Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born | Cape Town, South Africa | 21 September 1984||
Netball career | |||
Playing position(s): Shooter | |||
Years | Club team(s) | Apps | |
up to 2007 | Queensland Firebirds | ||
Years | National team(s) | Caps | |
2005 | South Africa U21 | ||
Last updated: 2009-03-19 |
Michelle Hess (born 21 September 1984 in Northern Cape Town) is a South African netball player. Having played with the Queensland Firebirds in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in Australia, [1] Hess has been confirmed as a member of the Queensland Fusion in the 2008 Australian Netball League. [2] She also represented South Africa at the 2005 World Youth Netball Championships in Florida. [3] [4]
Queensland Firebirds are an Australian professional netball team based in Brisbane, Queensland. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship and between 1997 and 2007, they played in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Firebirds were the most successful team during the ANZ Championship era, playing in five grand finals and winning three premierships, in 2011, 2015 and 2016. They were the only team to win back to back ANZ Championship titles.
Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australian professional netball team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship and between 1997 and 2007, they played in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. Thunderbirds have won five premierships. They won their first two premierships in 1998 and 1999 during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era, their third and fourth in 2010 and 2013 during ANZ Championship era, and their sixth in 2023, 2024 during the suncorp netball era. Historically, Thunderbirds are one of Australia's most successful netball teams. Between 1997 and 2010 they finished in the top three of every regular season, and are the first and only team to win a Trophy at all 3 eras.
The Australian National Netball Championships are a series of annual netball tournaments, organised by Netball Australia and featuring representative teams from the states and territories of Australia. The earliest tournaments took place during 1920s.
Natalie von BertouchBUR-toh;, also known as Natalie Bode, is a former Australia netball international. Between 2004 and 2012 she made 76 senior appearances for Australia. Bertouch was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medals at the 2007 and 2011 World Netball Championships. She captained Australia at the latter tournament. She was also a member of the Australia teams that won the silver medals at the 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games. At club level, Bertouch captained Adelaide Thunderbirds to two ANZ Championship titles in 2010 and 2013. Her older sister Laura von Bertouch is also a former netball player. The two sisters were team mates with both Thunderbirds and Australia.
The ANZ Championship, also known as the Trans-Tasman Netball League, is a former netball league featuring teams from both Australia and New Zealand. Between 2008 and 2016, it was the top-level league in both countries. The competition was owned and administered by Trans-Tasman Netball League Ltd (TTNL), a joint venture between Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand. It was effectively a merger of Australia's Commonwealth Bank Trophy and New Zealand's National Bank Cup. Its main sponsor was the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.
Lauren Nourse is a former Australia netball international. Between 2007 and 2011 she made 25 senior appearances for Australia. Nourse was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medal at the 2007 World Netball Championships and the silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Between 2004 and 2012, Nourse played for Queensland Firebirds. In 2011 she captained Firebirds when they won the 2011 ANZ Championship.
Megan Anderson, also known as Megan McWilliams and previously known as Megan Dehn, is a former Australia netball international and current netball coach. Between 2000 and 2006 she made 20 senior appearances for Australia. She was a member of the Australia team that won the silver medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. During the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era, Anderson was a member of Sydney Swifts teams that won premierships in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007. During the ANZ Championship era, she played for Southern Steel and Northern Mystics. After retiring as a player in 2011, she became a coach. In 2020 Anderson was appointed head coach of Queensland Firebirds.
Rebecca Bulley, also known as Rebecca Strachan, is a former Australia netball international and current netball coach. Between 2008 and 2015 she made 42 senior appearances for Australia. Bulley was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medal at the 2015 Netball World Cup and the silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Bulley also won three ANZ Championship titles with three different teams – the 2008 New South Wales Swifts, the 2013 Adelaide Thunderbirds and the 2015 Queensland Firebirds. She began her senior club career with Melbourne Kestrels during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era and finished it playing for Giants Netball in Suncorp Super Netball.
Peta Stephens is a former Australian netball player. Between 1997 and 2009, Stephens played for Queensland Firebirds. She played for Firebirds in both the Commonwealth Bank Trophy and ANZ Championship eras. She captained Firebirds between 2006 and 2009. She also played with the Australian Institute of Sport, Canterbury Flames and Canterbury Tactix.
Katie Walker is a former Australian netball player and current netball coach. Walker played for both Hunter Jaegers and Queensland Firebirds during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era. She also played for Firebirds during the 2008 ANZ Championship season. Since 2020, Walker has been a member of the Firebirds coaching staff, serving as an assistant coach, specialist coach and head coach of Queensland Sapphires.
The 2011 ANZ Championship season was the fourth season of the ANZ Championship. The 2011 season began on 13 February and concluded on 22 May. With a team coached by Roselee Jencke, captained by Lauren Nourse and featuring Romelda Aiken, Laura Geitz, Clare McMeniman and Natalie Medhurst, Queensland Firebirds finished the season undefeated. They became the first team in the history of the ANZ Championship to go through the regular season and the playoffs without losing a single match. In the major semi-final, Firebirds defeated Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and in the grand final they defeated Northern Mystics, winning their first premiership. This marked the beginning of a golden age for Firebirds. Between 2011 and 2016, Jencke guided them to five grand finals and three premierships.
Stephanie Fretwell, previously known as Stephanie Wood, is a former Australia netball international, who currently plays for the Sunshine Coast Lightning in the Super Netball competition.
The 2015 ANZ Championship season was the eighth season of the ANZ Championship. The season began on 28 February and concluded on 21 June. The 2015 season saw the introduction of several major format changes and initiatives, including a Conference system, a six-team Finals Series, drawn games and a new Ranfurly Shield-style competition, the Challenge Trophy. With a team coached by Roselee Jencke, captained by Laura Geitz and featuring Romelda Aiken, Clare McMeniman and Kim Ravaillion, Queensland Firebirds won the Australian Conference, the Challenge Trophy, the minor premiership and the overall championship. Firebirds narrowly defeated New South Wales Swifts in both the Australian Conference final and the Grand Final on their way to effectively winning four titles.
Kimberley Ravaillion, is a retired Australia netball international. Ravaillion was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Netball World Cup and the silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In January 2013, aged 19, she made her senior debut for Australia during an away series against England. This saw Ravaillion make her senior test debut before making her top-level league debut. Her first game for Queensland Firebirds came two months later. She was subsequently a member of the Firebirds teams that won the 2015 and 2016 ANZ Championships. Between 2017 and 2019 she played for Collingwood Magpies in Suncorp Super Netball. After missing the 2020 season due to pregnancy, Ravaillion rejoined Queensland Firebirds for the 2021 season.
The 2016 ANZ Championship season was the ninth and last season of the ANZ Championship. The season began on 1 April 2016 and concluded on 4 July 2016. Southern Steel were minor premiers. However they subsequently lost the New Zealand Conference Final to Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and were defeated in the semi-finals by Queensland Firebirds. With a team coached by Roselee Jencke, captained by Laura Geitz and featuring Romelda Aiken, Clare McMeniman and Kim Ravaillion, Firebirds won the Australian Conference, the Challenge Trophy and the overall championship. Firebirds became the first and only team to retain the title. In a repeat of 2015, Firebirds defeated New South Wales Swifts in both the Australian Conference Final and the Grand Final.
Gabrielle Simpson, also known as Gabi Simpson, is an Australia netball international. Simpson was vice-captain of the Australia team that won the silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Simpson was also a member of the Queensland Firebirds teams that won the 2015 and 2016 ANZ Championships. Since 2017, Simpson has captained Firebirds in Suncorp Super Netball. In 2017 she received the Liz Ellis Diamond award. She also sits on the board of the Australian Netball Players’ Association.
Caitlyn Nevins, also known as Caitlyn Strachan, is a former Australia netball international. Between 2014 and 2016, she was a member of three successive ANZ Championship winning teams. She won her first title with the 2014 Melbourne Vixens before winning the 2015 and 2016 titles with Queensland Firebirds. She was a member of the Victorian Fury teams that won Australian Netball League titles in 2009, 2013 and 2014.
Hulita Veve, previously known as Hulita Haukinima, is a Tongan netball player. Haukinima was a member of the Queensland Firebirds team that won the 2016 ANZ Championship. She has also played for Queensland Fusion in the Australian Netball League and for Firebirds in Suncorp Super Netball. In 2014 she was captain of the Queensland under-19 team that won their Australian National Netball Championships tournament. In 2019 she captained the QUT Wildcats team that won the inaugural HART Sapphire Series title.