In 2017, Australian cricket was abuzz with talk of the new memorandum of understanding between the playing group and Cricket Australia. Negotiations were fierce and protracted, with the revenue-sharing model the subject that most divided the two groups. Eventually the players and their union – the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) – were able to secure an agreement that included the revenue-sharing arrangement. Play resumed.
So when the ACA heard word of the struggles Australia’s netballers were facing in their own collective playing agreement (CPA) negotiations with their governing body, the union decided to take action. The ACA initially offered resourcing support to the Australian Netball Players’ Association (ANPA), but when negotiations continued to drag on and players found themselves off contract, with no way of bringing in income, the ACA took the unprecedented step of offering financial support.
