Netball Australia clean out continues but push for CEO hunt to be put on pause
Netball Australia board members are slowly stepping down - paving the way to a full reset, but should the search for a new CEO be put on hold? Two former Diamonds coaches think so - find out why inside.
Netball Australia has hit control, alt, delete in a bid to erase what has been a tumultuous couple of years – but two former Diamonds coaches say the button the board should be scrambling for is pause.
The clean slate is something many involved with netball in the country have called for following a troubled two years book-ended by financial crisis, a $15 million sponsorship debacle and a very public, drawn out, player contract negotiations process last year.
CEO Kelly Ryan departed in December.
Board director Jane Seawright had left in October. Former chair Marina Go slipped out quietly in December. She was followed by deputy Chair John O’Sullivan earlier this month.
Wendy Archer, who replaced Go as Chair in 2022 – announced on Wednesday she would step down from the top job at the AGM in May – but planned to keep her spot on the board until her tenure was up in 2025.
Lisa Alexander, Australia’s longest serving national netball coach, said it was a small step in the right direction but noted, unlike the other board members, Archer was not resigning entirely.
“I’ve made it quite clear that I believe the whole board that was part of the previous CEO’s tenure needs to go,” Alexander said.
“We have heard that people are not putting their hand up for the CEO job because the board hasn’t changed. If we’re not getting the top candidates going for the position because of this, then that is a major concern.”
Alexander said she could appreciate how hard it is to step away from a role – especially one someone is passionate about and has put so much time and effort into.
“I’m not saying (Archer) hasn’t done great things for the sport because she has, but we have to understand when our time is up,” she said.
“Just like I had to understand my time was up back in 2020, I had to see the writing on the wall and a new Diamonds coach was needed. We don’t get to do these jobs forever, we are custodians and sometimes things like this have to happen for the good of the sport.
“We understand these people have put in a lot of work and effort however they have to be responsible for what happened, and what happened was a CEO was appointed who oversaw some crises and brought the game embarrassment and did now show as in the professional madder that everyone seeks for us to be.”
HITTING RESET
With the board in the process of being cleaned out and replaced, Netball Australia is now in the precarious position of starting fresh.
While the focus should rightly be on creating financial stability and growing the game, Alexander and triple world championship winning coach Joyce Brown agree there should be no rush to name a new CEO.
The process of selecting a new CEO is being kept tightly guarded by Netball Australia. Applications are understood to have closed earlier this month and there has been no confirmation of when the board plans to make a decision.
Alexander and Brown hope it doesn’t happen until after the May AGM and the board clean out is completed.
“Netballers love rushing decisions,” Alexander said.
“We are three-second people. But this does not need to be rushed at the moment. It can be done as soon as the new board gets in.
“Yes they have already done a process but surely they can just pause the process for a while and wait until this meeting takes place.
“I know the business of netball needs to go on, there is a lot of things happening, but they have an interim CEO in Stacey West who is reportedly doing a great job.
“So what is the rush to appoint a new CEO?”
Brown shared the same thoughts.
“I feel there should be a few more changes on the board so that the new board could make the decision on who the next CEO will be and not the board that has shown it was not quite up to it at the time,” Brown said.
“I think it’s a good idea to wait until the new board is in position.”
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