Natalie Medhurst

A versatile shooter who represented Australia in 86 Tests, winning three Netball World Cup titles across a decade-long international career.

Natalie Medhurst (later Butler) was born on 20 January 1984 in Warracknabeal, Victoria. She made a strong domestic debut for the Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2004 and earned her Australian debut against Jamaica in July 2007, going on to become one of the finest attacking players of her generation over an international career spanning 86 Tests between 2007 and 2020. Medhurst won World Cup gold in 2007, 2011 and 2015, becoming one of only eight players in history to win three world titles; her intercept in the dying seconds of the 2011 final against New Zealand forced overtime and a crucial Australian victory. She also won Commonwealth Games gold in 2014 and silver in 2010, forming a prolific attacking partnership with shooter Caitlin Bassett at West Coast Fever from 2014, where she captained the club, before finishing her career at Collingwood Magpies. Medhurst retired from international netball in 2017 and from all netball in 2020 after stepping back due to pregnancy, having played 235 national league matches across Adelaide Thunderbirds, Queensland Firebirds, West Coast Fever and Collingwood Magpies. She served as president of the Australian Netball Players' Association from 2018 to 2020, advocating for player welfare during the COVID-19 disruptions, and was later appointed CEO of Water Polo Western Australia in 2025.

Elusive, high-court-IQ goal attack renowned for accurate feeding, intercepting instincts and composure under pressure

Remembered for her court intelligence and clutch performances in the biggest moments, and for her advocacy for player welfare after retiring

• Netball World Cup gold 2007, 2011, 2015
• Commonwealth Games gold 2014
• ANZ Championship premiership and MVP 2011