Change is in the air at Netball Australia, as the fallout surrounding the bitter pay dispute of 2023 continues. Last week, chair Wendy Archer announced her departure after six years on the board, on the heels of deputy chair John O’Sullivan and director Marina Go who have also recently left the organisation. Chief executive Kelly Ryan stepped down soon after the dispute was resolved and the search for her replacement is ongoing. At face value, it seems like a direct response to the saga surrounding the signing of the new collective playing agreement (CPA). However, in reality the cleanout and reshaping of the sport has been a long time coming.
In 2015, netball in Australia was riding high. After successfully hosting the World Cup in Sydney, where the home team held the trophy aloft in front of a world record crowd of almost 17,000 fans, the sport was well on its way to becoming one of the country’s favourites. Dreams of broadcast rights deals to rival the football codes and cricket seemed to be just over the horizon. Instead, the years since have seen a slow unravelling of progress, with dreams of financial success appearing further into the distance as each year passes.
