Netball NSW exploring proposal to offload Giants license to powerful local club
The Giants are set to play their final game under the ownership of Netball NSW, with the state body confirming an external party is chasing the club’s Super Netball licence.
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The Giants are set to play their final game under the ownership of Netball NSW, with the state body confirming it was “exploring the proposal” of an external party about the club’s Super Netball licence.
It’s understood the powerful Mounties Group has appealed to Netball NSW to take over the Giants.
Mounties launched NSW Premier League club South West Mounties Magic in 2023 in a partnership between the group’s health and wellbeing offering, Mounties Care and Liverpool City Netball Association, giving a pathway for players from U6 to state league in the southwest Sydney area.
And Mounties’ ownership of the Giants would provide a seamless pathway to Super Netball level.
Netball NSW holds the licence for both the state’s Super Netball sides, the long-established Swifts, and the Giants, who were formed ahead of the launch of the elite competition in 2017.
But the state body was not looking to offload the Giants, with rumours of the demise of the club wide of the mark.
“Netball NSW can confirm it has been approached by an external party regarding interest in the Suncorp Super Netball Team License which Netball NSW holds in relation to Giants Netball and is exploring this proposal,” the state body said in a statement.
“Our commitment first and foremost is to our Giants athletes, coaches, wider staff and commercial stakeholders while we explore this proposal so the Club can remain focused on the remaining 2025 Suncorp Super Netball season and planning for the 2026 competition.”
The Giants play their final fixture of the season at their Ken Rosewall Arena base, where they will farewell co-captain and foundation player Jo Harten.
Veteran coach Julie Fitzgerald and five other players are off contract at the end of the season.
Unlike the former Collingwood Super Netball club, whose licence was handed back to Netball Australia by the AFL giant in 2023, the Giants are not owned by the AFL club.
Rather, the club, formed ahead of the launch of Super Netball in 2017 under the ownership of Netball NSW, formed a strategic partnership with the Giants, the AFL club lending their name, colours and logo to the new entity in a bid to help gain traction in a market in which Sydney rivals the Swifts already had significant roots.
It is unclear whether the AFL club would continue its involvement if the Mounties were to take over the licence.
Being owned by the state body has benefits but there have also been challenges with the clubs sharing resources and space at Netball Central with the Swifts.
They have made two grand finals in their relatively short history, including in the inaugural Super Netball season but have struggled to gain a large tribal following, something that could change under the Mounties banner given the Group’s membership base of more than 250,000.
Originally published as Netball NSW exploring proposal to offload Giants license to powerful local club
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