Netball Australia and players have agreed to new CPA after bruising dispute

Key concessions have been agreed and netball’s war is over. LINDA PEARCE examines what it means for the playing group, and the potential ramifications for NA’s leadership.

The deal is done. Netball’s damaging industrial dispute is over. The terms of a new Collective Player Agreement to run through to September, 2026 have finally been settled.

Four hours of negotiations on Friday confirmed what had seemed inevitable since Thursday morning’s emotional news conference involving Australian Netball Players’ Association president Jo Weston and CEO Kathryn Harby-Williams left Netball Australia out of options and goodwill.

The follow-up meeting from 2pm on Friday included input from Federal Government Minister Bill Shorten via video link, and reiteration from the players of the 21 unanimous resolutions revealed publicly on Thursday.

Key to the agreement is a revenue share arrangement for above-forecast sponsorship money — on the players’ terms, rather than reliant on the financially-challenged Super Netball competition breaking even, although both parties agreed that Netball Australia’s hefty debt must first be repaid.

The other main sticking point missing from the previous offer off from NA and the SSN clubs was consensus on a new commercial model that includes concessions from NA over issues such as the use of player IP. The players got their wish on that, too.

Australian Netball Players’ Association president Jo Weston.

Already agreed were a pay rise on base salaries totalling 11 per cent over three years, as well as three per cent annually on private health insurance contributions, and back pay from October 1, the date from which all players have been uncontracted/unpaid.

There will also be an immediate 10 per cent rise in the honorarium for training partners in 2024 and then a further three per cent each year for the next two.

Each SSN club will have the option of nominating an 11th player from its broader squad who is eligible for selection outside of injury or illness on a six-month minimum salary contract of $22,000, initially, with eligibility based on age, or matches played plus Australian representation, and for which exemptions may be sought.

The maximum total base salary payment now at $655,000 and set at $690,995 next year will rise to $742,212 by 2026, with the minimum payments up from the current $590,000 to $611,300 and eventually $655,836. Part A, or marketing related deals, will double immediately to a cap of $40,000 per player and $160,000 per team.

Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan, speaks at the recent Australian Netball Awards. Picture: Getty Images

Other initiatives include the establishment of a Professional Netball Committee with formal ANPA representation “to work collaboratively through new opportunities for continued progress for athletes and the amplification of the league’’, and a new ANPA funding and governance model.

Coupled with the loss of more than $17 million in Federal Government funding, it is unclear where the poisonous dispute leading up to the long overdue agreement that has been dragged out since February leaves Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan and the embattled NA Board chaired by Wendy Archer, but it has been a bruising episode for all involved, and one from which the sport’s leadership may struggle to recover.

A formal announcement is due in the coming days, with both parties releasing statements on Friday night that no further public comments would be forthcoming in the meantime.

But the deal is done.

Which means that, long past when it should have been, Super Netball contracting for the almost 80 players who have agreed to deals will this week finally begin.

Originally published as Netball Australia and players have agreed to new CPA after bruising dispute