Julie Prendergast

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Julie Prendergast is an Australian netball player.

She made her national league debut at the age of 16, representing the Melbourne Phoenix. Prendergast played for the Melbourne Kestrels in the 2007 Commonwealth Bank Trophy season, and will represent the Melbourne Vixens in the 2008 ANZ Championships.

An athletic and exciting defender, Prendergast's speed, agility, and elevation have drawn comparisons to Australian captain, Liz Ellis. Having played much of her netball at goal defence, Prendergast is equally effective at goal keeper, where her footspeed, strength, and explosiveness allow her to successfully defend shooters much taller than herself.

Prendergast announced her arrival on the Australian netball scene in 2004, where her exciting style of defence saw her named Netball Australia's best new talent. Her career gained momentum in late 2004 when she was selected in the Australian open squad at the age of 17. In 2005 she captained the Australian U/21 team to a bronze medal at the World Youth Championships, while on the comeback trail from a stress fracture in her foot.

In 2007, she was recruited from the Melbourne Phoenix to cross town rivals, Melbourne Kestrels in a bid for more court time. Julie was named in the 2007 Australian Netball Team to tour England in a tri-series, but after injuring her ankle in the first minutes of the season opener, the local darby beween Phoenix and Kestrels, forced her to pull out, with Melbourne Kestrels team-mate Rebecca Bulley called up in her place. However, Julie went on to make an impressive debut for Australia against Jamaica a few months later, and made a name for herself as one of world netball's up-and-coming stars when she played at goal defence during a subsequent Australian series win against New Zealand.

In November 2007, Julie won her first ever world championship title, as the youngest member of the victorious Australian team.

She is currently engaged to Darryl Corletto.