Netball SA is lobbying the state and federal governments for an upgrade of Priceline Stadium
Netball SA wants the Mile End home of Adelaide Thunderbirds to be upgraded to enhance the sport’s future. It comes as all tiers of competition are hoping to return to the court soon.
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Netball SA will renew its bid for a $23 million upgrade of its Mile End stadium and will again lobby the state and federal governments.
A revised business plan has been put before the government and NSA chief executive Bronwyn Klei has been having ongoing discussions with Sports minister Corey Wingard.
Klei said a revamp of the stadium, with bar facilities, gym and shops would significantly help grow the business and give the sport financial stability, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outdated stadium was opened in 2001 and $6 million work on changerooms facilities and carparking will be completed when Adelaide Thunderbirds return to court for Super Netball, maybe as early as next month.
“When the Government pitched for the Commonwealth Games, a sporting infrastructure (list) was put together,” Klei said.
“Priceline Stadium would not have been big enough to host netball, but sports such as badminton and weightlifting could have held there. So we probably would have got a stadium upgrade.
“Obviously things will change because of COVID-19, but when looking at stimulus projects, this would be a high profile project for women’s sport.
“We have done all the homework and with planning approval we would be ready to go.
“We will keep lobbying for it.”
Netball Australia and Super Netball released a statement last week saying they were in full return-to-action planning, with growing optimism of an easing of restrictions preventing netball being played at all levels.
Super Netball chief executive Chris Symington said the league was working through the final stages of its decision making process and would be in a position to make an announcement on the 2020 season by the end of May.
Klei is adamant netball in South Australia will emerge from the coronavirus crisis a stronger organisation after taking advantage of the sport’s hiatus to reassess all aspects of how the game is managed.
She said the pandemic had been tough on winter sports, but did not believe netball would be damaged long term because of a heavy volunteer involvement and being underpinned by a hefty broadcast deal.
“There is no question in my mind the sport will emerge stronger,” she said.
“We have spent this time looking at how we service the members, structure finances and how we present ourselves as a sport.
“We will come out as a fully member eccentric, financially sustainable organisation, that is what we have been targeting behind the scenes. There is always room for improvement, and as a statewide body we need to make sure we service the members right across SA and have an understanding of what they need.”
NSA, which has 35,000 members, stood down 85 per cent of its work force after the impact of the coronavirus hit.
However, Klei said the 1500 Thunderbirds members had been absolutely sensational and there had been “very, very few” requests for refunds.
Mr Wingard said the Marshall Government had given Netball SA $290,000 to help the organisation continue operating during the COVID-19 crisis. But did not comment specifically on the organisation’s hopes for an upgrade.
Rivals rearing to go – soon
SA Premier League netball club presidents say the COVID-19 shutdown period has strengthened club cultures and the bonds between top-tier players and juniors.
The state’s top competition was set to begin this month after a gruelling pre-season, which began for most players in October.
But a start date for the eight-team league and its junior competitions is unknown, as the clubs wait for the Federal and State Government to give sport the green light.
They are expecting a clear direction to emerge from this Friday’s national Cabinet meeting.
Reigning Premier League champions Matrics’ president Peter Mazzachi said squads were having ‘Zoom’ sessions to stay in touch.
“The kids are dialling in and we are doing some physical work and club skills work, so it’s hands on,” Mazzachi said.
“We are doing internal challenges with our Premier League players leading them every week.
“We will need to start thinking differently and change the way we do things but we can take the positives out of this to come out stronger.”
Lee-Anne Petherick, president of last season’s top tier runner up Contax, said the powerhouse club had also been using technology to connect.
“We’ve been working really hard to keep the club connected,” Petherick said.
“We have developed a ‘Contax Train At Home’ closed Facebook group and we deliver weekly training programs through the closed site
“As much as it’s for keeping physically fit, it’s also about the mental welfare of the players and keeping them engaged.
“But we are really quite excited about the opportunity to get back together, physically.”
Petherick said top tier players had been put on a maintenance fitness program to ensure they were ready to go as soon as play could resume.
“It’s great because the young girls are getting to know the Premier League players,” she said. “In times like this, our ability to draw the club together in a different way will help us with success in coming out of this.”
Tango boss Angela Lloyde said the top tier side was given a few weeks off, but was now getting stuck into innovative ways to train while they waited for a start date.
“Our new coach (ex-Garville mentor) Jackie Blyth has been doing some great work with our girls online,” Thain said.
Newton Jaguars president Phillip McDonnell said the Premier League side was also doing its training through Zoom.
“Everyone is excited to see it return and that’s from the Premier League down.” McDonnell said.
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Park netball aiming to play
Fewer people cheering their kids, partners or parents on from the sidelines, shorter games, and less players could soon be the reality at Argana Park netball courts.
It is a far cry from what would usually be happening on Wednesday, which was when the first centre passes for Elizabeth Netball Association’s senior winter season were set to be thrown.
Like all sports, netball has also been stopped in its tracks and joined the fight to stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
Instead of planning to watch players step onto the court this week, association president Lois Scaife is coming up with ideas to restructure this winter campaign in preparation for when the government gives sport the green light to resume.
Without a start date, this becomes a very tough project.
But Scaife is determined to see a winter season happen this year and said the importance of sport can never be underestimated.
“Our biggest challenge is not knowing when it will be seen to be safe to allow us to recommence,” Scaife said.
“Without a start date we cannot plan the program.
“It will be great to get a competition in place and it will give everybody involved something to look forward to again.
“The program may take on a different format.
“We have 22 courts and out of the five timeslots that we run we had three where we were using every court.
“If we need to keep crowd numbers down, we may need to shorten games and have a bigger gap between games so the players and spectators don’t overlap, or look at ways of keeping spectator numbers down.”
She said having no crowds would throw up some challenges, but believed giving people sport was more important than having spectators.
“I think the benefits … from playing a sport and having that social interaction far outweighs the need to have a crowd of spectators,” Scaife said.
“Junior players would need to have a guardian present, but maybe their guardians can take a rotating role and share their responsibilities.”
The association has seniors play on Wednesday nights in winter and juniors on Fridays.
The 2019 winter campaign included 180 teams and 1629 players.
Scaife said most were itching to hear that whistle blow and get the season underway, especially after 2019/2020 summer season grand finals were cancelled.
But she was concerned some clubs would lose players who could be “a little cautious” about returning to sport this winter.
“Safety must come first and we have done a very good job of keeping most people safe,” Scaife said.
“Once we get a return date the committee will be very busy setting up the program and working out the format that will fit into the time that we have left of the season.”
T-Birds hopeful of imports returning
Few South Australian coaches are dealing with more confusion plotting preparations for this winter than Adelaide Thunderbirds’ Tania Obst.
The uncertainty created by COVID-19 is a constant with all sports – will there be a season and if so, when and in what shape?
Obst has an added worry, and it’s a significant headache.
Will the Thunderbirds have their international content when the season kicks off?
The Thunderbirds have five imports on their books for the 2020 Super Netball league with Jamacian Shamera Sterling, England’s Layla Guscoth and South African pair Lenize Potgieter and Shadine van der Merwe having signed.
They have been in lockdown at home, although Guscoth has been busy helping fight the coronavirus as a doctor in a Birmingham hospital
Midcourter Chelsea Pitman is also an import after switching her allegiance from the Diamonds to England, although she has made Adelaide her home and there is no question over her availability.
Sterling, arguably the leading goalkeeper in the game, has been based in Perth with Jamaican teammates after failing to secure flights home so should also be in the team when the season finally gets underway.
Netball Australia and Super Netball are confident a decision on this season will be announced before the end of May and are optimistic of a return to the court can happen by July, probably without fans being allowed into stadiums.
Getting the imports back to Adelaide is the concern, given international travel is still not being discussed.
Obst is confident there will be a season, just in what form is the question.
However, just 10 days ago, she held little hope of Guscoth, Potgieter and van der Merwe returning in time for the competition start.
“My position on whether they will be back has probably changed in the past week, 10 days,” she said.
“The more research you do and the more discussions are taking place, I am now hopeful we will have them.
“We will give it a red-hot go to get the athletes back into the country.
“The NRL is looking to get the Auckland team back and there is the Indian cricket tour here, so hopefully the sports can work together.”
The Thunderbirds have had talks with the government on the imports subject, while Super Netball management has also raised the matter.
Should the imports be missing from the side, the Thunderbirds will promote players from the training squad.
Lenize tells of life in lockdown
If Adelaide Thunderbirds shooter Lenize Potgieter had her wish she would have been at the club’s Mile End base on Sunday.
The Thunderbirds had been programmed to take on Giants Netball in the opening Super Netball round and Potgieter was to have made her debut a day after her 26th birthday as the big name in the goal circle, replacing New Zealand superstar Maria Folau.
Instead, she was in lockdown at home in South Africa where the restrictions have been much more severe than South Australians have had to endure.
Potgieter has been allowed to leave her residence for just the essentials, such as groceries or a medical reason.
Even going for a run around her neighbourhood is banned.
“I’ve been thinking how much I miss netball, miss running around and getting tired, been with the girls,” she said.
“It is frustrating.
“I wish I could be back in Adelaide to be with teammates, be on the court and start the season.
“I see people in Adelaide going out to get takeaway coffees and running outside and I think ‘lucky buggers’.
“You have got it quite easy compared to us.
“I can’t go out for a coffee, I’m not even allowed outside our yard unless for an essential reason.
“Basically, I’m in a prison which gives you very nice food.”
Potgieter is in regular contact with Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst and the club’s support staff, being offered training advice and tips on keeping fit.
Her mum was given a treadmill for her birthday early in the year which has come in handy for Lenize, while she purchased some workout equipment as well as makes use of a boxing bag.
“I tried running 5km in the backyard and did not want to do it again, it was horrible,” she said.
“I run on the treadmill, do a bit of yoga, yoyo sprints in the backyard – I’m trying, I’m trying.
“There is no netball ring.
“A few years back dad took it out to build a swimming pool, so hopefully the lockdown level will be reduced soon so I can go to the netball courts and practice throwing balls threw the hoop.
“I’m training two or three times a day, playing a lot of computer games, doing some cooking and play with the dogs.
“Mum is also teaching online so I help her.
“Hopefully we will be back soon on court and I can be with my Thunderbirds teammates in Adelaide.”
Support Our Clubs is an advertiser.com.au series that aims to support our sporting codes and clubs as they emerge from lockdown and to show how much they mean to our cities, towns, regions and communities.
With the return of sport at both elite and community level set to be determined by the national Cabinet next Friday, the series will run each day in The Advertiser, will ask key questions including what clubs will need to get back on their feet, what are the key challenges they face and what communities can do to support them in this, their hour of need.