Michelle den Dekker
Michelle den Dekker, also known as Michelle Fielke, is an Australian netballer from South Australia. den Dekker represented Australia in 84 tests between 1988 and 1995, including a record 71 as captain. She received the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to sport.
Netball career
Life member of the Garville Netball Club from 1989 to 1995 and helping the club clinch five premierships in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995. In the national league, den Dekker was captain-coach of the Queensland Firebirds in 1997-98 before returning home to the now defunct Adelaide Ravens.den Dekker made her Australian debut in 1985, and led Australian to two world championships as captain. Michelle played a total of 84 test matches for Australia between 1985 and 1995, including 71 as captain. As captain her team enjoyed a win loss ratio of 92%.
den Dekker was voted as Adelaide's greatest netballer to have fronted for the Adelaide Thunderbirds or Adelaide Ravens. She was inducted into the Australian Netball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Coaching career
den Dekker OAM was appointed Head Coach of Netball Australia’s new Centre of Excellence in Canberra in April 2014.den Dekker was the Diamonds Assistant coach for the Australian Netball Diamonds until August 2015. Currently still works as a consultant for Netball Australia as a Defence Specialist coach and manages her own Netball consultancy business working to develop our next generation of players and coaches in South Australia
Awards
- Medal of the Order of Australia in 1992
- SA Great Award, for services to sport in South Australia in 1993.
- Inducted into the Australian Netball Hall of Fame 2009
- Inducted into the Inaugural South Australian Hall Of Fame 2010
- Ambassador for the SA Sports Hall Of Fame alongside Legend Barrie Robran AM.
- Inducted into Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2020.
External sources
Category:1966 births
Category:Australia international netball players
Category:Netball players at the 1989 World Games
Category:Netball players at the 1993 World Games
Category:Netball players at the 1985 World Games
Category:Australian netball coaches
Category:Adelaide Thunderbirds coaches
Category:Queensland Firebirds players
Category:Netball players from South Australia
Category:Australian Institute of Sport netball coaches
Category:Adelaide Ravens players
Category:ANZ Championship coaches
Category:Contax Netball Club players
Category:Garville Netball Club players
Category:Esso/Mobil Superleague players
Category:South Australia state netball league players
Category:Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees
Category:1991 World Netball Championships players
Category:1995 World Netball Championships players
Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
Category:World Games silver medalists for Australia
Category:World Games medalists in netball
Category:Medalists at the 1993 World Games
Category:Medalists at the 1989 World Games
Category:20th-century Australian sportswomen
Category:Australian people of Dutch descent