Super Netball 2023: Clubs line up to replace Collingwood Magpies

With Collingwood conducting a review into its netball operations, the Magpies’ future is clouded – but there are others ready to step up quickly if required.

Netball Australia wants Collingwood to remain in the Super Netball competition but if the club decides to hand back its licence, there are plenty of contenders waiting in the wings.

NA chief executive Kelly Ryan is “extremely confident” a new consortium could step in and be ready to run a club in just months if the Magpies were to pull out of the competition.

The Magpies had held preliminary discussions with NA over the past few weeks, informing the governing body that they were going to assess their netball program.

Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan is confident a new team will be up and running in time for next season if Collingwood netball folds. Photo: Getty Images

But it’s understood head office was as blindsided by Tuesday’s developments as the Magpies players and staff who were called to a meeting by Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly, who informed them that a formal review would be undertaken to determine whether the club fielded a Super Netball side next year.

“We’ve had a meeting in the last couple of weeks that suggested that they were reviewing their program,” Ryan said.

“And I would expect that as well to a certain extent with new leadership in a club that they would re-evaluate all sorts of areas of the business.”

While the Collingwood program is certainly on its knees, no decision has been made yet and Ryan hoped the club could remain in the competition.

“We’d love to see Collingwood remain,” she said.

“We think that they’re a strong sporting entity, without a doubt, so we would love to see them continue in the competition but we also understand that that’s entirely a decision for them.

“So we will work closely with them over the next little period and see what happens beyond that.”

Collingwood boss Craig Kelly held discussions with Magpies players and staff on Tuesday morning. Photo: Getty Images

While new Team Participation Agreements are being negotiated for 2024 and beyond, current teams do not have to officially reapply for their licence.

“Our starting preference is that the existing eight have full right to the next iteration,” Ryan said.

“We talk with the eight, we work with the eight, we discuss the make-up of those licences for the next time period directly with all eight.

“We have not had any conversations with anyone outside that eight.”

But in discussing possible expansion of the competition with News Corp in the past, Ryan has said interested parties were “constantly” contacting the national body to advise of their interest.

Super Netball’s broadcast deal with Fox Sports is contingent on eight teams taking part. Picture: Jason Edwards

Super Netball’s broadcast deal with Fox Sports is contingent on an eight-team competition and Ryan was in no doubt a start-up could be ready in time for the 2024 season if it came to that.

“Extremely confident. We have certainly had a number of conversations with interested stakeholders over the last couple of years,” she said.

“We’ve always just been very adamant that when the timing’s right, we’ll engage properly in those conversations.

“So we’re not starting from scratch, put it that way.”

Should Collingwood decide to hand in its licence, NA would engage with those entities.

“We will work through a process very quickly. That’s in everyone’s best interest, players, especially and staff, to have that certainty around what happens next.

“Obviously, it’s it becomes the number one priority for us.”

Originally published as Super Netball 2023: Clubs line up to replace Collingwood Magpies