Long-standing member of the South Australian netball community Vanessa Dempsey is being recognised for her coaching abilities with a maiden appointed as Assistant Coach for the 2024 Netball SA 17U State Team.
Dempsey has been involved in the game for 35 years, including across a range of programs within the Netball SA Pathway, and hopes to install a wealth of knowledge into the State Team.
A proud Ngarrindjeri, Narungga and Jingili woman, Dempsey has represented the Oakdale Netball Club as a premier league player in 2009 and was appointed Head Coach from 2019-2023.
She is also the current head coach of Netball SA’s Rising Sisters Aboriginal Netball Program, launched in 2022 to foster the development of emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander netballers in SA.
Dempsey said her goal is to focus on developing the fundamental skills of each player within her team.
“We will look at the basic fundamentals of what is required to play at that level and my coaching philosophy is based around instilling skillful netball,” Dempsey said.
“I think it’s the perfect opportunity to incorporate that with this age bracket, whilst they are at the start of their pathway into high performance.”
Dempsey will look to support returning head coach Peta Maher as she reprises her role.
“I hope I can be there to support Peta as much as I can as well as the athletes,” Dempsey said.
Dempsey has been involved in netball since she was five years old and has since become a pillar of support for young netballers rising up the ranks.
Netball SA has since named a prestigious award after her, known as the Vanessa Dempsey Award, which recognises an individual, community group or association/club for their significant contribution in engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in netball.
Dempsey said it was a great honor to have been entrusted to coach the 17U State Team and she looks forward to helping the next generation progress.
“It is the next stage up from the Adelaide Thunderbirds Talent Academy, it is the stage where they start to learn what is required from them, from a high performance, skills and conditioning perspective,” Dempsey said.
She is also a committee member for SA Nunga Netball and played a huge role in bringing this year’s Nunga Netball Carnival to life, seeing over 500 First Nations netballers take to court.
“I think when we first started 10 years ago, we only started with two age groups so to see it grow in all aspects, the competition is getting stronger, and everything keeps improving,” Dempsey said.
“I think if we keep moving these standards each year and keep aiming high then we are going to be able to be more connected and involved in that mainstream setting.”
The 2024 17U squad was announced last month, with the final team to be named in the new year.
