Marina Go tempted back to netball as chair of independent commission

Former Wests Tigers chair Marina Go will today be announced as chair of Super Netball’s brand new independent commission.

Marina Go will chair Super Netball’s new independent commission. Picture: Aaron Francis

Prominent corporate director and former Wests Tigers chair Marina Go will today be announced as chair of Super Netball’s new independent commission.

Go will head a commission established only last month to take commercial and strategic control of the league from governing body Netball Australia, the appointment coming a little more than two months after stepping down from her role at Wests Tigers.

She told The Australian she had been lured back to netball — having served a six-year term as Netball Australia’s first non-executive director ending in 2013 — due to its growing commercial potential as it attempts to stave off competition from new leagues established by male-dominated competitions like the AFL and NRL.

“Netball is the number one most trusted sport, and you have the situation at the moment where more dollars are going to some other less trusted sports out there,” Go said. “So we think we can help shift that mentality.

“Netball is already the biggest participation sport but has not always been the loudest about saying we should get more of a share. Super Netball is in a good position, we want to lead another step change in terms of the commercial aspect because we can see such tremendous commercial opportunities out there.”

Go pointed to the off-field turnaround she helped lead at Wests Tigers, who managed to break even financially for the 2018 season after previously making large losses, as proof of her successful sports business and governance experience.

She also pointed out netball had already been innovative in terms of both its league structure, which it launched with only Australian teams two years ago after previously being a trans-Tasman competition, and its commercial deals, including a revenue-share broadcast deal with the Nine Network and Telstra.

Super Netball remains wholly owned by Netball Australia, but the commission has been given the powers to self-govern and lead its own operations. The governing body’s move to establish the new competition in 2017, including having new teams affiliated with or operated by AFL clubs Collingwood and GWS Giants and NRL’s Melbourne Storm, and then clinch the broadcasting deals, saw its revenue almost double.

But Go stressed the sport could not be complacent despite its large participation numbers and the world-leading standard of play in Super Netball, as more sports looked to build professional women’s competitions and compete for sponsors. “There are other sports that are coming for us but we want to look at the opportunities with a challenger mentality rather than acting like a defensive incumbent,” she said.

Go also said netball should be seen as a sport that can deliver good candidates for board roles at others sports, and wants to help it grow its expertise in sports governance.

Asked why she wanted to rejoin sport after an at-times tumultuous stint at Wests Tigers, which saw her clash with NRL management but steer the club into a solid position off the field, Go said: “I love sport and sport can have such an impact on the community. It is something you probably don’t realise until you work in a sport.”

She will head a commission that includes outgoing Tourism Australia boss John O’Sullivan, Jetstar chief customer officer Catriona Larritt, Veritas Insights founder Gabbi Stubbs, Unscriptd co-founder Todd Deacon and Netball Australia chief executive Marne Fechner. One more commissioner will be appointed in the coming months.

Go is currently chair of Ovarian Cancer Australia and childcare marketplace platform Juggle Street, and also holds non-executive director roles at companies such as Energy Australia, 7-Eleven and Autosports Group. “Marina brings high-level leadership experience across a diverse range of industries,” Suncorp Super Netball CEO Chris Symington said.