- Exclusive
- Sport
- Netball
- Super Netball
This was published 9 months ago
From legal threats to pay offer in three days, but players reject Netball Australia offer
By Carla Jaeger
Australian netballers have rejected an interim deal from Netball Australia for an immediate pay rise and back pay to Super Netball players.
Netball great Liz Ellis described the offer tabled on Wednesday, first revealed by this masthead, as offensive and voiced concerns the relationship between the governing body and players had become so “poisoned” it would be unlikely any sort of meaningful deal could be made.
The Australian Diamonds celebrate their World Cup victory in August.Credit: Getty
Speaking on The Project on Wednesday, Ellis said: “The players’ biggest bargaining chip is not turning up to work, and Netball Australia are saying, ‘you release that bargaining chip, and you go back to work, and we’re going to give you almost everything you want, and the stuff that’s really sticky, we’ll work that out later.’ ”
Netballers’ union boss Kathryn Harby-Williams said the association would meet Netball Australia to discuss the possibility of a full deal, which would include the players’ request for a partial revenue share model.
Ellis said: “The players are standing strong and saying ‘actually no, we want to talk about this revenue share model, this partnership model.’ And the players are really serious about being custodians of the game, they’re not going to send the game broke.
“My only concern now is that the relationship is so poisoned between the two parties that we may not end up with any sort of meaningful agreement in the near future.”
The offer on Wednesday came after Diamonds defender Jo Weston and former Diamonds vice-captain Steph Wood spoke of the impact of the sport’s year-long pay battle, which has Wood questioning her future in the sport.
The offer included an 11 per cent pay increase and back pay from October 1. These terms were proposed by the governing body during negotiations. However, a deal could not be reached between the two parties because they disagree over a revenue share model.
The Australian Netball Players Association met players to discuss its response on Wednesday afternoon.
Weston, the president of the netballers’ association, criticised the offer following the meeting.
Liz Ellis has voiced her concerns over the relationship between players and the governing body.Credit: Getty Images
“Where is the revenue share component that the players have been asking for? Only 11 per cent increase to the minimum wage not the entire salary cap,” she wrote on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
The offer from Netball Australia came just days after Super Netball players boycotted the Australian Netball Awards over the dispute.
While the relationship between Netball Australia and its players has become increasingly adversarial, tensions reached new heights after Netball Australia sent legal notices to the Australian Diamonds, threatening action if they did not attend the awards.
Netball Australia boss Kelly Ryan said she hoped the proposal would provide players with certainty and stability.
Diamonds player Jo Weston.Credit: Jason South
“We have listened to the players and their need for financial certainty right now,” she said.
“This offer we have put forward would allow them to be paid immediately, while we continue negotiations with ANPA on building a financial model for the league.”
Weston spoke before NA’s offer about the burden created by the lengthy pay battle.
“It’s hard to concentrate, it’s hard to focus. You’ve got no security in that, and then, I guess, in the last however many months for me, training is now a second priority for a lot of our group. Work takes priority,” said Weston, who works as a netball coach.
Netball Australia boss Kelly Ryan says the offer provides security for players.Credit: Getty Images
Wood, who announced her retirement from international netball in August, is among the players who has been out of contract and unpaid for eight weeks .
“I am an older athlete, I recently got married – is it time for me to walk away? But underlying [that] is I love the sport, and I know what we’re fighting for is for the benefit of future generations of players, or young girls who come through and play our sport.”
The Sunshine Lightning captain debuted for the national team in 2016, and in that time earned gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and led the side to victory at this year’s World Cup.
“It’s been really tough. Not only the financial impact it does have. I play team sport for a reason, and I love to be around my teammates, I love to be able to work towards a common goal. For us to not be able to do that at the moment is really, really tough and has made me question where I sit in the sport,” Wood said.
The positions on either side have not shifted. The playing group has proposed a hybrid revenue and profit share model, which would mean 20 per cent of any money generated from sponsorship deals above what is forecast would go to the players.
Netball Australia is adamant that any form of revenue share is not viable.
“We’re looking for a genuine partnership. One which incentivised the players in a way we can work collaboratively, together. I feel we can meet an agreement, but at this point, we’re reaching a long way to a hand that is not outstretched,” Weston said before the NA offer.
Earlier this week Ellis took to Instagram to express her anger about NA’s letter warning Diamonds players that they could face legal action if they did not attend the dinner.
“As a former Diamonds captain, I cannot believe that the governing body of the sport I love would treat its Diamonds ambassadors for netball with such callous regard,” Ellis wrote.
Weston added: “Everyone was looking forward to attending [the awards] if we could reach some sort of draft agreement, that’s what we went into the room hoping for.
“But in terms of what transpired, none of us really felt comfortable attending an event with all the executives and part of the board considering the broader playing group hadn’t been paid for over eight weeks.”
Diamonds players were due to attend the Australian Institute of Sport performance awards in Melbourne on Wednesday night, at which they were nominated as team of the year after winning the World Cup for the 12th time.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.