The Australian netball system has united in support for the eight strategic recommendations made by the independent State of the Game Review.
Netball Australia and its state and territory-based member organisations, all eight Suncorp Super Netball Clubs, the Australian Netball Players’ Association and the Confident Girls Foundation all welcomed the report and will now consult with their respective members on the detailed recommendations within the report.
The State of the Game Review panel, which was led by former Australian captain Liz Ellis, delivered a detailed report with eight over-arching recommendations:
- Strategic system alignment
- Governance reform
- State led participation growth
- Fully integrated performance pathways for athletes, coaches and umpires leading into the Origin Diamonds
- Suncorp Super Netball as the vehicle to drive commercial growth for netball
- System wide operational efficiencies
- National digital strategy
- Implementation resources.
Netball Australia Chair Paolina Hunt said the netball system supporting these recommendations is a crucial next step in re-imagining the game’s future after a tough 2020.
“As the report directly reflects the views of our diverse Netball Nation it came as no surprise that netball’s internal stakeholders have demonstrated their desire to work together to deliver on the review’s core recommendations,” she said.
“The State of the Game Review is the largest scale independent review ever conducted into netball – carried out over five months and integrating the voices of over 10,000 netball stakeholders – and the insights gained provide an accurate and current data set from which to launch the panel’s recommendations.
“We have a great opportunity, leading into Netball Australia’s centenary year in 2027, to set the sport up for the next 100 years, and I’m very much looking forward to working together with key stakeholders as we align for growth and success as an outcome of the review process.”
Head of the State of the Game Review panel Liz Ellis is delighted to see Australian netball come together in agreeing to both support the recommendations and commit to working through the details to bring them to life.
“The review identified some key changes critical to the growth of netball during the coming months and years. These changes, while major, are the outcome of extensive consultation and a perceived desire at all levels to see netball evolve to become a major player in Australian sport from grassroots through to professional and elite,” she said.
“It is pleasing that netball’s core bodies have accepted the information uncovered through the review and have committed to coming together to implement change.”
The State of the Game Review panel, led by Ellis, included Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, experienced non-executive director and former MP Wendy Machin and experienced non-executive director, CEO, CMO and media executive Joe Pollard.
As recommended within the report, in early 2021 Netball Australia will appoint a resource in charge of managing the implementation of the recommendations across the broader netball system.
