Diamonds star Jo Weston in tears as ugly toll of Netball Australia pay dispute revealed

The full toll of the pay dispute which is tearing apart Australian netball can be revealed, with Diamonds star Jo Weston breaking down in tears amid worrying revelations about the players.

Australia’s professional netball players remain united in their push for a full Collective Player Agreement with Netball Australia, accusing the governing body of a “publicity stunt” in their offer to immediately pay players who have been officially out of work for the past nine weeks.

In an emotion-charged media call, Australian Netball Players Association president Jo Weston burst into tears while describing how NA’s legal threats ahead of the weekend’s Australian Netball Awards had made players feel, while former Diamonds captain Kathryn Harby-Williams revealed some players had been “living in cars”.

The ANPA has outlined more than 20 resolutions unanimously agreed on by players on Wednesday. So disillusioned is the group, that their final resolution was “to meet again to determine if the players have confidence in Netball Australia”.

The deal would have allowed players immediate back pay on wages that will increase by 11 per cent over the three-year agreement and would have allowed the contracting period to begin for Super Netball clubs.

Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan is under the pump as the pay dispute drags on. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Emma Brasier

But ANPA chief executive and former Diamonds captain Kathryn Harby-Williams – who said players had been ‘sleeping in cars’ and ‘moving back in with family’ – labelled the move a “publicity stunt” by NA, saying they had already rejected an interim pay deal until the full CPA could be negotiated.

“We were actually a little bit confused as to what it was,” Harby-Williams said of NA’s offer on Wednesday.

“We’ve been negotiating the collective bargaining agreement in totality.

Harby-Williams said Weston’s breakdown showed the stress that players were under and was not uncommon.

“We are desperate to get a deal done for these players because that’s the emotional toll that you are seeing right there,” she said.

“I have had players sobbing and weeping; players have slept in their cars; players have had to move out of their homes and move across the country back to families.

“That’s the toll that this is taking on these players.

“It’s a very fair and reasonable deal (we’re asking for). We’ve pared it back from a percentage of licensing, merchandise events, ticketing to simply a small share of above forecast sponsorship revenue.”

Players Association president, and Diamonds star, Jo Weston has been at the forefront for the players. Picture: Getty

In terms of NA’s offer, Harby-Williams said it could have been made nine weeks ago when the players’ Super Netball contracts expired.

“Netball Australia has said they are listening to the players and they need to be paid and they are struggling being unemployed,” she said.

“We don’t want just words, we want action. That could have been done nine weeks ago.

“We put a proposition on the table to say to Netball Australia, lock in player payments to the end of January which will enable us enough time to do a deal and that was rejected.

“So for it to be put on the table now is confusing because it was part deal - I thought it page was missing because there was no reference to revenue share or the commercial arrangement.

“So it was just a publicity stunt as far as we’re concerned.”

Weston broke down when addressing how NA’s legal threats had made players feel ahead of what should have been their night to celebrate a stellar season in which the Diamonds have won every major trophy in the sport.

She said the threats not only to players, but Harby-Williams and advisor Ian Prendergast, who were individually named in the legal letter had distressed players.

“I think especially for them to be directed to Ian and Kath, who have worked so tirelessly on behalf of our players was quite devastating for our playing group,” she said.

“We’ve been so lucky to have such strong advocates and such amazing people helping us be able to have a player voice - we don’t have a full strength players’ association like other codes do in Australia but the letter that came through just prior to the awards, it is hard to talk about.

“The Netball Australia awards are one of my favourite ... It’s been really hard,” Weston said through tears.

“All of us just want to be able to move forward with what we think is fair and reasonable for our playing group.

“We want to feel like we’re valued. We want to feel like we’re respected and listened to and hopefully tomorrow when we’re in the room we’ll be able to get something done for our players.”

Originally published as Diamonds star Jo Weston in tears as ugly toll of Netball Australia pay dispute revealed