October 23, 2023 • 35 mins
Netball is far and beyond the most popular team sport for women and girls in Australia, but the game is in a very real crisis. Our most elite Super Netball players haven't been paid in weeks. It's the latest chapter in an ongoing pay dispute, which began in February and remains in a stalemate. So, what are the players asking for, is it fair and, importantly, is it viable?
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Two Good Sports would like to acknowledge the traditional owners
of the land on which we record this podcast that
will run dury people. This land was never seated, always was,
always will be. Hello and welcome to two Good Sports
Sports news told differently. I'm Georgie Tune.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
You're given that to Mayo. I'm Abby Delmian. On today's show.
Netball is far and beyond our most popular team sport
for women and girls in Australia, and they've got the
stats to prove it, George. So we're talking data from
twenty twenty two showing that eight hundred and thirty eight
thousand women and girls bibbed up last year. It's a
huge number. That's wapping three hundred and ninety seven thousand
(00:42):
more than the next.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Oh my gosh, wow, would you put it in perspective
like that?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's really good. Also, how good was my whistle just then?
I'll really worried what was gonna come out? It's stunning.
But this checks out because when you think about our youth,
every girl that you knew played netball either through school
or junior years. It is far and beyond our most
popular girls sport. So why and how in a time
where women's sport, you could argue in Australia, has never
(01:05):
been in a better position. It is thriving Ala Matilda's think.
Our cricketers, everyone is doing really well. Why is it
that our elite in netball are not getting paid? And
we don't mean not getting paid what they deserve, we
mean they're not getting paid at all.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
There is a stalemate going on at the moment in
this sport.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
It's ugly.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It's dragging into the spotlight the very real issues facing
super netball, its finances, its popularity, and the volatility that
exists between every major stakeholder in the sport of netball.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
The longer this goes on, the more damaging it's going
to be for the sport.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Words of Queen Liz words to live by. If Liz
Ellis is telling you that there is something wrong in
the game of netball, to which she loves so dear,
you might want to listen. Could we see your time
when we do not have a netball competition domestically in Australia.
What are the players asking for? Is it fair or
perhaps more importantly, is it viable? That's coming up after
(02:04):
the headlines.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Headline one, Yes it is she's doying again. Twelve one
hundred's quicker than her previous best from twenty twenty one.
Forget that. Twenty twenty three, we have a new world
record in the fifty and a new world record in
the one hundred in the space of twenty four hours.
Two good sports let to issue a formal apology to
(02:31):
Kelly McEwen because last week we're talking about the most
prominent Australian athletes in the world and.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
We just let one little lady slide who is a
three time world record holder over the backstroke and keeps
breaking record. She holds the fifty, she holds the one hundred,
she holds the two hundred, just quietly and confidently getting
it done.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
So sorry, Oscar, hold Kayley's beer because she is genuinely flying.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
She was out for Kaylee because z point one two
of a second to shave off any time, let alone
a world record time is massive in the sport of swimming.
That is so fast that she has.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Clocked and she's beaten herself.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
She's beaten herself. Yes, yes, it's wild, just how good
she is at this particular stroke, being backstroke her pet event.
She now holds seven of the top ten times in
the history of women competing in backstroke. She has seven
of the best times and I'm so thrilled for her
because the backstory with Kaylie is she's a superstar. She's
(03:32):
a million time gold medalist. How many goals did she
win in Tokyo, Georgie.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
She has three golden one bronze from Tokyo. It's her
only Olympics Tokyo.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
And the thing is with Kaylie is she will steal
your minds in the pool because she'll just melt them.
But she'll also steal your hearts because her backstory of
she lost her dad in twenty twenty to brain cancer,
and you just think if there wasn't a pandemic, if
the Olympics had gone ahead when they were meant to
go ahead. You know, he missed out on seeing her
achieve at stronomical thing. So she's swimming for her dad
(04:02):
and she's doing.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
It so well. What we do know is she's going
to swim and win. Yes, she's screening on Paris. That
stat about the top seven that blows my mind.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Staying with swimming, dear listeners, loyal listeners, you may remember
a deep dive that we brought you about the chaos
that is Swimming Australia and how the governing body of
Swimming Weld Aquatics how To threatened to expel us from
its membership group. Well well, well, well hell that has
now been put to rest. We are not going to
be expelled because Swimming Australia has finally cemented a new
(04:32):
constitution trying to give a diversification of the board, which
is what the governing body wanted.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So the voting members agreed to adopt a new constitution
which had been put forward in a very very long
stance with AQUA, which was formerly Feena, essentially saying you
need to shape up like this. You are not meeting
international standards. I'm not going to sing. You look at
me like that much? Do you no? Not happening?
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So basically a special general meeting was held for state
based members and they were presented with the idea that
there might be a twenty one person vote. So that's
going from nine votes to twenty one. They said absolutely not.
So now it's an eleven person board, but that includes
an athlete director, which that's so important because the athletes
wanted a bigger voice and a bigger piece at the table,
so they're now one of the eleven and there's also
(05:15):
an Australian member for AQUA, so there's someone from the
global governing body just to keep and check that things
are happening that align with the biggest governing body. So
that's great. Moving on headline two and it's the AFL
and the headlines for all the wrong reasons. It's the
off season and you think sometimes you might see a
few players getting into trouble, but this Georgie was retrospective.
(05:36):
Melbourne player Joel Smith has been provisionally suspended by the
AFL after testing positive to cocaine. But where this gets
interesting is that he was caught with the Elyssa drug
in his system during round twenty three of the twenty
twenty three seasons, so therefore played in a final series
for Melbourne where they went out in straight sets. It's
not a great time to be the d's But cocaine
(05:59):
is seem to be performance in hancing and it was
found during game day, which I.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Find fascinating that cocaine, which is a prohibited substance, but
usually it's a recreational drug, right, But then in this
particular instance or when it comes to sport, it could
potentially be performance enhancing because it gives people a lift.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I guess yeah, and they will argue that this was
taken socially or at the very least recreationally. But then
there was Campbell Brown was on Sunrise and he's saying, well,
if you're found to be taken this recreationally, what do
your teammates think about the fact that you're doing this
in season? So this is where it becomes a bit blurred.
So Smith's positive test was a result of the AFL
(06:37):
adherence to the Wider Guidelines, which runs separately to the
league's illicit drug policy. So it's very confusing. There's all
different ratings that run under the AFL. But if a
player tests positive to an elicit drug under the AFL
Anti Doping Code, they face a two year ban wow
if it's in competition, but only a three month ban
if it's out of competition.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Right, So the round twenty three date is very important.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Potentially the questions that come from this Joel Smith incident
is round twenty three to only finding out now is
there an issue with the turnaround times of the testing,
because if he did have the substance in his bloodstream
in round twenty three. He then went on to play
in two finals. There should be repercussions that come quicker
(07:21):
while are we only finding it out now? Are the
results to lenients that you have an illegal substance in
your system and you are not going to miss potentially
around of football Headland three.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
That's an episode twenty first one name internationalized sentry good
David Warner nice placement won theful placement No. Mitchell marsh
celebrates as well, boldly has second and all the eyes
on his birthday. The best gift be gift to himself.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
We're back, baby, We're back. We never jumped off the
bandwagon for a second. Don't let it be said otherwise.
If you need a recap of what's happening with the
Aussies at the ODI World Cup, here it is. We
lost to India by six wickets. Who bad? We lost
to South Africa by one hundred and thirty four runs, tragic,
gooboo record making, horrendous. Yes, beat Sri Lanka by five
(08:24):
wickets and then beat Pakistan by sixty two and all
of a sudden, we're back in the game, baby, babe,
We're back. We're back.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
We're back, but centuries to David Warner and Mitch Marsh
who has come into the open, who came in to
open the batting in that game against Pakistan. Incredible performances
for them when the team is in trouble and have
been flat and by their own admission from their captain
pack commons, have not been performing. That's a great stage
to do it. On The fielding for Australia is still
(08:50):
ironically a sticking point because none of them are sticking.
I think we're dropping like nearly fifty percent of the
chances that are out there. We're only catching one and two.
So it's it's not good that needs to improve if
we are going to go deep into this competition.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Let's let's not be negative. It was a wonderful opening partnership.
It's great to see the Aussies back winning. Next up
it's the Netherlands and then New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
A good regroup, solid, solid regroup and happy birthday Mitch
Marsh and.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Headline for We're Gonna make it quick. But I could
not include this because we love her.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Na classic Grace Harris behavior.
Speaker 6 (09:33):
Still hit it.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I love that.
Speaker 7 (09:37):
She's box office.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
There's no doubt about that very shit, young and extraordinary stuff.
Is there a moment in history where you've ever loved
to stump? Like Moore? She knew her bat was broken
and Grace Harris said, you know what stuff it direct quote,
I'm gonna hit it anyway and launched for six. And
(10:00):
this was all on the way to the WBBL individual record.
She made one hundred and thirty six runs of fifty
nine balls.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
She is to quote those commentators Box Office.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
It's a really really exciting time to be involved in
WBBL and the competitions just going from strength to strength.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And it's really pertinent because cricket has been in the
headlines this week for something that's also happening off the
pitch and even out of their own sport.
Speaker 8 (10:28):
Yeah, obviously the netballers are in a bit of a
tricky situation at the moment, and you know, we're in
a similar situation six or seven years ago, and we
got some support that really helped the players, and that
was I think, you know, from a few outside individuals.
So they asked for a lending hand, and the ACA
(10:50):
stepped up and said, yep, we're you know, we'll create
a bit of a fun to help you out and
hopefully get you through these next couple of months. I
know all the sports are pretty closely linked and all
the players association work really closely, so yeah, there, it's
a good opportunity to be able to help.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Australian captain Pat Commons there talking in India at the
One Day World Cup where he should maybe be focusing
on the performance of his team, but instead focusing on
what is going on with netball in his home country,
our country of Australia, because why exactly are the Australian
cricketers paying our netball as wages at the moment, and
(11:29):
how on earth have we got here? That's next?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Do you jell me?
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I've never played that game, that game where you guess
someone's netball position based on their personality.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Oh god, this is going to be damning.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Any other personality test you get out of here, it
means nothing, because this is the true true sense of character.
For example, I would say, Jeremy, that you present as
a center, bubbly, gorgeous, full of life, part of everything,
classic center energy. But the real Jeremy, well, well well
(12:16):
she is all of those things, yes, but feral, Yes.
I was going to call you possessing total clutch energy
clutch play energy, which also and I'm also valad. She
is the type of person that you want in your
corner when they're going is tough. Therefore I'm getting g
(12:39):
A or g D, But because you are a bit
possessive and feral, I'm leaning more towards.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Than defensive option.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
But you have the star power of an attack. Am
I right?
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Well, you've just locked into what's your people.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
I've locked into I want to say g D, but
I'm sad that it's going.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
To be is it GD? So much so that one
of my more shame full moments in my life was
in year three year three, so I don't even know
if you're tenure. I was sent off the netbak call
for growling in a numpire actually growled when er they said,
(13:16):
because GD, she needs to go off, and Dad was like,
you need to calm down. But I am very Firstly,
this game is amazing. Georgie. You are you are center
energy without the FERRL. I think that you're happy to
support others. You don't need to be the center. I
think you're happy WA or WD, but WD I think
you'd enjoy because expectations are low and you could wow,
(13:39):
You're actually right.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Yes, it's right because I actually played every single position
on a netball court because I'm that type of person.
But if I was going, yes, but if I was
going to pick my position, I would pick WD like
I would go for the WD first. So my final
game of my netbak career as a social netballer and university,
I was a shooter, but the physian I would choose
(14:03):
would be w DA.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Thank you. Yeah, you're saying that I have more of
a netball vibe than Queenli. Sure, but I think it's
interesting that we can play this game with most women
in the country because do you know what most women
in the country have done at some stage in their
life played netball? They have they can You cannot say
that for AFL, You're sure as hell can't say that
(14:23):
for cricket football Maybe maybe soccer's getting there. But netball
is the sport where you wanted to make friends in
primary school. It is what you played, and as we've
said already in this at the numbers are there to
suggest why it is our most popular women's sport and
why it means so much to women and girls across
the country. But right now the sport in Australia is
(14:46):
in crisis, super crisis. Super netballers are not getting paid.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
They haven't been paid since September thirty, no money coming in.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
That is their job.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Many of them have taken second jobs, have even had
to take a full time position. Their future is in
limbo because the longer that this disagreement between Netball Australia
and the players and the body representing the players goes on,
the longer they don't know where they're going to be
(15:19):
next year, next month, like what are they going to
be doing.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
So the crux of this is that Netball Australia are
offering the players a profit share model. Yes for the
first time. Yes, they're offering an increase on what they're earning,
a slight one, but a slight increase. And they believed
that these negotiations that have been happening with the Netball
Players Association were going well with Super Netball. And it's
(15:47):
important to note that the Diamonds who are currently world champions,
like Australians, we are the best in the world.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
At this We won the World Cup this year this
year yep.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
And we're currently playing in the Constellation Cup with what
I'm happy to say is an unassailable lead, so we're
going to win that as well. Yes, they are unique
to this, so they get played under their national agreement.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
They still get some money coming in. We're talking about
the domestic competition that is super Netball. It's been around
since twenty sixteen, but they're not getting paid. That is
the competition that is at stake.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
And it's important to note that super Netball might have
been around since twenty sixteen, but a domestic high performance
netball competition in this country has been going on for
the better part of four decades. Yes, so this is
not new, not in the same way that cricket is new,
not in the same in the WBBL as a new
league or the eighth of w being a new league.
You've been able to watch state netball at a really
(16:43):
high level for a very long time.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
And the most interesting thing to note about that is that, yes,
you've been able to watch it for a long time. However,
the netballers themselves have always been having to fight for
the spotlight and fighting for your eyes throughout that entire time.
It is a constant theme, so much so that I
thought I'd share this little news report from nineteen ninety two.
Speaker 7 (17:07):
No steroids, no sex scandals, that pure image. But netball
is not above using its feminine wiles to turn heads
and fill stadiums. In the Mobile Super League Series, the
Adelaide Contact team did away with conventional pleated skirts and
went for body hugging lycra and they were upfront about
their reasons.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
It wasn't something we're looking at. It's just what people
from the sidelines.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
They've said that it looks a little bit more sexy
than the old pleated skirt.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
That's the way netball's going.
Speaker 9 (17:36):
Do you think selling itself in that way?
Speaker 4 (17:38):
We've got to set ourselves somehow.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
It is going all the time, and I guess whatever
we can do to sell a sport has to be done.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
No, that no.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
From the nineties, netballers, some of our most elite athletes
in this country and arguably one of our best performing
sports in this country, having to sell themselves to get attention.
Dear listener, Jeremy's hands, her head is in her hands.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
It's giving. Didn't Matildas do a nude calendar? They did?
Speaker 1 (18:07):
They did to raise money, they did, And all of
this is in recent history and then we were alive.
We were alive when that happened. Isn't that crazy? But
the thing is why I wanted to play that is
because the issues that we are seeing in netbul today
can still be traced back to the nineties in terms
of what is happening to the competition, where is the
(18:27):
money and is it a sustainable sport.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
So let's give you a summary of the current pay dispute.
These negotiations have been going on since February. We have
reached a stalemate in which Netball Australia has presented a
pay increase of ten percent to the minimum base salary
of forty four thousand dollars. Yes, that's been rejected. Yes,
the players are seeking a revenue share model, not a
(18:52):
profit share model. The current proposal by Netball Australia is
profit share, which is revolutionary that's never been offered before.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
And that's to say profit is different from revenue in
that it's like you take the revenue and then you
take out the costs from that revenue and then you're
left with the profit.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Absolutely, So basically you're given the pie of all the
money that is earned by netball and the pieces that
are taken out to run the league and then the
slight piece that's left that's profit. Yes, whereas the players
want a chunk of the pie, the full pie, before
all of the costs are taken out. Gotcha and Netball Australia,
(19:30):
via their CEO Kelly Ryan, is saying there is no
pie left after we pay for all the expenses of
our sport. We are in four point two million dollars
of debt, which they're largely attributing to COVID, so they're
already in debt and we're not making money from running
(19:50):
the league at the moment, which when you think about
other women's sports, which I mean the cricketers are coming
out and you've got a Lisa Healey coming out and
saying I just don't buy that they don't have any money.
Speaker 9 (20:01):
I was there the other night. I was watching the game.
I was a fan of the game. I'm sitting there,
I'm watching ten thousand people there, the sponsors everywhere, the
product amazing, the line to the merchandise out the door.
Netball's got to have money. Surely there's got to be
money coming in.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
It's not.
Speaker 9 (20:17):
I can't I refuse to believe it's a poor sport
at the moment, just the way that I watch it
unfold and it's kind of just as a female athlete
watching netball go through that makes me really sad. So
that's the Australian cricket captain Alisahally basically saying I'm not
buying it, that they don't have money, and Netble Australia
are like great. So she's saying I'm not buying there's
no money in netball. But Netball Australia is saying we've
(20:41):
done the numbers and we are run so differently to
sports like WBBL and women's cricket or AFLW and women's
football that can be bankrolled and supported by the men's
part of the competition.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Which is a lucrative competition. That's just fact.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Both of which are on free to air television yes,
and have free to air contracts, whereas if you watch netball,
a lot of people wouldn't even know where to watch
Super Netball but it's behind a paywall.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
The argument here from Netball Australia is that through broadcast
rights so TV rights deals, that is where the majority
of your money comes from for you to be able
to pay for everything, including players salaries. The current TV
broadcast rights deal, which is behind a paywall, is going
until twenty twenty six, so they've locked that in. That's
(21:38):
three years away. We currently have this stalemate of the
players arguing for more money and their body arguing for
more money, refusing to accept what Netball Australia thinks is
a fair deal, and Netball Australia is there being like
there's no like literally the broadcast it's locked in. It's
locked in though, like that's that's all that we have.
So there is a huge breakdown in communection here, and
(22:01):
I think a breakdown in trust, yes, between the governing
body and the players, the major stakeholders, Because if you
were there, I think with anyone, and you had all
of the facts and the figures that everyone can see,
and you'd be like, okay, well this much money, it
can only go here. You can have a civil conversation,
a civilized conversation about that and think rationally and be like, okay,
(22:22):
well maybe it's maybe it's not now. Maybe right now
we can't actually get that, but you know, in the
next three years or whatever, we could, but that's not happening.
Those aren't the conversations that are happening and that I
think rests with Netball Australia. They are to blame for
breaking that trust.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
All of the points that Netball Australia are making to
me makes sense. We are in debt and it would
be financially irresponsible to offer you what you're asking for.
We are already offering you a raise, We're offering you
a profit share model. Yes, it's not what you want
right now. We need to get the sport in a
more stable position so that we can offer you what
(22:58):
you want.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Do you think though, that the breakdown in trust between
all the parties would have that sounds rational when you
tell it to me like that, that sound like, okay, maybe
sounds reasonable. But what has Netball Australia shown to the
players that they will be able to fulfill those promises
of there's going to be more for you in the
future and you're going to still reap the benefits of this,
(23:20):
but it's not right now.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Well, Netble Australia CEO Kelly Ryan says, it's not actually
getting to the players. Yes, this is getting to the
governing body. The governing body of digging their heels in
and saying no, this is what we want and I
understand believe me. When you're sitting back as Netbull and
you have watched all of these other competitions come in
and grab all of this ground swell of attention. You're
probably watching the Matildas and going, yeah, they're in a
(23:43):
World Cup. Everyone's stoked when they make it out of
the group stage. We win, Yeah, we win the world
and more the point there are more girls and women
participating in our sport? How is there this enormous gap?
And researching this and I said to you, George, like,
this is really uncomfortable for me because I feel like
as a sports fan, I should have done more. You
(24:06):
can only you should be the change that you want
to see. And we want to see netball doing well
in Australia.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
What is it about netball though that has not been
able to transform it's millions? Because that's what we're talking
about here, of junior participants, ourselves included in two fans
of the game, Fans that want to go to watch
teams play, Fans that will seek out behind the paywall
and try and find try and find the game when
(24:34):
it's playing well.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
This is what you're Liz Ellis, you're Shanni Layton who
famously went for netball one of the great voices. She's
such a legend, went on to play for Collingwood in
the AFLW and she said, you know, we need to
have characters and again you need that profile in order
to sell those personalities. But it is personalities that get
bums on seats.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
But I refuse to believe that they don't exist. I
refuse to believe that in the current comp petition there's
not one player across those eight teams that doesn't have
that ability to be a SECS star, that doesn't have
that personality. And for me, maybe it's a failure on
the club's behalf, but it's definitely a failure from Netball
Australia and not making this sport which we're really good
(25:18):
at commercial.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
This time last year, a little known lady called Gina
Reinhart offered to fund super Netball to the tune of
fifteen million dollars and Georgie the funding was rejected.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
It was rejected in the end, So Gina Reyanhart runs
Handcock Prospecting, which is a huge mining corporation set up
by her father Laying Hancock. Now, when this offer was
tabled and at first accepted by Netball Australia, it was
seen as this is wonderful, this is very important for netball,
who doesn't have any money, who is in millions of
(25:55):
dollars of debt. This is going to be great. It's
going to change the sport.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Gina Rehinehutt also very famously supports swimming. Australia puts a
lot of money into sports like swimming, light netbull. Quietly,
it needs to be said, like I don't think that
they promote it that much, how much she supports it.
And I actually think that this fifteen million dollars would
have been quiet except for the drama that.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Ensued, except one of the players from the Diamonds, Donald Wallom,
First Nation's Australian, just raised some questions about whether or
not she herself was feeling comfortable with wearing Hancock prospecting
on her uniform. And I think they're very fair questions
because of footage from the eighties which shows Lang Hancock
(26:37):
talking about sterilizing Indigenous people horrendous, horrific, So of course
those concerns need to be tabled and need to be
talked through and need to be understood. Instead, that became
this gigantic media storm because Donal was like, I'm not
sure if I want to wear that. Her teammates rightfully
(26:59):
so stood with her. But also it then became it
put the onus on Donald, which always happens as well.
We're always looking for our Indigenous Australians to lead us
out of all the issues that we get ourselves in.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Right.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
But because of that, then they did play one game
with that, refusing to wear the sponsor, their major sponsor
that they've just tabled this huge netball saving deal yes with.
And after that though, there was time afforded to have
a chat about everything and talk through what the fifteen
million dollars would do for netball, what it would do
(27:31):
for the Diamonds, what it would do for the team,
and eventually the team said, okay, we might actually will
wear it, will wear the uniform. They stood down from
that initial protest of not wanting to wear that uniform
too late, though, Hancock prospecting Jina Runhud said, this has
been very loud. I like quiet donations. This has turned
into a very very loud conversation. You cannot have the
(27:53):
fifteen million dollars.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
So after this massive, massive public oh no, who will
save netball? Now, the Victorian government in their own debt
issues said, here have fifteen million dollars, which is great,
which is great fault, but still post that fifteen million
dollars from the Victorian government, they're in that four point
(28:15):
two million dollars of debt. It's really really important to
note Super Netball is the best domestic netball competition in
the world. Yes, we had down we had the best
players come from England, from Jamaica, come from all around
the world to play in Australia. So it's like we've
got the NBA.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Also the pr disaster that is this whole this whole
thing camped up to another level. When speaking of cricket,
the Australian Cricketers Association, they're actually showing something that I've
never seen before, which is this cross code support for
(28:52):
their fellow athletes in netball. But they've put their money
where their mouth is. It's not just support from Alisa Healey,
it's two hundred thousand dollars a loan of two hundred
thousand dollars that they have given to netball to try
and sort this out and support some of the players
while this is ongoing. There's a part of me that goes,
(29:13):
you know, you see the headlines Cricket Australia is saving netball.
They're paying their wages right, and you're like, well, there's
part of me that goes, that's such wonderful camaraderie. I'm
glad that they can shake and show they're in a
position to show such solidarity with netballers who are struggling
right now. However, there is an alternate reading to that,
which I think another former Diamond's legend Cathcock summed up perfectly.
Speaker 6 (29:35):
I've got to say my gut reaction when I first
heard the news was a bit of embarrassment for our sport.
You know, the most successful sport in this country has
got to this point. But we can only hope this
is the springboard to actually have some real change happen
from here.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Will we see that change? Jelm me. How does this
stalemate end?
Speaker 2 (29:52):
The players need to get paid, And this is the
bit that worries me is that do you eventually just
sign something that you're unhappy with and this friction continues
where you feel like you're being hard done by and
you think about any employer or any relationship by the
governing body that pays you. You want to feel valued
(30:14):
and heard, and you want to feel like you're getting
renumerated for what you're offering. And at the moment, there
is not a tabled offer that the Players Association is
saying that the players feel that they are being paid
to reflect being valued and that what they want is
being heard, and that even if they do end up
signing the piece of paper for the next three years
(30:35):
doesn't paint a happy picture between stakeholders in a sport
that really needs to unite right now.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Unfortunately, I think that netball and Australia is a victim
of the overall growth of women's sport because you are
also with those viable pathways. We're struggling to just keep
fans in the game. For netball, to build fans so
that they can support teams, let alone building athletes that
they follow it as a pathway. That struggle is real,
(31:04):
and I think at the moment the way things stand,
with this stalemate, it's untenable. I actually cannot see an
end in sight right now unless an independent body comes
in yes and does all of the negotiations. But then
where does that leave you know, and then they sign something,
where does that leave netball Australia. Where does that leave
(31:24):
the players going forward? Because I just think this is
all proof that they cannot and they don't want to
enter into a dialogue with one another.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I couldn't agree more. It's giving. There needs to be
a third party. But this needs to be resolved quickly.
Every single person that cares about sport and women's sport
in this country can do something as small as engaging, googling,
following and building that ground swell of people that care.
Because we can't just care about the diamonds when they're
(31:55):
in the Constellation Cup. We can't just care when we
get to the Comnwealth Games. We have to support it
growing at the same rate as these other sports. Otherwise
we are going to see players leave netball in order
to play sports at are more lucrative.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Yeah, be part of the profile for the next generation
of players that are going to have to carry this sport,
but hopefully it's a lighter weight. Tell me it's fun.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Fact time.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Earlier this year, Ossie cricketer Ash Gardner made history because
she secured.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
A very very very healthy WPL which is the women's
ipl deal to the tune of five hundred and fifty
eight thousand dollars, which when I heard that at the
time I remember us talking about this was earlier in
the year.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
I thinks February that this was secured. Us talking about
that at the time, we were like, oh my god,
a woman is finally getting paid, like a crazy contract
like that was the first eye ordering some in women's cricket,
the women's cricket that we had seen, and it was
just gigantic. But how because again we are Australians, we
(33:21):
don't love a tall poppy. There's no danger of Ashgarner
being a tall poppy. Because this was the reaction of
some of her teammates to her getting the five hundred
and fifty eight thousand dollars deal the.
Speaker 5 (33:33):
World Cup when that went on.
Speaker 8 (33:34):
So yeah, we were sort of joking with her that
the next few dinners are definitely on her. She went
some good coin and she was cop and comments the
rest of the tournament, your shout for this, your shout
for that.
Speaker 9 (33:44):
I think she bought a watch from all reports, so
I won't name the brand of it. Shoes or a
bag or something like that.
Speaker 8 (33:50):
Probably got some good new Gucci shoes, some good brand
name clothing that would be her forte.
Speaker 9 (33:55):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 8 (33:56):
I mean there's obviously all these green plans, but there's
nothing that I've really stepped my mind.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
To here that's Ash at the end being like, oh yeah,
there's grand plans. Fun fact about Ash Gunner love.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Shoes, love shoes, already have Gucci shoes, Gucci shoes, a
time piece. I just love that. That's what she's spended
her five hundred and fifty. Yes, reward yourself. But also
that's half a meal for twenty three days. Oh yes,
because the comp is only twenty three The comp.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Is so short. So on top of that, she's got
a contract with the Sixes. You've then got your contract
at a national level.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
She having a good time, Ash, She's having a great time,
great time. We'll learned time and it's great that she's getting.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
And also that clip is every reason why I love
women's cricket.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Well, that's it, that's her good sports.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Let us know if you think that we've got our
personalities right, Yeah, we've got positions that we are, but
would you have picked it? We're so interested as to
what happens now we believe there has to be a
resolution to this sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Yes, and we will bring that to you when it
does happen, and we'll give you all the highlights of it,
because it is murky, it's convoluted, it's all the things.
But there is a general consensus that it just has
to end quickly.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Be a good sport, adopt a super netball team, and
we'll see you next week.
Two Good Sports would like to acknowledge the traditional owners
of the land on which we record this podcast that
will run dury people. This land was never seated, always was,
always will be. Hello and welcome to two Good Sports
Sports news told differently. I'm Georgie Tune.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
You're given that to Mayo. I'm Abby Delmian. On today's show.
Netball is far and beyond our most popular team sport
for women and girls in Australia, and they've got the
stats to prove it, George. So we're talking data from
twenty twenty two showing that eight hundred and thirty eight
thousand women and girls bibbed up last year. It's a
huge number. That's wapping three hundred and ninety seven thousand
(00:42):
more than the next.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
Oh my gosh, wow, would you put it in perspective
like that?
Speaker 2 (00:44):
That's really good. Also, how good was my whistle just then?
I'll really worried what was gonna come out? It's stunning.
But this checks out because when you think about our youth,
every girl that you knew played netball either through school
or junior years. It is far and beyond our most
popular girls sport. So why and how in a time
where women's sport, you could argue in Australia, has never
(01:05):
been in a better position. It is thriving Ala Matilda's think.
Our cricketers, everyone is doing really well. Why is it
that our elite in netball are not getting paid? And
we don't mean not getting paid what they deserve, we
mean they're not getting paid at all.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
There is a stalemate going on at the moment in
this sport.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
It's ugly.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It's dragging into the spotlight the very real issues facing
super netball, its finances, its popularity, and the volatility that
exists between every major stakeholder in the sport of netball.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
The longer this goes on, the more damaging it's going
to be for the sport.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Words of Queen Liz words to live by. If Liz
Ellis is telling you that there is something wrong in
the game of netball, to which she loves so dear,
you might want to listen. Could we see your time
when we do not have a netball competition domestically in Australia.
What are the players asking for? Is it fair or
perhaps more importantly, is it viable? That's coming up after
(02:04):
the headlines.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Headline one, Yes it is she's doying again. Twelve one
hundred's quicker than her previous best from twenty twenty one.
Forget that. Twenty twenty three, we have a new world
record in the fifty and a new world record in
the one hundred in the space of twenty four hours.
Two good sports let to issue a formal apology to
(02:31):
Kelly McEwen because last week we're talking about the most
prominent Australian athletes in the world and.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
We just let one little lady slide who is a
three time world record holder over the backstroke and keeps
breaking record. She holds the fifty, she holds the one hundred,
she holds the two hundred, just quietly and confidently getting
it done.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
So sorry, Oscar, hold Kayley's beer because she is genuinely flying.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
She was out for Kaylee because z point one two
of a second to shave off any time, let alone
a world record time is massive in the sport of swimming.
That is so fast that she has.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Clocked and she's beaten herself.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
She's beaten herself. Yes, yes, it's wild, just how good
she is at this particular stroke, being backstroke her pet event.
She now holds seven of the top ten times in
the history of women competing in backstroke. She has seven
of the best times and I'm so thrilled for her
because the backstory with Kaylie is she's a superstar. She's
(03:32):
a million time gold medalist. How many goals did she
win in Tokyo, Georgie.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
She has three golden one bronze from Tokyo. It's her
only Olympics Tokyo.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
And the thing is with Kaylie is she will steal
your minds in the pool because she'll just melt them.
But she'll also steal your hearts because her backstory of
she lost her dad in twenty twenty to brain cancer,
and you just think if there wasn't a pandemic, if
the Olympics had gone ahead when they were meant to
go ahead. You know, he missed out on seeing her
achieve at stronomical thing. So she's swimming for her dad
(04:02):
and she's doing.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
It so well. What we do know is she's going
to swim and win. Yes, she's screening on Paris. That
stat about the top seven that blows my mind.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
Staying with swimming, dear listeners, loyal listeners, you may remember
a deep dive that we brought you about the chaos
that is Swimming Australia and how the governing body of
Swimming Weld Aquatics how To threatened to expel us from
its membership group. Well well, well, well hell that has
now been put to rest. We are not going to
be expelled because Swimming Australia has finally cemented a new
(04:32):
constitution trying to give a diversification of the board, which
is what the governing body wanted.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
So the voting members agreed to adopt a new constitution
which had been put forward in a very very long
stance with AQUA, which was formerly Feena, essentially saying you
need to shape up like this. You are not meeting
international standards. I'm not going to sing. You look at
me like that much? Do you no? Not happening?
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Ah.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
So basically a special general meeting was held for state
based members and they were presented with the idea that
there might be a twenty one person vote. So that's
going from nine votes to twenty one. They said absolutely not.
So now it's an eleven person board, but that includes
an athlete director, which that's so important because the athletes
wanted a bigger voice and a bigger piece at the table,
so they're now one of the eleven and there's also
(05:15):
an Australian member for AQUA, so there's someone from the
global governing body just to keep and check that things
are happening that align with the biggest governing body. So
that's great. Moving on headline two and it's the AFL
and the headlines for all the wrong reasons. It's the
off season and you think sometimes you might see a
few players getting into trouble, but this Georgie was retrospective.
(05:36):
Melbourne player Joel Smith has been provisionally suspended by the
AFL after testing positive to cocaine. But where this gets
interesting is that he was caught with the Elyssa drug
in his system during round twenty three of the twenty
twenty three seasons, so therefore played in a final series
for Melbourne where they went out in straight sets. It's
not a great time to be the d's But cocaine
(05:59):
is seem to be performance in hancing and it was
found during game day, which I.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Find fascinating that cocaine, which is a prohibited substance, but
usually it's a recreational drug, right, But then in this
particular instance or when it comes to sport, it could
potentially be performance enhancing because it gives people a lift.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
I guess yeah, and they will argue that this was
taken socially or at the very least recreationally. But then
there was Campbell Brown was on Sunrise and he's saying, well,
if you're found to be taken this recreationally, what do
your teammates think about the fact that you're doing this
in season? So this is where it becomes a bit blurred.
So Smith's positive test was a result of the AFL
(06:37):
adherence to the Wider Guidelines, which runs separately to the
league's illicit drug policy. So it's very confusing. There's all
different ratings that run under the AFL. But if a
player tests positive to an elicit drug under the AFL
Anti Doping Code, they face a two year ban wow
if it's in competition, but only a three month ban
if it's out of competition.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Right, So the round twenty three date is very important.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Potentially the questions that come from this Joel Smith incident
is round twenty three to only finding out now is
there an issue with the turnaround times of the testing,
because if he did have the substance in his bloodstream
in round twenty three. He then went on to play
in two finals. There should be repercussions that come quicker
(07:21):
while are we only finding it out now? Are the
results to lenients that you have an illegal substance in
your system and you are not going to miss potentially
around of football Headland three.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
That's an episode twenty first one name internationalized sentry good
David Warner nice placement won theful placement No. Mitchell marsh
celebrates as well, boldly has second and all the eyes
on his birthday. The best gift be gift to himself.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
We're back, baby, We're back. We never jumped off the
bandwagon for a second. Don't let it be said otherwise.
If you need a recap of what's happening with the
Aussies at the ODI World Cup, here it is. We
lost to India by six wickets. Who bad? We lost
to South Africa by one hundred and thirty four runs, tragic,
gooboo record making, horrendous. Yes, beat Sri Lanka by five
(08:24):
wickets and then beat Pakistan by sixty two and all
of a sudden, we're back in the game, baby, babe,
We're back. We're back.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
We're back, but centuries to David Warner and Mitch Marsh
who has come into the open, who came in to
open the batting in that game against Pakistan. Incredible performances
for them when the team is in trouble and have
been flat and by their own admission from their captain
pack commons, have not been performing. That's a great stage
to do it. On The fielding for Australia is still
(08:50):
ironically a sticking point because none of them are sticking.
I think we're dropping like nearly fifty percent of the
chances that are out there. We're only catching one and two.
So it's it's not good that needs to improve if
we are going to go deep into this competition.
Speaker 2 (09:02):
Let's let's not be negative. It was a wonderful opening partnership.
It's great to see the Aussies back winning. Next up
it's the Netherlands and then New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
A good regroup, solid, solid regroup and happy birthday Mitch
Marsh and.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Headline for We're Gonna make it quick. But I could
not include this because we love her.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Na classic Grace Harris behavior.
Speaker 6 (09:33):
Still hit it.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
I love that.
Speaker 7 (09:37):
She's box office.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
There's no doubt about that very shit, young and extraordinary stuff.
Is there a moment in history where you've ever loved
to stump? Like Moore? She knew her bat was broken
and Grace Harris said, you know what stuff it direct quote,
I'm gonna hit it anyway and launched for six. And
(10:00):
this was all on the way to the WBBL individual record.
She made one hundred and thirty six runs of fifty
nine balls.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
She is to quote those commentators Box Office.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
It's a really really exciting time to be involved in
WBBL and the competitions just going from strength to strength.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
And it's really pertinent because cricket has been in the
headlines this week for something that's also happening off the
pitch and even out of their own sport.
Speaker 8 (10:28):
Yeah, obviously the netballers are in a bit of a
tricky situation at the moment, and you know, we're in
a similar situation six or seven years ago, and we
got some support that really helped the players, and that
was I think, you know, from a few outside individuals.
So they asked for a lending hand, and the ACA
(10:50):
stepped up and said, yep, we're you know, we'll create
a bit of a fun to help you out and
hopefully get you through these next couple of months. I
know all the sports are pretty closely linked and all
the players association work really closely, so yeah, there, it's
a good opportunity to be able to help.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Australian captain Pat Commons there talking in India at the
One Day World Cup where he should maybe be focusing
on the performance of his team, but instead focusing on
what is going on with netball in his home country,
our country of Australia, because why exactly are the Australian
cricketers paying our netball as wages at the moment, and
(11:29):
how on earth have we got here? That's next?
Speaker 2 (11:43):
Do you jell me?
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I've never played that game, that game where you guess
someone's netball position based on their personality.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Oh god, this is going to be damning.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Any other personality test you get out of here, it
means nothing, because this is the true true sense of character.
For example, I would say, Jeremy, that you present as
a center, bubbly, gorgeous, full of life, part of everything,
classic center energy. But the real Jeremy, well, well well
(12:16):
she is all of those things, yes, but feral, Yes.
I was going to call you possessing total clutch energy
clutch play energy, which also and I'm also valad. She
is the type of person that you want in your
corner when they're going is tough. Therefore I'm getting g
(12:39):
A or g D, But because you are a bit
possessive and feral, I'm leaning more towards.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Than defensive option.
Speaker 1 (12:47):
But you have the star power of an attack. Am
I right?
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Well, you've just locked into what's your people.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
I've locked into I want to say g D, but
I'm sad that it's going.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
To be is it GD? So much so that one
of my more shame full moments in my life was
in year three year three, so I don't even know
if you're tenure. I was sent off the netbak call
for growling in a numpire actually growled when er they said,
(13:16):
because GD, she needs to go off, and Dad was like,
you need to calm down. But I am very Firstly,
this game is amazing. Georgie. You are you are center
energy without the FERRL. I think that you're happy to
support others. You don't need to be the center. I
think you're happy WA or WD, but WD I think
you'd enjoy because expectations are low and you could wow,
(13:39):
You're actually right.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
Yes, it's right because I actually played every single position
on a netball court because I'm that type of person.
But if I was going, yes, but if I was
going to pick my position, I would pick WD like
I would go for the WD first. So my final
game of my netbak career as a social netballer and university,
I was a shooter, but the physian I would choose
(14:03):
would be w DA.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Thank you. Yeah, you're saying that I have more of
a netball vibe than Queenli. Sure, but I think it's
interesting that we can play this game with most women
in the country because do you know what most women
in the country have done at some stage in their
life played netball? They have they can You cannot say
that for AFL, You're sure as hell can't say that
(14:23):
for cricket football Maybe maybe soccer's getting there. But netball
is the sport where you wanted to make friends in
primary school. It is what you played, and as we've
said already in this at the numbers are there to
suggest why it is our most popular women's sport and
why it means so much to women and girls across
the country. But right now the sport in Australia is
(14:46):
in crisis, super crisis. Super netballers are not getting paid.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
They haven't been paid since September thirty, no money coming in.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
That is their job.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Many of them have taken second jobs, have even had
to take a full time position. Their future is in
limbo because the longer that this disagreement between Netball Australia
and the players and the body representing the players goes on,
the longer they don't know where they're going to be
(15:19):
next year, next month, like what are they going to
be doing.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
So the crux of this is that Netball Australia are
offering the players a profit share model. Yes for the
first time. Yes, they're offering an increase on what they're earning,
a slight one, but a slight increase. And they believed
that these negotiations that have been happening with the Netball
Players Association were going well with Super Netball. And it's
(15:47):
important to note that the Diamonds who are currently world champions,
like Australians, we are the best in the world.
Speaker 1 (15:52):
At this We won the World Cup this year this
year yep.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
And we're currently playing in the Constellation Cup with what
I'm happy to say is an unassailable lead, so we're
going to win that as well. Yes, they are unique
to this, so they get played under their national agreement.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
They still get some money coming in. We're talking about
the domestic competition that is super Netball. It's been around
since twenty sixteen, but they're not getting paid. That is
the competition that is at stake.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
And it's important to note that super Netball might have
been around since twenty sixteen, but a domestic high performance
netball competition in this country has been going on for
the better part of four decades. Yes, so this is
not new, not in the same way that cricket is new,
not in the same in the WBBL as a new
league or the eighth of w being a new league.
You've been able to watch state netball at a really
(16:43):
high level for a very long time.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
And the most interesting thing to note about that is that, yes,
you've been able to watch it for a long time. However,
the netballers themselves have always been having to fight for
the spotlight and fighting for your eyes throughout that entire time.
It is a constant theme, so much so that I
thought I'd share this little news report from nineteen ninety two.
Speaker 7 (17:07):
No steroids, no sex scandals, that pure image. But netball
is not above using its feminine wiles to turn heads
and fill stadiums. In the Mobile Super League Series, the
Adelaide Contact team did away with conventional pleated skirts and
went for body hugging lycra and they were upfront about
their reasons.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
It wasn't something we're looking at. It's just what people
from the sidelines.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
They've said that it looks a little bit more sexy
than the old pleated skirt.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
That's the way netball's going.
Speaker 9 (17:36):
Do you think selling itself in that way?
Speaker 4 (17:38):
We've got to set ourselves somehow.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
It is going all the time, and I guess whatever
we can do to sell a sport has to be done.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
No, that no.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
From the nineties, netballers, some of our most elite athletes
in this country and arguably one of our best performing
sports in this country, having to sell themselves to get attention.
Dear listener, Jeremy's hands, her head is in her hands.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
It's giving. Didn't Matildas do a nude calendar? They did?
Speaker 1 (18:07):
They did to raise money, they did, And all of
this is in recent history and then we were alive.
We were alive when that happened. Isn't that crazy? But
the thing is why I wanted to play that is
because the issues that we are seeing in netbul today
can still be traced back to the nineties in terms
of what is happening to the competition, where is the
(18:27):
money and is it a sustainable sport.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
So let's give you a summary of the current pay dispute.
These negotiations have been going on since February. We have
reached a stalemate in which Netball Australia has presented a
pay increase of ten percent to the minimum base salary
of forty four thousand dollars. Yes, that's been rejected. Yes,
the players are seeking a revenue share model, not a
(18:52):
profit share model. The current proposal by Netball Australia is
profit share, which is revolutionary that's never been offered before.
Speaker 1 (19:00):
And that's to say profit is different from revenue in
that it's like you take the revenue and then you
take out the costs from that revenue and then you're
left with the profit.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Absolutely, So basically you're given the pie of all the
money that is earned by netball and the pieces that
are taken out to run the league and then the
slight piece that's left that's profit. Yes, whereas the players
want a chunk of the pie, the full pie, before
all of the costs are taken out. Gotcha and Netball Australia,
(19:30):
via their CEO Kelly Ryan, is saying there is no
pie left after we pay for all the expenses of
our sport. We are in four point two million dollars
of debt, which they're largely attributing to COVID, so they're
already in debt and we're not making money from running
(19:50):
the league at the moment, which when you think about
other women's sports, which I mean the cricketers are coming
out and you've got a Lisa Healey coming out and
saying I just don't buy that they don't have any money.
Speaker 9 (20:01):
I was there the other night. I was watching the game.
I was a fan of the game. I'm sitting there,
I'm watching ten thousand people there, the sponsors everywhere, the
product amazing, the line to the merchandise out the door.
Netball's got to have money. Surely there's got to be
money coming in.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
It's not.
Speaker 9 (20:17):
I can't I refuse to believe it's a poor sport
at the moment, just the way that I watch it
unfold and it's kind of just as a female athlete
watching netball go through that makes me really sad. So
that's the Australian cricket captain Alisahally basically saying I'm not
buying it, that they don't have money, and Netble Australia
are like great. So she's saying I'm not buying there's
no money in netball. But Netball Australia is saying we've
(20:41):
done the numbers and we are run so differently to
sports like WBBL and women's cricket or AFLW and women's
football that can be bankrolled and supported by the men's
part of the competition.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Which is a lucrative competition. That's just fact.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Both of which are on free to air television yes,
and have free to air contracts, whereas if you watch netball,
a lot of people wouldn't even know where to watch
Super Netball but it's behind a paywall.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
The argument here from Netball Australia is that through broadcast
rights so TV rights deals, that is where the majority
of your money comes from for you to be able
to pay for everything, including players salaries. The current TV
broadcast rights deal, which is behind a paywall, is going
until twenty twenty six, so they've locked that in. That's
(21:38):
three years away. We currently have this stalemate of the
players arguing for more money and their body arguing for
more money, refusing to accept what Netball Australia thinks is
a fair deal, and Netball Australia is there being like
there's no like literally the broadcast it's locked in. It's
locked in though, like that's that's all that we have.
So there is a huge breakdown in communection here, and
(22:01):
I think a breakdown in trust, yes, between the governing
body and the players, the major stakeholders, Because if you
were there, I think with anyone, and you had all
of the facts and the figures that everyone can see,
and you'd be like, okay, well this much money, it
can only go here. You can have a civil conversation,
a civilized conversation about that and think rationally and be like, okay,
(22:22):
well maybe it's maybe it's not now. Maybe right now
we can't actually get that, but you know, in the
next three years or whatever, we could, but that's not happening.
Those aren't the conversations that are happening and that I
think rests with Netball Australia. They are to blame for
breaking that trust.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
All of the points that Netball Australia are making to
me makes sense. We are in debt and it would
be financially irresponsible to offer you what you're asking for.
We are already offering you a raise, We're offering you
a profit share model. Yes, it's not what you want
right now. We need to get the sport in a
more stable position so that we can offer you what
(22:58):
you want.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
Do you think though, that the breakdown in trust between
all the parties would have that sounds rational when you
tell it to me like that, that sound like, okay, maybe
sounds reasonable. But what has Netball Australia shown to the
players that they will be able to fulfill those promises
of there's going to be more for you in the
future and you're going to still reap the benefits of this,
(23:20):
but it's not right now.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Well, Netble Australia CEO Kelly Ryan says, it's not actually
getting to the players. Yes, this is getting to the
governing body. The governing body of digging their heels in
and saying no, this is what we want and I
understand believe me. When you're sitting back as Netbull and
you have watched all of these other competitions come in
and grab all of this ground swell of attention. You're
probably watching the Matildas and going, yeah, they're in a
(23:43):
World Cup. Everyone's stoked when they make it out of
the group stage. We win, Yeah, we win the world
and more the point there are more girls and women
participating in our sport? How is there this enormous gap?
And researching this and I said to you, George, like,
this is really uncomfortable for me because I feel like
as a sports fan, I should have done more. You
(24:06):
can only you should be the change that you want
to see. And we want to see netball doing well
in Australia.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
What is it about netball though that has not been
able to transform it's millions? Because that's what we're talking
about here, of junior participants, ourselves included in two fans
of the game, Fans that want to go to watch
teams play, Fans that will seek out behind the paywall
and try and find try and find the game when
(24:34):
it's playing well.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
This is what you're Liz Ellis, you're Shanni Layton who
famously went for netball one of the great voices. She's
such a legend, went on to play for Collingwood in
the AFLW and she said, you know, we need to
have characters and again you need that profile in order
to sell those personalities. But it is personalities that get
bums on seats.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
But I refuse to believe that they don't exist. I
refuse to believe that in the current comp petition there's
not one player across those eight teams that doesn't have
that ability to be a SECS star, that doesn't have
that personality. And for me, maybe it's a failure on
the club's behalf, but it's definitely a failure from Netball
Australia and not making this sport which we're really good
(25:18):
at commercial.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
This time last year, a little known lady called Gina
Reinhart offered to fund super Netball to the tune of
fifteen million dollars and Georgie the funding was rejected.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
It was rejected in the end, So Gina Reyanhart runs
Handcock Prospecting, which is a huge mining corporation set up
by her father Laying Hancock. Now, when this offer was
tabled and at first accepted by Netball Australia, it was
seen as this is wonderful, this is very important for netball,
who doesn't have any money, who is in millions of
(25:55):
dollars of debt. This is going to be great. It's
going to change the sport.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Gina Rehinehutt also very famously supports swimming. Australia puts a
lot of money into sports like swimming, light netbull. Quietly,
it needs to be said, like I don't think that
they promote it that much, how much she supports it.
And I actually think that this fifteen million dollars would
have been quiet except for the drama that.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Ensued, except one of the players from the Diamonds, Donald Wallom,
First Nation's Australian, just raised some questions about whether or
not she herself was feeling comfortable with wearing Hancock prospecting
on her uniform. And I think they're very fair questions
because of footage from the eighties which shows Lang Hancock
(26:37):
talking about sterilizing Indigenous people horrendous, horrific, So of course
those concerns need to be tabled and need to be
talked through and need to be understood. Instead, that became
this gigantic media storm because Donal was like, I'm not
sure if I want to wear that. Her teammates rightfully
(26:59):
so stood with her. But also it then became it
put the onus on Donald, which always happens as well.
We're always looking for our Indigenous Australians to lead us
out of all the issues that we get ourselves in.
Speaker 2 (27:10):
Right.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
But because of that, then they did play one game
with that, refusing to wear the sponsor, their major sponsor
that they've just tabled this huge netball saving deal yes with.
And after that though, there was time afforded to have
a chat about everything and talk through what the fifteen
million dollars would do for netball, what it would do
(27:31):
for the Diamonds, what it would do for the team,
and eventually the team said, okay, we might actually will
wear it, will wear the uniform. They stood down from
that initial protest of not wanting to wear that uniform
too late, though, Hancock prospecting Jina Runhud said, this has
been very loud. I like quiet donations. This has turned
into a very very loud conversation. You cannot have the
(27:53):
fifteen million dollars.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
So after this massive, massive public oh no, who will
save netball? Now, the Victorian government in their own debt
issues said, here have fifteen million dollars, which is great,
which is great fault, but still post that fifteen million
dollars from the Victorian government, they're in that four point
(28:15):
two million dollars of debt. It's really really important to
note Super Netball is the best domestic netball competition in
the world. Yes, we had down we had the best
players come from England, from Jamaica, come from all around
the world to play in Australia. So it's like we've
got the NBA.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Also the pr disaster that is this whole this whole
thing camped up to another level. When speaking of cricket,
the Australian Cricketers Association, they're actually showing something that I've
never seen before, which is this cross code support for
(28:52):
their fellow athletes in netball. But they've put their money
where their mouth is. It's not just support from Alisa Healey,
it's two hundred thousand dollars a loan of two hundred
thousand dollars that they have given to netball to try
and sort this out and support some of the players
while this is ongoing. There's a part of me that goes,
(29:13):
you know, you see the headlines Cricket Australia is saving netball.
They're paying their wages right, and you're like, well, there's
part of me that goes, that's such wonderful camaraderie. I'm
glad that they can shake and show they're in a
position to show such solidarity with netballers who are struggling
right now. However, there is an alternate reading to that,
which I think another former Diamond's legend Cathcock summed up perfectly.
Speaker 6 (29:35):
I've got to say my gut reaction when I first
heard the news was a bit of embarrassment for our sport.
You know, the most successful sport in this country has
got to this point. But we can only hope this
is the springboard to actually have some real change happen
from here.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Will we see that change? Jelm me. How does this
stalemate end?
Speaker 2 (29:52):
The players need to get paid, And this is the
bit that worries me is that do you eventually just
sign something that you're unhappy with and this friction continues
where you feel like you're being hard done by and
you think about any employer or any relationship by the
governing body that pays you. You want to feel valued
(30:14):
and heard, and you want to feel like you're getting
renumerated for what you're offering. And at the moment, there
is not a tabled offer that the Players Association is
saying that the players feel that they are being paid
to reflect being valued and that what they want is
being heard, and that even if they do end up
signing the piece of paper for the next three years
(30:35):
doesn't paint a happy picture between stakeholders in a sport
that really needs to unite right now.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Unfortunately, I think that netball and Australia is a victim
of the overall growth of women's sport because you are
also with those viable pathways. We're struggling to just keep
fans in the game. For netball, to build fans so
that they can support teams, let alone building athletes that
they follow it as a pathway. That struggle is real,
(31:04):
and I think at the moment the way things stand,
with this stalemate, it's untenable. I actually cannot see an
end in sight right now unless an independent body comes
in yes and does all of the negotiations. But then
where does that leave you know, and then they sign something,
where does that leave netball Australia. Where does that leave
(31:24):
the players going forward? Because I just think this is
all proof that they cannot and they don't want to
enter into a dialogue with one another.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
I couldn't agree more. It's giving. There needs to be
a third party. But this needs to be resolved quickly.
Every single person that cares about sport and women's sport
in this country can do something as small as engaging, googling,
following and building that ground swell of people that care.
Because we can't just care about the diamonds when they're
(31:55):
in the Constellation Cup. We can't just care when we
get to the Comnwealth Games. We have to support it
growing at the same rate as these other sports. Otherwise
we are going to see players leave netball in order
to play sports at are more lucrative.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Yeah, be part of the profile for the next generation
of players that are going to have to carry this sport,
but hopefully it's a lighter weight. Tell me it's fun.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Fact time.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
Earlier this year, Ossie cricketer Ash Gardner made history because
she secured.
Speaker 4 (32:42):
A very very very healthy WPL which is the women's
ipl deal to the tune of five hundred and fifty
eight thousand dollars, which when I heard that at the
time I remember us talking about this was earlier in
the year.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
I thinks February that this was secured. Us talking about
that at the time, we were like, oh my god,
a woman is finally getting paid, like a crazy contract
like that was the first eye ordering some in women's cricket,
the women's cricket that we had seen, and it was
just gigantic. But how because again we are Australians, we
(33:21):
don't love a tall poppy. There's no danger of Ashgarner
being a tall poppy. Because this was the reaction of
some of her teammates to her getting the five hundred
and fifty eight thousand dollars deal the.
Speaker 5 (33:33):
World Cup when that went on.
Speaker 8 (33:34):
So yeah, we were sort of joking with her that
the next few dinners are definitely on her. She went
some good coin and she was cop and comments the
rest of the tournament, your shout for this, your shout
for that.
Speaker 9 (33:44):
I think she bought a watch from all reports, so
I won't name the brand of it. Shoes or a
bag or something like that.
Speaker 8 (33:50):
Probably got some good new Gucci shoes, some good brand
name clothing that would be her forte.
Speaker 9 (33:55):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 8 (33:56):
I mean there's obviously all these green plans, but there's
nothing that I've really stepped my mind.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
To here that's Ash at the end being like, oh yeah,
there's grand plans. Fun fact about Ash Gunner love.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
Shoes, love shoes, already have Gucci shoes, Gucci shoes, a
time piece. I just love that. That's what she's spended
her five hundred and fifty. Yes, reward yourself. But also
that's half a meal for twenty three days. Oh yes,
because the comp is only twenty three The comp.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
Is so short. So on top of that, she's got
a contract with the Sixes. You've then got your contract
at a national level.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
She having a good time, Ash, She's having a great time,
great time. We'll learned time and it's great that she's getting.
Speaker 2 (34:29):
And also that clip is every reason why I love
women's cricket.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
Well, that's it, that's her good sports.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Let us know if you think that we've got our
personalities right, Yeah, we've got positions that we are, but
would you have picked it? We're so interested as to
what happens now we believe there has to be a
resolution to this sooner rather than later.
Speaker 1 (34:48):
Yes, and we will bring that to you when it
does happen, and we'll give you all the highlights of it,
because it is murky, it's convoluted, it's all the things.
But there is a general consensus that it just has
to end quickly.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Be a good sport, adopt a super netball team, and
we'll see you next week.
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