Natasha Chokljat
Encyclopedia
Natasha Chokljat is an Australia
n netball player. She has played international netball as a member of the Australian national team
, and currently plays in the ANZ Championship
for the New Zealand side the Southern Steel
.
that same year, an opening arose for a talented wing defender to join the Melbourne side in 1999. Chokljat decided to play for Melbourne Phoenix
, which won the Commonwealth Bank Trophy
in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005. Chokljat played netball for Melbourne Vixens
till the end of the 2010 season in the ANZ Championships. She has signed to play for the Invercargill
based Southern Steel
for the 2011 season, following her rugby playing partner James Lew across the tasman as he looks for more rugby opportunities.
and two months later travelled to Jamaica with the Australian team to contend the 2003 Netball World Championships
. An accomplished wing defence, Natasha was called upon to fill the unfamiliar centre and wing-attack roles in the national team. Australia received a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. Chokljat retained her spot in the national team until late 2005. However, she was recalled to the Australian team in late 2006. Chokljat made her return to International Netball as captain of the invitational World 7 side in a three-test series against the Silver Ferns
in 2009, in which the World 7 scored an upset series (2-1) win over New Zealand's highly fancied Silver Ferns.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n netball player. She has played international netball as a member of the Australian national team
Australia national netball team
The Australia national netball team, commonly known as the Australian Netball Diamonds, represent Australia in international netball tests and competitions. The team was formed in 1938 and played in the first international game of netball, against New Zealand...
, and currently plays in 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...
for the New Zealand side the Southern Steel
Southern Steel
The Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The franchise was formed as an amalgamation of two teams from the National Bank Cup, the Dunedin-based Otago Rebels and the Invercargill-based Southern Sting...
.
Domestic career
Chokljat was first called up to the Australian U21 netball team in 1998. After Australian representative Simone McKinnis retired from the Melbourne PhoenixMelbourne Phoenix
The Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
that same year, an opening arose for a talented wing defender to join the Melbourne side in 1999. Chokljat decided to play for Melbourne Phoenix
Melbourne Phoenix
The Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
, which won the Commonwealth Bank Trophy
Commonwealth Bank Trophy
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball competition in Australia from 1997 to 2007.It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw...
in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2005. Chokljat played netball for Melbourne Vixens
Melbourne Vixens
The Melbourne Vixens are an Australian netball team in Melbourne that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The team were formed in 2007 as an amalgamation of the Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne Kestrels from the previous Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Sharelle McMahon and Bianca Chatfield have...
till the end of the 2010 season in the ANZ Championships. She has signed to play for the Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
based Southern Steel
Southern Steel
The Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill that compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The franchise was formed as an amalgamation of two teams from the National Bank Cup, the Dunedin-based Otago Rebels and the Invercargill-based Southern Sting...
for the 2011 season, following her rugby playing partner James Lew across the tasman as he looks for more rugby opportunities.
International career
Chokljat became a member of the Australian national squad in 2003. She made her international debut against South AfricaSouth Africa national netball team
The South Africa national netball team, nicknamed the "Proteas", are the national netball team of South Africa. The Proteas are coached by former representative player Elize Kotze. The team are governed by Netball South Africa and sponsored by...
and two months later travelled to Jamaica with the Australian team to contend the 2003 Netball World Championships
2003 Netball World Championships
The 2003 World Netball Championships were held in Kingston, Jamaica between 10 July and 20 July. It was the eleventh World Netball Championships. After 100 matches, the New Zealand national team, the Silver Ferns, won the tournament, defeating Australia to win the World Championship for the first...
. An accomplished wing defence, Natasha was called upon to fill the unfamiliar centre and wing-attack roles in the national team. Australia received a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. Chokljat retained her spot in the national team until late 2005. However, she was recalled to the Australian team in late 2006. Chokljat made her return to International Netball as captain of the invitational World 7 side in a three-test series against the Silver Ferns
Silver Ferns
The New Zealand national netball team, commonly known as the Silver Ferns, represent New Zealand in international netball. The team take their nickname from the Silver Tree Fern , which is an iconic emblem for many New Zealand sports teams. The Silver Ferns were formed in 1938 as a representative...
in 2009, in which the World 7 scored an upset series (2-1) win over New Zealand's highly fancied Silver Ferns.