Super Netball: Geva Mentor to return to England amid player contract issues

Geva Mentor’s decision to quit Australia and return to play in England reveals the true extent of anxiety and stress that Netball Australia’s incompetence has imposed on players.

The chaos surrounding Super Netball contracting has claimed its first – and likely biggest – scalp, with star defender Geva Mentor to return to England.

Mentor, already the most experienced athlete in Super Netball with 232 games since her debut with the Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2008, had hoped to ink one more deal in Australia which would almost certainly have made her the all-time national league games leader.

But the collapse of the Collingwood Magpies, combined with Netball Australia’s (NA) tardiness in naming the replacement franchise, left Mentor with no option but to accept an English deal before the Super League signing window closes on July 14.

The move reveals the true extent of anxiety and stress players are facing due to ongoing uncertainty over the still-unnamed eighth franchise set to replace Collingwood from next season, and the opening of the signing window given there are still no Team Participation Agreements (TPAs) signed by clubs and no Collective Player Agreement (CPA) in place.

Geva Mentor is set to leave Super Netball.

“I hadn’t fully realised what we’d gone through until I’ve been able to step right away from it and just take some ‘R&R’ and be able to reflect and process what we actually went through – and I don’t wish that upon any athlete,” Mentor said from her home town of Bournemouth earlier this week before jetting out for the World Cup with the England Roses.

“And then to add the uncertainty of not having a TPA and a CPA and the league searching for this eighth franchise just adds to the drama and the stress.”

Mentor’s move could come as a shock to NA, which had believed warnings from several player managers over their clients eyeing England deals to be a case of agents crying wolf given the inferior money on offer.

But with the Super Netball signing window to remain closed until after the World Cup unless the eighth team is named, TPAs signed by all clubs and a CPA in place by close of business Friday – in just over 24 hours’ time – players are valuing certainty over cash.

Mentor’s manager Trent Tavoletti had received notice of intent to make Mentor an offer from a Super Netball club, while it’s likely an eighth franchise would have been interested in building around a player with her experience and leadership qualities.

Geva Mentor has been a household name since enjoying success with Adelaide Thunderbirds.

“Any new franchise would build that club around her and she had that experience to build it, so in my view, that’s what would have happened,” Tavoletti said.

“But obviously, it’s too late and a decision needed to be made, so we made the decision to head off to the UK Super League.”

Tavoletti, managing director of Apex Netball Agency, who has several Super Netball players in his stable, said for Mentor to be lost to the sport in Australia was a massive shame.

“Geva’s big decision was based on the fact that she couldn’t be guaranteed a contract on a notice of intent and she couldn’t be guaranteed a contract with the new club,” he said.

“And with a decision deadline of July 14 in the UK, it was too much of a gamble to wait for the Super Netball signing window to open.

“At the end of the day, she wants to continue to play.”

Geva Mentor in action for England in a match against New Zealand.

Mentor has taken a significant pay cut to play in England but the certainty of getting the deal done has trumped dollars, especially after going through the wringer of the Magpies collapse.

“I was grateful enough that being part of Collingwood, I was able to field a few conversations with different franchises (about) potential (deals) for next year – not just in Australia, but New Zealand I had some discussions there – but I’m someone who likes to plan and likes to know what’s happening and at the end of the day netball is just a smaller cog in the bigger picture,” said Mentor, who will now be much closer to France-based partner Florian Christ.

“So it was important for me to get something locked in and that’s why I now choose the English Super League over them all.

“I ideally wanted to spend another year or two in Australia before I made the move back over to the UK but this has just forced my hand a little bit earlier than I expected and it is because of this uncertainty.

“Where is this eighth franchise is going to be; where’s the league going; what’s happening with the competition?

“I do believe that it will stand strong on its two feet eventually but I just think this year certainly hasn’t helped.”

After 16 seasons playing at the top level in Australia and winning premierships with the Thunderbirds, Melbourne Vixens and Sunshine Coast Lightning, the contracting debacle means one the league’s greats has left Aussie shores without the opportunity to farewell fans.

“It’s sad that I’m unable to have a real good farewell to the Australian community that have been so supportive of me seeing that I’m retiring from international duties after the World Cup and won’t be on the Australian shores as of next year,” Mentor said.

“I think that’s probably the saddest part. I’ve grown to feel a connection with the community over the years and they’ve been so supportive of myself and everything I’ve done and the teams that I’ve been a part of, so that’s probably the biggest shame.”