Since its inception, Super Netball has grappled with an identity crisis. Over the years it’s been variously marketed and consequently perceived as: an anodyne competition aimed at primary school girls fond of sparkly My Little Pony figurines, a world-class league likely to be embraced by casual male sports fans, and a brutal version of the grassroots game played by 1.2 million Australians that leaves players battered and bruised.
In trying to please all masters since 2017, the league, its governing body Netball Australia and broadcasters have often disappointed many. But if the slick hype reel for season 2023 unveiled by broadcaster Fox Sports in Melbourne yesterday is anything to go by, the seventh iteration of Super Netball is going to step into its power as a fierce, fast and feminist sport.
