Netball Australia chair Wendy Archer addresses CEO Kelly Ryan’s resignation

Netball’s brutal pay war claimed Kelly Ryan as a victim after the fact, but despite chair Wendy Archer confirming her role had become untenable, Ryan appeared to have the board’s backing.

Netball Australia’s board was making no move to sack outgoing chief executive Kelly Ryan despite chair Wendy Archer confirming her role had become untenable.

Ryan’s immediate resignation was accepted by the board on Tuesday morning and it seems she could be the only casualty – immediately anyway – of the toxic pay war with players.

Archer said neither she, as chair, nor any of her board members were considering stepping down despite backing Ryan’s actions which have so brutally wounded NA’s relationship with its elite playing group.

Archer was adamant there had been no conversations about sacking the CEO, meaning the board had not resolved to move against Ryan despite a resolution from players to meet to determine whether they had confidence in the leadership of the sport.

“We haven’t had a discussion, this was purely Kelly’s decision,” Archer said.

“And as a board, we respected that decision.”

Netball Australia chair Wendy Archer (R).

Archer has not considered resigning and had no expectation of mass resignations from her board despite what many regard as a lack of oversight – at least during the bitter pay negotiations of the past year.

“Look, I think any negotiation can be very difficult and yes, I agree ours has been very protracted,” Archer said.

“Did anybody want that? No, I don’t think so.

“The board are very united and supported Kelly. And I think that, you know, with her decision being made, the board is now supporting that decision and now we will look forward to working with the Players Association, who I’ve already spoken to, and moving forward to heal the sport, which is what needs to happen.”

Archer is “very confident” that relationship can be mended but several sources contacted by Code Sports believe that without change on the board that cannot happen given the near mortal wounds sustained recently.

Apart from the players, Code Sports has been informed by several sources over the past year of widespread dissatisfaction from several stakeholders in the game’s leaders.

But Archer denied there had been direct feedback that relationships with Ryan were damaged beyond repair.

“Not specifically from people, no,” she said when asked if other stakeholder relationships had become unworkable.

More interested in moving forward that reflecting on the past, Archer believes stronger communication and engagement with all the game’s stakeholders is vital to mending fractured relationships.

Tensions have been high between the governing body and the players. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

“I’ve already started connecting with people and talking with people,” she said.

“And that will continue by all of us.

“I think everybody has to take responsibility (for fractured relationships). Everybody sitting at the table has played a role in the events of the last little while.

“I don’t want to focus on what has happened. We need to learn the lessons from what has happened and we need to be looking forward so that we can work together in order to heal our sport and continue to grow it.”

Archer said Ryan would be remembered as a strong and resilient leader who guided the sport through an extremely difficult time during Covid.

And she did not expect recent events to affect the quality of candidates that would apply to become her replacement despite the sport’s recent challenges.

“I would like to think that we will attract some outstanding candidates,” she said.

“The sport has a lot going for it. Yes, we’ve come out of a difficult period but all parties are willing to work together to help the sport grow and move forward.

“So I am confident that we will get an outstanding candidate.”

Originally published as Netball Australia chair Wendy Archer addresses CEO Kelly Ryan’s resignation