Marcia Ella-Duncan facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 1963 La Perouse, New South Wales |
||
| Netball career | |||
| Playing position(s): Centre | |||
| Years | National team(s) | Caps | |
| 1986-1987 | Australian Diamonds | 18 | |
Marcia Lynne Ella-Duncan OAM (born 1963) is a famous former Australian netball player. She made history by becoming the first Indigenous netballer to play for the Australian Diamonds.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Marcia Ella-Duncan was born in 1963 in La Perouse, a suburb of Sydney. Her family comes from the Yuin nation. She was one of twelve children in her family.
Marcia has three brothers – Mark, Glenn, and Gary. They were also famous athletes, playing for the Wallabies in rugby union.
Marcia's Netball Journey
Marcia started playing netball at a young age. When she was just eleven, she represented New South Wales (NSW). Later, she was chosen for the NSW 16 Schoolgirls team and then the NSW Under 21 teams.
She began her netball career as a goal defence player. However, she soon moved to play in the centre position. This position is very important in netball, as the centre player helps move the ball all over the court.
Training at the AIS
In 1983, Marcia received a special netball scholarship. This scholarship was from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). She was the very first Indigenous Australian to get an AIS scholarship. She trained at the AIS from 1983 to 1985.
Between 1984 and 1987, Marcia was a regular player for the NSW State Team. Her hard work and talent helped her get noticed for the national team.
Playing for the Australian Diamonds
Marcia made history on May 3, 1986. She became the first Indigenous player to represent the Australian Diamonds. This was when she played against the Silver Ferns in Christchurch, New Zealand.
She was a key member of the Australian Diamonds team in both 1986 and 1987. During this time, her team won a silver medal at the 1987 Netball World Cup. This big event took place in Glasgow, Scotland. Marcia played for the Australian Diamonds 18 times in total.
Life After Netball
Marcia retired from playing netball at the age of 26. She married a rugby league player named Phil Duncan. They have two daughters together.
After her netball career, Marcia Ella-Duncan continued to work for her community. She has been involved in many important issues for Indigenous Australians. These include helping with community development and supporting families.
Awards and Recognition
Marcia Ella-Duncan has received many awards for her contributions to netball and her community:
- 1988: She received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). This award was given for her great service to netball.
- 2015: She was added to the Australian Netball Hall of Fame. This is a special honour for top netball players.
- She is also recognized in the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame.
- A photographic portrait of Marcia is kept at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.
