Susan Leanne Pettitt (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth ...

''Pratley'' on 23 March 1984) is a former Australian international

netball Netball is a ball sport played on a court by two teams of seven players. It is among a rare number of sports which have been created exclusively for female competitors. The sport is played on indoor and outdoor netball courts and is specifical ...

player, who played goal attack or goal shooter. She was a member of the Australian national team from 2006–2018, replacing the likes of Eloise Southby-Halbish, Megan Dehn, and Cynna Kydd. Prior to this she was quite an experienced campaigner as captain of the Australian 21 and under team, and the national league team AIS Canberra Darters. She made her debut in 2002 with Sydney Sandpipers. From 2003 to 2005 Pettitt was the cornerstone of Australia's development squads, with her notable leadership, composure, and shooting accuracy and reliable volume. Then in 2006 she joined the

Sydney Swifts Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team based in Sydney. Between 1997 and 2007, they represented Netball New South Wales in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Together with Sydney Sandpipers and Hunter Jaegers, they were one of thr ...

national league team to suddenly become a partner to shooting dynamo Catherine Cox, and with both Cox and

Sharelle McMahon Sharelle Jane McMahon (born 12 August 1977) is an Australian former netball player who List of Australia national netball team captains, captained the Australia national netball team. She played in the goal attack and goal shooter positions. Do ...

in the Australian team. She has captained the Australian 21U Team and was Vice-Captain of the Australian 21U Team which competed in the World Youth Cup in Fort Lauderdale where they finished third. Pettitt captained the AIS Canberra Darters in 2004 and 2005 and finished her netball scholarship at the AIS at the end of 2005. She moved to Sydney in early 2006 and made her debut for Australia at the Melbourne

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 ( Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...

at which she was a recipient of a silver medal. Four months later Susan was named player of the match after an outstanding performance against the

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 (''Cyathea dealbata''), which is an emblem for many New Zealand s ...

in Australia. She was the vice-captain of the

New South Wales Swifts New South Wales Swifts are an Australian netball team based in Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have represented Netball New South Wales in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team ...

in the

ANZ Championship The ANZ Championship, also known as the Trans-Tasman Netball League, is a former netball league featuring teams from both Australia and New Zealand. Between 2008 and 2016, it was the top-level league in both countries. The competition was own ...

, though since 2017 has been a member of the

Giants Netball Giants Netball (stylised as GIANTS Netball) are an Australian netball team based in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. The team was formed in 2016 as a joint venture between Netball ...

team in the new

Suncorp Super Netball Suncorp Super Netball is the top level netball league featuring teams from Australia. In 2017 it replaced the ANZ Championship, which also included teams from New Zealand, as the top level netball league in Australia. Since 2019, the league has ...

league. She announced her retirement from domestic and international netball at the end of the 2018 season.

Early career

From the small country town of Quaama, 20 km from Bega on the far south coast of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, this Australian representative and world champion even has a grandstand in her name. “The Susan Pratley Stand” in Bega, stands proudly as testament to the south coast's first netball world champion. Pettitt was identified in her early teens by selectors and rose through the junior representative ranks with speed and poise including AIS and NSWIS scholarships.

Commonwealth Bank Trophy

Pettitt took the court for the

during their premiership-winning

Commonwealth Bank Trophy The Commonwealth Bank Trophy, also referred to as the National Netball League, was the top level national Australian netball league between 1997 and 2007. The league was organized by Netball Australia. Its main sponsor was the Commonwealth Ba ...

season, forming a partnership with fellow Australian representative Catherine Cox. Pettitt put her name in the history books after executing a perfect shooting performance during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy Grand Final match and shot 26 goals without a miss. She was also a member of the Swifts' premiership-winning team in 2007.

ANZ Championship

Pettitt currently plays for the

in the

. In 2015, Pettitt is entering her 8th season with the club. She is the most capped player for the New South Wales Swifts with 97 ANZ Championship caps and the only player to have taken part in all 97 New South Wales Swifts matches since the first ANZ Championship match against the

Southern Steel Southern Steel are a New Zealand netball team based in Invercargill. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball South in the ANZ Premiership. Netball South is the governing body that ...

in 2008 at which she made 28 goals out of 31 attempts. Pettitt was a member of the inaugural ANZ Championship winners the

. In the Grand Final at

Acer Arena The Sydney SuperDome (currently known as the Qudos Bank Arena) is a large multipurpose arena located in Sydney, Australia. It is situated in Sydney Olympic Park, and was completed in 1999 as part of the facilities for the 2000 Summer Olympics ...

on 28 July 2008 the New South Wales Swifts defeated the

Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic are a New Zealand netball team based in Hamilton. Between 1999 and 2007, they played in the Coca-Cola Cup/National Bank Cup league. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017, Magic have ...

65 – 56. Pettitt played GA, shooting 24 goals out of 30 attempts at 80%. She is one of the five Australian netball players who is an ANZ ambassador. Pettitt has been the vice-captain of the New South Wales Swifts since 2012. On 10 April 2010, Pettitt played her 100th senior game against the

Central Pulse Central Pulse are a New Zealand netball team based in Wellington. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 they have represented Netball Central in the ANZ Premiership. Netball Central is the governing body that ...

scoring 27/31. Pettitt played her 75th

game against the

West Coast Fever West Coast Fever is an Australian netball team based in Perth, Western Australia. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they competed in the ANZ Championship. Between 1997 and 2007, as Perth Orioles, t ...

in Round 5 of the 2013 season at which she scored 32 goals out of 38 attempts, and notched her 150th combined elite netball games in Round 13 of the same season against the

Queensland Firebirds Queensland Firebirds are an Australian netball team based in Brisbane, Queensland. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship and between 1997 and 2007, they played in the ...

at the

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) is a convention centre in Brisbane, Australia. It is located in South Brisbane and occupies most of the block formed by Grey Street, Melbourne Street, Merivale Street, and Glenelg Street. The centr ...

Australian Diamonds

In 2007, Pettitt played in the

2007 World Netball Championships The 2007 World Netball Championships was the 12th edition of the INF Netball World Cup, a quadrennial premier event in international netball co-ordinated by the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA). Sixteen nations contested the ...

and played in either Goal Attack or Goal Shooter. In the grand final against the

New Zealand national netball team 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 ('' Cyathea dealbata''), which is an emblem for many New Zealand ...

, Pettitt was called to play in the second half replacing

, a surprise move by

Norma Plummer Norma Margaret Plummer AM (born 24 November 1944) is a former Australian national player who also served as netball coach for both Australia and South Africa. She was coach of Australia from 2003 to 2011, ending her coaching career with the ...

to help improve on the team's accuracy. This went very well until Pettitt got a concussion which she was benched during the fourth quarter. Her contribution was enough for Australia to win the 2007 World Netball Championships. Pettitt was selected into the Diamonds squad in 2010 heading into the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 British Empire Game ...

in India. She did not play in the Grand Final against the

. However, she did get court time against

Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...

and shot 25/27 (93%),

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

and shot 39/42 (93%), Malawi and shot 36/39 (92%) and

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, small ...

and shot 17/21 (81%). Pettitt did not get selected into the

2011 World Netball Championships The 2011 World Netball Championships was the 13th edition of the INF Netball World Cup, a quadrennial premier event in international netball. It was held in Singapore from 3–10 July. All 48 matches were played at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Si ...

Squad, a huge blow for her with the likes of

Erin Bell Erin Bell (born 30 April 1987) is a former Australian netball player. Bell's career started in 2005 with the Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. She was the first player in the history of the ANZ Championship to win three premiers ...

with her versatility in GS, GA and WA making it in front of Susan Pettitt. In November 2011, Pettitt entered the Australian Fastnet Diamonds going into the 3rd Fastnet Series in Liverpool, England and was announced co-captain alongside

Bianca Chatfield Bianca Chatfield (born 2 April 1982) is a former Australia netball international. Between 2001 and 2014 she made 59 senior appearances for Australia. Chatfield was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medals at the 2007 World Netb ...

. In 2012, Pettitt regained her place in the Australian Diamonds team for the

2012 Constellation Cup The 2012 Constellation Cup was the 3rd Constellation Cup series played between Australia and New Zealand. The series, also known as the New World Series, featured three netball test matches, played in September 2012. The Australia team was coac ...

against the

and the Quad Series against the Silver Ferns, England and the South Africa SPAR Proteas in all of which she played along with Catherine Cox. Pettitt was also selected in the Australian Diamonds team to tour England in January 2013. Later in 2013, Pettitt was completely dropped from the Australian Diamonds not even being selected in the extended squad. After improving her fitness throughout 2014, Pettitt was again selected in the Australian Diamonds squad, but failed to make the final team. In 2017, after being gone for three years, Susan Pettitt had returned to the Australian Diamonds and had a 57–50 victory over

and redeemed her MVP title. During the same game, Susan Pettitt was instrumental during her time on court for the first half, finishing with 10 goals out of 14 attempts, along with eight feeds before making way for

Stephanie Wood Stephanie Wood (born 28 November 1991), also known as Steph Wood, is an Australia netball international. Wood was a member of the Australia teams that won the silver medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2019 Netball World Cup. Betw ...

at half-time. The same year she also participated in the

Constellation Cup The Constellation Cup is an international netball competition contested by Australia and New Zealand. The competition features a series of test matches. The two teams have competed for the trophy since 2010. Australia won the inaugural series a ...

and was auditioned for a gold medal shot at the

2018 Commonwealth Games The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, ...

. In the middle of 2017 she had switched to

, and participated in a game against

Melbourne Vixens Melbourne Vixens is an Australian netball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. Since 2017 they have represented Netball Victoria in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team was formed in 2007 ...

. In 2018, after playing for over 12 years, Pettitt had announced retirement.

Personal life

Susan Pettitt have two brothers (Graeme and Mark) and sister (Joanne) who also are sportspeople. Pettitt is a resident of the

Albion Park Albion Park is a suburb situated in the Macquarie Valley in the City of Shellharbour, which is in turn one of the three local government areas that comprise the Wollongong Metropolitan Area, New South Wales, Australia. Although it is surround ...

. where she lives on a farm with her husband Brad and animals. Together with Brad, she likes to drive a coffee truck and watch

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. They compete in the National Rugby League ( NRL), Australasia's premier rugby leagu ...

. On 1 December 2013, Pettitt announced her engagement to Brad Pettitt. They were married on 7 November 2014 at Terrara House near

Nowra Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in th ...

on the South Coast of

. Prior to the wedding, Pettitt was featured twice in the ''Swifts Insider'' issue, a magazine by the

and in 2015 was featured again in the same magazine.''Swifts Insider'' 8(1) 2015.

ANZ Championship accolades

*2009

NSW Swifts New South Wales Swifts are an Australian netball team based in Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have represented Netball New South Wales in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team ...

Members' Player of the Year *2012

Most Valuable Player nominee *2012 QBE NSW Swifts Most Valued Player *2014 FOXTEL ANZ Championship All-Star Team (GA)

National representation

*2006–2010, 2012 Australian Diamonds *2009 Australian FastNet team *2013 Australian Fast5 Flyers *2014 Australian Diamonds Squad

Netball career facts

*2006

Silver Medal *2007

World Netball Championships The Netball World Cup is a quadrennial international netball world championship organised by the World Netball, inaugurated in 1963. Since its inception the competition has been dominated primarily by the Australia national netball team and t ...

gold medal *2008

premiers *2009 New Idea Australia's Favourite Diamond *2010

Silver Medal (double extra-time) *2012–2013

vice-captain *2013 Australian Fast5 Flyers – Silver Medalists *2014

Leadership Group

References

2009 New South Wales profile
Retrieved on 28 March 2009.
2010 ANZ Championship profile
Retrieved on 20 October 2010.
Pratley celebrates 100th game with a win
Retrieved on 16 April 2010.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pettitt, Susan New South Wales Swifts players Giants Netball players Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia Netball players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Netball players at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Sportspeople from Canberra 1984 births Living people AIS Canberra Darters players Commonwealth Games medallists in netball Australia international netball players Netball players at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Sydney Swifts players Sydney Sandpipers players Australia international Fast5 players New South Wales Institute of Sport netball players 2007 World Netball Championships players Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 2018 Commonwealth Games