Netball Australia’s ‘disgusting’ leadership’ called out by Sharni Norder who says she would strike

Former Diamonds captain Sharni Norder has unloaded on Netball Australia’s handling of its finances, player relations and says if she was still playing she would have led strike action.

Sharni Norder. Picture: George Salpigtidis

Former Diamonds captain Sharni Norder has backed calls for Netball Australia to sell the Super Netball league if it cannot properly fund and grow the world’s best competition.

Norder said revelations from a News Corp investigation into the severity of the sport’s financial issues were concerning — not just for the future of Super Netball but because of the complete lack of transparency from head office.

Norder, who retired from netball after the opening Super Netball season in 2017, called the absence of financial transparency and communication with the playing group “disgusting” and said had she still been playing, she would have gone on strike such was the lack of respect for the athletes.

“If I was in the playing group, I would have gone on strike. Hands down — said ‘enough’s enough’,” she said. “What else needs to happen for them to take players seriously?

“When Kelly (NA chief executive Kelly Ryan) came in (last year), she promised to change and now hasn’t delivered. So she’s already lost the trust of all of them.

“Yet, they’ve still given her another chance.

Sharni Norder retired from netball in 2017.

“Kelly’s come in late, so I’m not saying things are her fault. I think she can handle things better (than has happened in the past).

“I think that her no bulls*** attitude can come in handy but not to the detriment of (the relationship) with the players.”

On top of the recent decision to sell the grand final without consulting the playing group, news of the severity of the league’s financial issues was a slap in the face.

“Where do these people come from that you can just go behind people’s backs and not consult your asset making you money and getting them on side,” Norder said.

“They don’t have to agree — and you need to be okay with disagreeing, as do the playing group.”

👀🤯🙈

Sell. The. League. https://t.co/fAEkziMbvq

— Sharni Norder (@SharniNorder) June 16, 2022

Norder was alarmed to learn the sport’s revenue had almost doubled from the final year of the Trans-Tasman competition, going from $15.8m in 2016 to $28.7m in 2020, when Super Netball played in a hub to battle Covid.

But the sport and Super Netball in particular was obviously living beyond its means.

“They need to make better business decisions and they’re not making better business decisions,” Norder said.

“For me, the only way netballers can make more money is if it goes private. It’s the only way we can keep up with the other sports because netball can’t afford to pay them any more.

“If the issue’s money, then sell your major asset — if you can’t afford it, give it to someone who can afford it and do really great things with it.

Norder has slammed the league for a lack of transparency and honesty with the players.

“They’re good at where they are now in regards to running it but I can’t see it growing from here. That’s where my fear comes in.”

Norder questions how long Netball Australia can continue living beyond its means.

“Are you better off putting all your time and energy into grassroots and Diamonds and allow someone else to run Super Netball?”

If the sport vowed to work with the players though, the parties could yet move on together.

“If they work with the playing group on what’s happening, we can move forward together,” she said. “But the decisions that have been made of late around not including players, there’s no other sport that I’m aware of that does that.

“I get that Netball Australia is a business but your players are your assets.

“You’ve only doubled your revenue because of your assets and you’re not consulting them on the decisions you’re making.”

Norder suggests NA sells the league.

HOW TO MOVE FORWARD?

But relationships will need to be mended for that to happen.

“The last thing that anyone wants is for the sport to go under. We just want change,” Norder said.

“I don’t know what it will take.”

Norder said while players were major stakeholders, they were not “consulted” on matters but told what to do.

“They’re not children, they’re adults, treat them like adults,” she said.

“I can’t speak for them but they all signed the (Australian Netball Players Association) letter saying they wanted culture change because they’re not being consulted.

“So you know, my words are that they’re being treated like school children but they are adults that need to be consulted, not told what to do.”

Action was needed, and quickly, in a situation Norder said was “drastic”.

“Netball is threatened at the moment by AFLW, by cricket, the Matildas are pumping and there’s so much more threat to the sport than there’s ever been,” she said.

“They’ve always been in a comfortable position where everyone was always going to play netball but that’s not the case now and everyone’s seeing that at grassroots level.

“They’re not going to see that at the top until it hits them. Don’t wait 10 years for us to be in strife. Make the change now. Get the players on board. Keep it pumping in the community and help create positive change - because there’s just no reason not to.”