43 Facts About Cynna Kydd

Cynna Kydd is a former Australian professional netball player.

Cynna Kydd was selected for the national under-21 team in 1999 and was accepted by the Australian Institute of Sport, before launching her professional career.

Cynna Kydd was a goal shooter for the Melbourne Kestrels in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy from 2000 to 2006, serving as club captain for the last two years.

Cynna Kydd was a frequent member of the Australian national netball team from 2003 to 2005.

Cynna Kydd made the surprise decision at the beginning of the 2006 season to transfer from the Kestrels, where she had been captain, to the club's more successful rival, the Melbourne Phoenix, but she lasted only one season before walking away from the club to travel overseas.

Cynna Kydd subsequently signed with New Zealand club Canterbury Flames for the 2007 National Bank Cup season, but withdrew her services before playing a game due to injury.

Cynna Kydd subsequently moved to England, where she played mixed minor grade netball.

Cynna Kydd was born in the Victorian regional town of Kyabram, and began playing competitive netball at age nine.

Cynna Kydd played for local and Goulburn Valley representative teams as a teenager and, in 1998 at the age of 16, was selected to play for the dominant Eastside Netball Club in the state Dairy Farmers State League competition, alongside three national league players.

Cynna Kydd was named in the state under-21 squad for the annual Australian National Netball Championships and in the Melbourne Kestrels squad for the 1999 season.

Cynna Kydd spent the 1999 season playing for the AIS team in the Victorian state league, before switching to their South Australian counterparts for the 2000 season.

Cynna Kydd made her debut for the Melbourne Kestrels in April 2000 but, because of her relative inexperience, was asked to play only two games for them over the season.

At season's end Cynna Kydd was named in the state open team for the national championships and, while remaining in the U-21 squad, was named in the initial national open squad, despite having only played two national league games.

Cynna Kydd's disappointment was partly offset when she won the Commonwealth Bank Trophy's Best New Talent award, worth A$5,000, in February 2001.

Cynna Kydd graduated from high school at the end of 2000, and moved to Kensington, an inner suburb of Melbourne, in February 2001 to study tourism and hospitality at Victoria University.

At the beginning of the 2001 season, two of the Kestrels' main stars, Shelley O'Donnell and Janine Ilitch, both announced that they would be sidelined for most or all of the season because of pregnancy, and Cynna Kydd was called upon to fill the vacancy.

Cynna Kydd became a core player instantly, and although the Kestrels struggled, Kydd formed an effective combination with goal shooter Amanda Burton.

Cynna Kydd was among the team's standout performers and was frequently praised in the media for both her accuracy and consistency, coming away at season's end with 390 goals and the fifth highest scoring average in the competition.

Cynna Kydd continued to represent Australia in under-21 competition, being selected for several home matches against England and a tour of New Zealand, and was again selected in the national open squad in the lead-up to the 2002 Commonwealth Games, but was cut from the final team.

Cynna Kydd was consistently among the league's top goalers, particularly after she was again paired with Burton, due to the axing of struggling new recruit Kristy Doyle.

Cynna Kydd scored her 500th goal with the Kestrels in the middle of the season, and excelled against some particularly difficult opponents, including then-Australian captain Kathryn Harby-Williams.

Cynna Kydd was integral in helping the Kestrels make the semifinals for the first time since 1999, and was the third-highest scorer in the league.

Cynna Kydd was again named in the extended national squad at the end of the season, and finally survived the cut, being named in the squad to tour Jamaica in early 2003, beating rival shooters Jane Altschwager and Megan Dehn for the vacancy caused by the retirement of veteran player Jacqui Delaney.

At only 21 Cynna Kydd was the youngest player on the tour of Jamaica and, while she toured with the remainder of the team, was overlooked for a Test position.

Cynna Kydd subsequently helped the Kestrels to the elimination final and, at the end of the season, was named as the team's new vice-captain, with predecessor Janine Ilitch assuming the captaincy.

Cynna Kydd won the coveted Commonwealth Bank Trophy Player's Player Award, and tied for third in the Most Valuable Player count.

Cynna Kydd established her place as a regular member of the national team, playing in Test series against South Africa and New Zealand and a practice match against England.

Cynna Kydd was rewarded for her form when she was a surprise choice for the 2004 Commonwealth Bank Trophy Most Valuable Player Award, being selected over favourite veteran internationals Catherine Cox and Sharelle McMahon.

When captain Ilitch was ruled out for 2005 because of pregnancy, Cynna Kydd was the natural choice to replace her, and she was announced as the Kestrels' new leader.

Cynna Kydd graduated from university at the end of 2004, but had significant difficulty finding employment as her netball commitments scared off prospective employers.

Cynna Kydd became engaged to Garth Kydd, a member of the Australian men's netball team, whom she married in April 2006.

Cynna Kydd struggled in the opening games of the national league season, a result largely attributed to nerves associated with the captaincy.

Cynna Kydd continued to play but the injury severely inhibited her performance for four weeks.

The ageing Southby-Halbish was brought in to replace her and Cynna Kydd admitted that her accuracy had been well below ideal levels.

Cynna Kydd was left out of the team for a practice tour of Jamaica and New Zealand in the lead-up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games, but continued her efforts to make the team for the Games.

Cynna Kydd married fiancee Garth in April 2006, and though widely known by her maiden name, decided to take on her husband's surname.

Cynna Kydd began the process of re-signing with the Kestrels for the 2006 season, and returned to training with the club with March 2006, but stunned the team when she defected to more successful rival Melbourne Phoenix only three weeks before the start of the season.

Cynna Kydd scored 360 goals in the season, and assisted the Phoenix in becoming the top scoring side for the season, although occasionally patchy form from the team as a whole saw the Phoenix slip outside the top two at season's end.

In October 2006, Cynna Kydd announced that she was leaving the Phoenix after just one season, a move that stunned coach Julie Hoornweg.

Cynna Kydd said that she was travelling overseas with her husband, leading to speculation she would play in New Zealand.

Cynna Kydd's contract was to start in February 2007, so that she could fulfil work commitments with Youth Hostels Association, Victoria.

However, Cynna Kydd withdrew her services to the Flames without playing a match, citing medical advice, due to a concussion incident.

In late 2007, Cynna Kydd was playing mixed netball in the United Kingdom in the PIM Mixed A competition.