The largest independent review ever undertaken into netball has revealed an urgent need to modernise the game to secure its future prosperity, evolution, and relevancy.
The State of the Game Review, released on Thursday and spearheaded by netball great Liz Ellis, has delivered eight major recommendations, noting outdated governance systems and a lack of public trust as issues.
The review is the result of widespread, independent consultations, and the opinions of more than 10,000 people from a survey conducted earlier this year. It engaged with a cross-section of netball and the wider community, including players, parents, umpires, coaches, paid and voluntary administrators, officials, members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, members of elite teams, sponsors, media analysts, broadcasters, members of Parliament, and representatives from other sports.
Netball has been through a challenging year, economically and socially, amid the pandemic and controversy around decisions made for and within the Suncorp Super Netball competition. Rule changes and failing to meet community expectations around treatment of Indigenous players, have been notable challenges.
“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,” Liz Ellis said in a statement.
“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 review states that the inability of Australian netball to align at all levels on what it wants to achieve and how, is problematic and has been excarbated by a lack of trust within the sport’s systems.
There is a lack of clarity around responsibilities and accountabilities, and inefficiencies in administrative procedures that have led to a stagnation of the sport at both a grassroots and elite level.
“To maintain its leadership position, Australian netball needs to address its challenges and capitalise on opportunities within the sport’s administration,” the review states.
“Is Australian netball harnessing its strengths, and does it understand what is required to secure a vibrant and sustainable future for the game and its stakeholders?”
The review found that one major area for improvement could be around making the sport more flexible on multiple fronts. Flexibility around how and when competitions are played and allowing participants to choose uniforms that cater for different comfort, modesty, cost and cultural sensitivities, were highlighted as areas for improvements.
At the elite level, big challenges were noted for Australian netball.
“On court, Australian netball is facing challenges like never before, and for the first time ever Australia does not hold the Netball World Cup, the World Youth Cup, or the Commonwealth Games gold medal,” the review says.
Diversity and inclusion have also been highlighted as a problem in the sport, with the review stating that there has not been an adequate response. Currently, there is only one Indigenous player in the entirety of Suncorp Super Netball.
“Whilst the sport does not seek to directly exclude individuals or groups there is a key need for action to improve diversity and inclusion in the sport at all levels.”
“The netball ecosystem has not strategically sought to appreciate that there are cultural or systematic reasons why there is not a high level of diversity in the sport and why different cohorts of the Australian population might not take part in netball including as players, volunteers, and fans.”
The State of the Game Review panel, led by Ellis, included Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, non-executive director and former MP Wendy Machin, non-executive director, CEO, CMO and media executive Joe Pollard.
Netball Australia has accepted all eight recommendations made by the review and in early 2021 will appoint a resource in charge of managing the implementation of the recommendations.
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