Netball stars find ally in CPA pay dispute as Cricket players create financial support fund

Australian women’s cricket captain Alyssa Healy has spoken out in favour of the nation’s elite netballers - and she’s putting her money where her mouth is.

Led by Australian Cricketers' Association CEO Todd Greenberg, cricket has declared it won’t stand by and watch netballers being frozen out by their bosses. Picture: Getty Images

Unemployed netballers locked in a bitter pay dispute have found an unlikely ally, with Australia’s cricket stars digging into their own pockets to offer them financial assistance.

In an extraordinary act of cross-code solidarity, the Australian Cricketers Association have pledged to create a six-figure ‘fighting fund’ for desperate netballers to access and help pay the bills during their ugly feud with Netball Australia.

Cricketers haven’t forgotten their own pay war with Cricket Australia back in 2017 and have decided to financially back netballers fighting for their own version of a revenue share model with Netball Australia.

Details of the ‘fighting fund’ are still to be worked out, but essentially netballers who have fallen on hard times will be able to access a pool of money provided by cricket to help make ends meet.

AS FEMALE ATHLETES, WE’RE TRYING TO STAND UP

Australian women’s cricket captain Alyssa Healy threw her support behind the nation’s netballers, some of whom are trying to represent Australia in the Constellation Cup series against New Zealand in the midst of the ugly drama.

“From my point of view, we went through all of this in 2017. I was a part of that. There was a big fight at the time about revenue-share and what it was going to do to the game and how it was going to operate,” Healy said.

Cricket star refuses to believe Netball Australia’s claims that the sport is struggling financially. Picture: Getty Images

“Standing here six years later and looking at how the last MOU negotiations went, how smoothly they went, meant it’s clearly working. I’m speaking on our side. I think netball have to work out what’s best for them.

“At the end of the day, it’s nice to see the ACA looking at ways to help netballers at the moment. I mean, there’s girls that are uncontracted, they’re unemployed at the moment. They’re struggling to get rental agreements, pay their mortgages, whatever it might be.

“As female athletes, we’re trying to stand up and help them in any way we can and use our voice a little bit. Hopefully it helps.

“I’m not across the whole scenario in-depth, netball might tell me to go away. But at the same time, I think it’s sad to see, for me what was the pinnacle women’s sport in the country, going through what it is at the moment. I just want to see that the players are supported.”

THE ACA STANDS WITH NETBALLERS

It is virtually unheard of for athletes in one sport to give up money for counterparts in a completely different code, but led by ACA chief executive Todd Greenberg and in consultation with stars like Alyssa Healy, cricket has declared it won’t stand by and watch netballers being frozen out by their bosses.

“Much like our female players in 2017, the netballers at the moment are leaning on friends and family for financial support,” Greenberg said.

“What is disappointing is that the netballers’ requests are modest and affordable for the sport.

“The ACA believes they should be given the same partnership opportunities as our players – the same opportunities that has seen cricket thrive.

“The ACA stands with the netballers and will do so until this campaign is successful.”

Led by Australian Cricketers' Association CEO Todd Greenberg, cricket has declared it won’t stand by and watch netballers being frozen out by their bosses. Picture: Getty Images

Cricket Australia attempted to break up cricket’s revenue share model six years ago, before player power won out and a system was set in stone where cricketers are partners in the game.

Now netball is locked in a similar dispute showing no sign of resolution, with the Netball Players Association claiming players have “bent over backwards” only to be offered an “unfair” deal by Netball Australia.

Currently, the country’s Super Netballers are unemployed after contracts expired on September 30 as players’ demands a hybrid revenue share model which would give netballers a fair share of the sport’s forecast sponsorship revenue.

ANPA chief, Kathryn Harby-Williams thanked Australia’s cricketers for their generosity and support. Picture: Getty Images

ANPA chief, Kathryn Harby-Williams thanked Australia’s cricketers for joining them in a fight they didn’t need to involve themselves in.

“Australian netballers are brave and resilient people. When your minimum wage is $40,000 you have to show a lot of courage to take a stand,” Harby-Williams said.

“That’s why this expression of support is so welcome. It lets the netballers know they are not alone.”

Originally published as Netball stars find ally in CPA pay dispute as Cricket players create financial support fund