“The sport of netball isn’t likely to become anything much bigger than it presently is.” These words, penned by a sports columnist in 2022, were so bold in their nature, so matter of fact in consigning netball to the margins of the sporting world in perpetuity, that there was little room left for debate. Nevertheless, the sport has persisted and continues to defy such audacious predictions.
The 2024 Super Netball season, which finished on Saturday with Adelaide Thunderbirds holding the trophy aloft for the second year running after winning the grand final against Melbourne Vixens 59-57 in front of 9,694 fans, recorded the league’s largest ever attendance figures. Over the 14 rounds of competition and the finals series, 366,222 spectators walked through the gates of venues around Australia. This represents a 25% increase on 2023 crowds, which in turn was a 25% increase on 2022.
