Young Aussie goalshooter Kiera Austin warns large import numbers in Super Netball League will hurt Diamonds
Aussie netball will face a major crisis if young players are continually overlooked in favour of star imports in Australia’s Super League, according to one of the country’s brightest prospects.
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Young shooter Kiera Austin has called for a cap on imports in Australia’s Super Netball League as the country’s rising talent is forced to warm the bench or chase opportunities overseas.
While the unlimited import policy has attracted the world’s best players to Australia, it’s made it tough for local shooters to break into netball’s top tier.
Almost half — 10 of 25 — Super Netball (SSN) shooters are international players and last season they locked down half of the shooting positions in the league.
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With current and former Diamonds also in the mix, it means less opportunities for up-and-coming shooters.
“It’s making it incredibly hard for a lot of young shooters to get on — you can see that in a lot of teams,” Austin said.
“Sophie Garbin at the Swifts is under two internationals.
“It’s good for us to learn but it’s very difficult to get court time. I do think that there has to be some sort of limit.”
Outgoing Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander wanted to restrict import numbers when the cap was introduced in 2017, but she was overruled.
“Our own high-performance department talked about how we wanted a restriction of two per team, but our board sought fit to make it unlimited imports,” Alexander said.
“It’s also tougher for the athletes coming through, there’s less spots for them. So, in fact, in the next couple of years, we will really need to examine that carefully.”
Austin, 22, is part of the Diamonds’ extended squad and is widely tipped to be one of Australia’s next shooters, but the GWS Giant struggles for playing time in the domestic league over international teammates Jo Harten (England) and Caitlin Bassett (Australia).
“Having the past two years where I’ve only come on in dribs and drabs, you need that link between domestic and international, otherwise not having any touch, at that level of play, makes it very hard for you to quickly fill in the spot,” Austin said.
“I think it does dampen the confidence.
While the internationals have created a world-class netball league, the import free-for-all could eventually weaken the national side.
“It’s definitely a hot topic,” Austin said ahead of the Diamonds facing the Suncorp Super Netball All-Stars in a bushfire relief charity match at Qudos Bank Arena next Sunday.
“There will be a time when CBass (Caitlin Bassett) will retire, where the current goal-shooting Diamonds are towards the mid-to-late end of their career. So if there isn’t some sort of bridge between them and us coming through, it’s going to be difficult to maintain the Diamonds’ level.”
Diamonds skipper and long-term goal shooter Bassett got her big break as a 16-year-old for the Perth Orioles in 2005.
Austin’s former Giants teammate Georgia Marshall missed a SSN contract last year and has taken her game to New Zealand’s ANZ Premiership this year.
Austin expects that if young shooters can’t get a run, they will follow suit.
“If that’s where you’re getting court time, that’s essentially what us as netballers want to be doing, there’s only so many years you can stay in one spot and sit on the bench behind someone,” Austin said.
“There definitely could be a dip in depth for Australian shooters if they all go elsewhere.”
Like Austin, NSW Swifts young shooter Sophie Garbin battles for court time over internationals Sam Wallace (Trinidad/Tobago) and Helen Housby (England).
But she is nevertheless relishing the chance to learn from the world’s best netballers.
“I do think it’s definitely a lot harder, but for me, when I do get on court and I’m playing, I’m on court over another international. So when you’re there, it’s such a good achievement,” Gardin said.
“I’ve learnt so much from them on and off the court — being able to play with and against them has definitely made me a better player.”
The outgoing Alexander admitted it’s much harder these days for Australian shooters to get their foot into the domestic league.
“Is that going to restrict us having and finding the next Caitlin Bassett? I hope not, but we’re obviously going to have to keep a close eye on that.”
But axing the unlimited import cap isn’t the best solution, according to the World Cup and Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning coach.
Alexander, who has coached Australia since 2011 before it was announced this month Netball Australia would not be extending her contract, believes this country’s netball governing body should create more incentives for SSN clubs to give Australian athletes court time and opportunities.
“When you want to win SSN titles, when coaches have that expectation on them to win, that will point their mind less to development and more to players who are ready to go. That is the big conundrum for Netball Australia to address in the future,” Alexander said.
Originally published as Young Aussie goalshooter Kiera Austin warns large import numbers in Super Netball League will hurt Diamonds
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