Michelle den Dekker

{{Infobox netball biography

|name = Michelle den Dekker

|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM|size=100%}}

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|updated = 2015-06-24

|fullname = Michelle den Dekker

|maidenname =

|birth_date ={{birth-date and age|23 March 1966}}

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|positions = Defence

|clubyears1 =

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|nationalyears1= 1988-95

|nationalteam1 = Australia

|nationalcaps1 = 84

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|coachteam1 = Specialist defence Assistant coach
Australian Netball Diamonds

|medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{nb|Australia}}}}

}}

Michelle den Dekker {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM|size=85%}}, 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 (OAM) in the 1992 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to sport.{{Cite web|url=http://netball.com.au/past-players/michelledendekker/|title=#92 – MICHELLE DEN DEKKER OAM {{!}} Netball Australia|last=w3admin|website=netball.com.au|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-19}}{{cite news|date=8 June 1992|title=QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS ORDER OF AUSTRALIA|volume=66|page=4|newspaper=The Canberra Times|issue=20,875|location=Australian Capital Territory, Australia|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126927579|access-date=24 July 2023|via=National Library of Australia}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.contax.net.au/honours |title=Our Honour List ~ Contax Netball Club |publisher=Contax.net.au |date= |accessdate=2014-05-16}}{{cite web|url=http://garville.com.au |title=Garville Netball Club - The Great Greys! |publisher=Garville.com.au |date= |accessdate=2014-05-16}} 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.{{cite web| url = http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/den-dekker-is-sas-greatest/story-e6frecj3-1226132704639| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111121173122/http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/den-dekker-is-sas-greatest/story-e6frecj3-1226132704639| archive-date = 2011-11-21| title = Den Dekker is SA's greatest {{!}} Adelaide Now}}

den Dekker made her Australian debut in 1985, and led Australian to two world championships as captain (1991 and 1995). 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% (65 wins, 6 losses).{{cite web |url=http://www.michelledendekker.com.au/index.php?/about-michelle |title=About Us |publisher=Michelledendekker.com.au |date= |accessdate=2014-05-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517133846/http://www.michelledendekker.com.au/index.php?%2Fabout-michelle |archive-date=17 May 2014 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|author=atosha |url=http://netball.com.au/our-game/hall-of-fame-awards/australian-netball-hall-of-fame/ |title=Australian Netball Hall of Fame | Netball Australia |publisher=Netball.com.au |date= |accessdate=2014-05-16}}

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.[http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/netball/michelle-den-dekker-appointed-head-coach-of-netball-australias-new-centre-of-excellence-in-canberra/story-fnii0ix6-1226887546450 Michelle Den Dekker Appointed Head Coach Of Netball Australias New Centre Of Excellence In Canberra] The Courier Mail {{dead link|date=January 2023}}{{cite web|url=http://netball.com.au/diamonds/den-dekker-appointed-diamonds-assistant-coach/|title=den Dekker appointed Diamonds assistant coach | Netball Australia|date=2013-12-19|publisher=Netball.com.au|author=bradg|access-date=2014-05-16}}

den Dekker was the Diamonds Assistant coach for the Australian Netball Diamonds until August 2015 (the 2015 Netball World Cup). 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 (OAM) 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{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsa.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=27&Itemid=135 |title=KPMG South Australian Sport Hall of Fame and Legends |publisher=Sportsa.org.au |date=2010-09-15 |accessdate=2014-05-16}}
Ambassador for the SA Sports Hall Of Fame alongside Legend Barrie Robran AM.
Inducted into Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2020.{{Cite news|last=Colangelo|first=Anthony|date=4 December 2020|title=Women's T20 side, Eales claim top honours at Sport Australia awards|work=Sydney Morning Herald|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/women-s-t20-side-eales-claim-top-honours-at-sport-australia-awards-20201204-p56km7.html|access-date=5 December 2020}}