Super Netball sacking: NSW Swifts part ways with star shooter Sam Wallace-Joseph

The NSW Swifts have officially axed Sam Wallace-Joseph. EMMA GREENWOOD has the details on how the messy split between the SSN club and its star shooter played out.

Sam Wallace-Joseph’s time at the Swifts is over. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

The NSW Swifts have parted ways with import shooter Sam Wallace-Joseph in an unprecedented move in the Super Netball era.

The move was widely predicted after the club released a statement earlier this week confirming Wallace-Joseph, who sat out the past two matches due to a “private matter” would continue to be unavailable for selection due to an issue relating to “behaviour within the team environment”.

The club released a statement on Thursday night, confirming it had parted ways with Wallace-Joseph “by mutual agreement”.

How did it get to this point and what are the ramifications if a club cuts a player part way through a season?

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“For the past number of weeks, the club has been working with Samantha Wallace-Joseph

and her management in relation to a matter which concerned her behaviour within the team

environment,“ the statement said.

“For the wellbeing of all concerned the nature of the matter will remain confidential. However,

it has been mutually agreed that parting ways is the best way forward for both Samantha

and the club.

“The behavioural standard expected of everyone in the Swifts environment – across players,

coaches and staff – is team first and there are no exceptions to that.“

Neither the Swifts nor Wallace-Joseph’s management would release any details about the matter, however, the club confirmed earlier this week it was unrelated to the anti-trans social media post earlier this year for which she was counselled and underwent training with Proud2Play.

Speculation she simply fell out with teammates is also understood to be wide of the mark, with her behaviour understood to be outside the ethos and standards of the team.

Wallace-Joseph played 84 games for the Swifts since joining in the inaugural season of Super Netball in 2017 and won premierships in 2019, where she was grand final MVP, and 2021.

It’s a particularly sad situation for the club given the entire tight-knit team were at Wallace-Joseph’s wedding earlier this year, with two of the players bridesmaids.

“The Swifts thank Samantha for her service to the club,” the statement said.

“The club will be making no further comment at this time.”

Originally published as Super Netball sacking: NSW Swifts part ways with star shooter Sam Wallace-Joseph