Liz Ellis’ attempt to join Netball Australia board has been unsuccessful after year of tumult for the sport

She is highly regarded across sport, media and business but Liz Ellis has been unable to secure an NA board spot, writes LINDA PEARCE.

Former Diamonds captain Liz Ellis has been knocked back for a place on Netball Australia’s board. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Liz Ellis, the biggest name in Australian netball, has been rebuffed in her attempt to join the board of the embattled governing body, with the Netball Australia nominations committee instead choosing to reappoint incumbent directors Gabbi Stubbs and Todd Deacon for a second term.

As the sport prepares to farewell foundation Super Netball club Collingwood next weekend, Ellis was informed via an email from chair Wendy Archer on May 24 that Stubbs and Deacon were preferred given their “particular skills and expertise.’’

Ellis is a qualified lawyer who in 2020 chaired netball’s wide-ranging State of the Game Review, is the most capped player in Australian netball history and 2007 World Cup-winning captain after whom the player-of-year award is named. She is also a successful broadcaster, author, public speaker and businesswoman.

“I just want to help the sport and the place that I think I can best do that is on the Netball Australia board,’’ Ellis told CODE Sports.

“There’s lots of people ringing me, lots of fans on social, everyone’s asking me why on earth I’m not involved, and my answer is ‘I’m trying’. But unfortunately at the moment there doesn’t seem to be any room for me at the inn.

“It’s their call to make, and I’m disappointed, but I’ll keep putting my hand up, because I really do want to be involved with the sport at an administrative level.’’

After returning from a year travelling around Australia with her family, and before heading to the South African jungle to film — and win — the reality TV show “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!” Ellis first called Archer in March to enquire about the vacancy being created by Michael Thomson’s decision not to seek re-election.

Ellis (R) most recently won Channel 10’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Picture: Supplied

The 50-year-old was told that NA was seeking a candidate with more of a finance background, which she accepted.

“So I spoke to Wendy about the fact that there were two appointed directors whose positions were up for reappointment later in the year and expressed my interest. She made no promises, but we’ve got a good relationship and we had a nice conversation,’’ Ellis said.

“I hung up hopeful that she would work to find some space for me on the board.’’

Instead, Ellis was overlooked, having most recently been part of the consortium, led by entrepreneur and netball fan Matt Berriman, that sought to buy Super Netball last year. NA chose not to engage with the potential bid.

Payback, perhaps?

“I’d like to think that it’s not. I was simply on that ticket,’’ Ellis said. “So any time that someone comes to me and says they’ve got something that might be good for the sport, of course I’m interested and of course I’m willing to be involved …

“My involvement in the Berriman bid was about me wanting what’s best for the sport. So who knows? I can’t speak for the board, and no-one’s spoken to me about that.’’

Ellis has consistently been one of the strongest advocates for netball’s growth as a sport. Picture: Simon Fergusson/Getty Images

Ellis admits she has concerns for netball’s future, given its financial troubles, the schism between the players and administrators, last year’s Hancock sponsorship controversy and now the Collingwood exit, among other issues.

“At the moment there seems to be a sense of crisis about it. Whether that is true, or not, the fact of the matter is that that is the public perception, and the latest crisis with Collingwood just comes on the back of a lot of bad press for the sport in the last 12 months,” she said.

“So what I’d love to see is a long-term strategy for Super Netball that involved getting more capital into the competition, I’d love to see more positive news for the sport and I’d like to see that when netball’s talked about it’s talked about as one of the top tier sports in Australia, as a sport that is really respected and recognised as being out there doing great things.

“But unfortunately we’re just not seeing a lot of that at the moment. The press is around failed teams, around sponsorship issues, around money issues and that sort of stuff. It makes me nervous.’’

Ellis supported the belated appointment in March of her former teammate Mo’onia Gerrard as NA’s first Athlete Director, one of the recommendations of the State of the Game Review, and one which requires the successful candidate to have played within the last 10 years.

Ellis was a strong supporter of the appointment of former teammate Mo’onia Gerrard (L) as NA’s first Athlete Director. Picture: Phil Walter/Getty Images

“After a year away from the sport, travelling, I came back and was really enthusiastic to be involved. I saw that there’d been some issues and I feel like I’ve got the skill set to assist the sport through these issues,’’ Ellis said.

“Also the knowledge of the sport that I have through chairing through the State of the Game review, I thought would be quite useful to the board, especially as we go through some tricky periods renegotiating the Team Participation Agreements and the Collective Player Agreement and looking forward to the next broadcast deal.

“I’ve been told that the two board positions that were up for renewal, that the board on the advice of the Nominations Committee have decided to reappoint the incumbents. They are of course well within their rights to do that, but I can’t help feeling disappointed.’’

Archer has been contacted for comment.

Originally published as Liz Ellis’ attempt to join Netball Australia board has been unsuccessful after year of tumult for the sport