Suncorp Super Netball pre-season games in Mackay to help build stadium

Mackay’s netballing community is hoping the pre-season matches between Queensland Firebirds and Collingwood Magpies will help fast-track the region’s netball stadium plans.

Mackay’s netballing community will get its first chance to watch elite teams in the flesh when Queensland Firebirds host Collingwood Magpies in the Super Netball pre-season.

But the sugar city is ready to ensure the temporary visit soon extends into a more permanent fixture.

Netball is one of Mackay’s fastest-growing sports, with more than 1600 players across the region taking the court in social and competitive teams.

But Mackay Netball Association is missing a major piece of its redevelopment plans after resurfacing its courts – an indoor court.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson said plans were in the early stages to put a roof over some of the South Mackay courts.

“There was a huge investment in resurfacing all of the courts a couple of years ago and putting the lights system in, so now it’s a great outdoor arena,” he said.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson at the announcement of two pre-season Suncorp Super Netball matches between Queensland Firebirds and Collingwood Magpies, January 25, 2022. Picture: Matthew Forrest

“What we need right now, for netball in the Mackay region, is to have a covered arena here.

“Where you can see elite-level sport being played then the next question is ‘why isn’t it being played here’, so hopefully it will expedite the process.”

In the first significant hit out for the year, Queensland Firebirds will face Collingwood Magpies in back-to-back pre-season matches ahead of the Suncorp Super Netball season.

Mackay Netball Association competitions board member Lyn Law said the next natural step for the sport in Mackay would be to build a netball-specific stadium.

“It’s very vital the way the climate is and the way sport is in Mackay, we need to have an undercover area just for these courts,” she said.

“We can’t light four of these courts because they’re inside the exclusion zone for the airport, so having a roof over them means we can light them, put fans in and so forth.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson, Netball Mackay board member Lyn Law, and Netball Mackay president Allison Bugeja at the announcement of two pre-season Suncorp Super Netball matches between Queensland Firebirds and Collingwood Magpies, January 25, 2022. Picture: Matthew Forrest

“But the biggest problem we have is we don’t have a venue big enough to bring the Firebirds or the Diamonds to Mackay, we actually need a purpose-built netball stadium to actually do that.

“We have started talks with the council because it’s going to take a lot of dollars and organising, but if we don’t start and get the ball rolling it’ll be beyond my lifetime.”

It will be Mackay’s first taste of professional netball in the sugar city, with a double-header to land at the region’s feet on February 10 and 11.

Firebirds general manager Demelza Fellowes said the double-header provided the sport a foothold into the region, with potential to expand in future seasons.

Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson at the announcement of two pre-season Suncorp Super Netball matches between Queensland Firebirds and Collingwood Magpies, January 25, 2022. Picture: Matthew Forrest

“We love to play in the regions and in previous iterations we’ve been able to take games regularly up to Townsville, so it’s an ongoing conversation to see how this venue in Mackay can host that standard of game,” she said.

“There are certain specifications that venues need to be able to deliver on that sort of stuff, but it’s so important to get out to the regions.

“There’s no reason why we can’t make it a regular opportunity and to bring a proper fixture up here as well, you’ve got a wonderful airport here and all the types of accessibility that we can deliver good quality events with.

“My intent is to make sure we keep bringing games up here as much as we can, starting with these ones.”

The ‘Battle of the Birds’ will land at Mackay Multi-Sports Stadium on Thursday, February 10 in a 6pm clash, before following up the next night for another 6pm Friday match.

Originally published as Suncorp Super Netball pre-season games in Mackay to help build stadium