a good match with what is a very strong Swifts team.
‘‘They are playing really well and it’s going to be a big challenge for us.’’
She said she had not been in contact with Beehag since her departure but she remained close friends with many of her former teammates.
‘‘There is no need to have any contact with Lisa,’’ she said.
‘‘I didn’t have her as a coach before, so we didn’t have that sort of relationship anyway.’’
The Fever have won only two games in seven rounds and will be long odds to upset the Swifts, who have won four from six games.
Despite the lack of success so far, Cox, who turns 36 next Thursday, said the unexpected move west had turned out to be a positive for her career.
‘‘I’ve really loved it,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s been a completely new challenge for me, which is obviously not something I was expecting to have at this stage of my career.
‘‘I’m really glad that the move happened. It’s probably got me out of my comfort zone a little bit and I’m enjoying playing with the new, young team and working with Norma again.’’
Part of the challenge has been shifting from goal shooter to goal attack with the Fever to accommodate the exciting talents of Caitlin Bassett.
‘‘It’s a lot more taxing on the body and oddly enough I’m enjoying it ... at my age there must be something wrong with me to be enjoying it,’’ she said.
‘‘I think the refreshing part of everything I’ve done for so long is keeping me enthused and excited about this season even though the wins aren’t on the board yet.’’
Cox and the Fever arrive in Newcastle late today. The Swifts hit town tomorrow morning and both sides are expected to train at the NEC tomorrow afternoon.
