‘Stuck in limbo’: Diamonds star’s pay concern ahead of World Cup
By Marnie Vinall
The daunting prospect of netballers potentially having no income in the months ahead as the protracted battle over a new collective player agreement continues has left them in limbo, Melbourne Vixens star defender Jo Weston says.
Amid preparing for a Super Netball semi-final on Sunday against reigning premiers West Coast Fever and a World Cup next month in Cape Town, Weston, who is also the president of the Australian Netball Players Association, said it had been an “interesting few years” for the sport.
Star Melbourne Vixens defender Jo Weston.Credit: Jason South
The COVID-19 pandemic derailed Super Netball, as it did to sports globally in 2020. Collingwood have since dropped out of the competition citing financial woes, Netball Australia has been rocked by significant funding issues including the Gina Rinehart sponsorship saga, and the governing body is locked in bitter and protracted pay negotiations which have created player anger and confusion.
Every Super Netball player is out of contract in July and clubs can’t make any new deals with netballers until a new agreement is signed.
“I feel like 2020 probably prepared us all for it [the uncertainty] a little bit. But it is really concerning... not potentially having a source of income in however many months is a very daunting prospect for anyone, I think. And especially for those of us that live in the current economic situation, and those of us that live in bigger cities, that is a really difficult position to put players in.
“So I know that Netball Australia are working around the clock to try and sort it out. But unfortunately, things like this do take time. It’s not like a click your fingers and problem solved.”
Weston added that not knowing who the eighth team will be to replace Collingwood adds to precarious situation. The new team is set to be revealed as soon as August, after the World Cup.
“It’s complicated with the fact that the new team hasn’t been announced yet. So who knows? Like we don’t know where it will potentially be, and who the coach will be, and all of those sorts of things,” she said.
“So even though we haven’t got a CPA sorted, with the eighth team being unknown, it’s sort of redundant at this stage. Because until that is resolved, as players, we’re all sort of stuck in this limbo.”
An extension to the current CPA was signed earlier this month so the Diamonds squad could be announced after a week’s delay, which included Weston on the roster.
Although she has played for the Diamonds since 2015, she said getting the phone call from Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich was still a surprise, especially as injury kept her from touring earlier in the year with the national squad in a practice tour in South Africa.
Jo Weston in action for the Melbourne Vixens earlier this season.Credit: Getty Images
“For a pinnacle event that only happens every four years, you do sort of have to be in the right place, in the right form, with the right combinations at the right time,” said Weston.
“I was surprised and then just like over the moon. I feel like all of us get very emotional talking about it and it’s probably hard to articulate because it’s just been it’s been a really long selection process.
“And that time allows self-doubt to come in and worry about whether you’re performing, and I don’t play domestically with any of my other Diamonds defenders, so I probably don’t have that partnership day in, day out.”
The pool of Australian netballers is competitively strong, with Weston noting the depth of Super Netball.
Collingwood, who finished last on the ladder, knocked off the Fever in the final round of the regular season, underlining the strength of the league.
“It’s always been that way, the last few years where, even though there’s clear top and bottom, you never know what will really transpire in any game,” she saud.
Weston, who has played professionally for the past 10 years, said the growth of the game had tracked the growth of her personal career.
“When I first started with the Vixens, I got paid $12,000. I get paid a bit more than that now, which is quite nice and nice to have enough to live comfortably off,” she said.
“But I think just the increased professionalism, we’ve seen the increased commercial investment, the change in the broadcast, how people view netball, it’s all been really positive steps forward in terms of growth. So, it’s a different landscape I think holistically than what it was 10 years ago, but that’s a good thing.”
The Vixens take on face the Fever in a knockout semi-final on Sunday in Perth. Weston said her side was hungry to reverse the result of last year’s grand final, where Fever got the jump on the Vixens and won their maiden premiership by 11 goals.
“Coming up against Fever on any day is always going to be a really challenging game, but it’s something that we’re really ready for,” said Weston.
She added there’s extra incentive given the grand final is in Melbourne. “But it’s a real difficult journey to get there. Making a grand final in any year is really hard. We’re ready for it though.”
‘More exciting’: Jamaican star opposes Super Netball cap on international players
Star West Coast Fever goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler says international players have given the Super Netball competition more flavour and flair, while playing in Australia has helped her develop as a player and arguably become the best goal shooter in the world.
Fowler’s comments come amid a debate about whether Super Netball should have a cap on international players – they currently make up 17.5 per cent of all players. Fowler, a five-time league MVP, said the competition should remain open.
While AFL/AFLW and the A-Leagues don’t have any official caps on international players, with the caveat that salary caps can limit star imports, the WNBL limits imports to two per team, with the number capped at three in the NBL.
Lift off: West Coast Fever star Jhaniele Fowler in action during the Super Netball season.Credit: Getty Images
In a global context, the Women’s Super League soccer competition in England has a “home grown players” clause where in a squad of 25 players registered in their squad cap, there must be at least 15 registered home-grown players. A home-grown player is someone who, irrespective of their nationality, has been registered with a club affiliated to the Football Association for three seasons – or 36 months – before their 21st birthday.
In the UK-based Netball Superleague, teams are permitted up to two overseas players, but a team can’t have more than one overseas player in the attacking, midcourt or defensive positions on the court at once.
Of the Super Netball competition in Australia, Fowler said: “International players do come in and make the competition rounded and exciting ... We do bring a little bit of different flavour, a bit of flair. But just more talents and more skill set.”
Fowler is one of seven Jamaican players in Super Netball, including Thunderbirds defensive duo Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson and Collingwood’s Shimona Nelson.
Latanya Wilson defends for the Thunderbirds.Credit: Getty Images
Fowler said moving to Australia has made her a more complete player, as she’s improved under elite coaches and is playing against the best in the world each week. But it’s also a two-way street, as the Jamaican players have made the game more exciting.
“They’re amazing, they’re so athletic,” said Fowler.
“Just week in, week out, when you see the Jamaican players go out there, the commentators, everyone, has to talk about them because they have made such an impact in this league in their teams.”
Former Diamonds head coach, and a current coaching mentor, Lisa Alexander said she didn’t think there should be a cap on international players, but her stance was different while she was Australia’s coach.
“As a national coach with a different purpose, I thought differently in the past and did call for restrictions to be two imports per team,” she said.
“If we eventually become the best in the world like the NBA [is to basketball], then we must have a draft and salary cap.”
Alexander explained that, without a cap, the Super Netball competition would continue to provide a world-class competition for Australian athletes to compete in, week in, week out.
Netball legend and Hall of Famer Jill McIntosh praised the strength of the league but pushed for a cap on the number of international players allowed in the competition.
McIntosh, who captained Australia to their 1983 World Cup win, said that while imports have been good for the league, she worried that without a limit, potential Diamonds players could be benched.
“We’re not in the Olympics, so our World Cup is our pinnacle,” McIntosh said. “I want to see the sport survive and thrive.”
Veteran netballer Ash Brazill said she’d like to see more teams added to the competition to give more opportunities for local players, given the spots taken up by international players.
“I can’t wait to see extra teams added to our league because in the end there are only 80 spots, and we have 25 internationals,” said Brazill.
“It’s pretty hard as Australians to get one of those 55 spots that are left. I think we definitely need some more teams for the Australian pool.”
Fowler said international players also improve world netball by affording more opportunities for players in countries that don’t have avenues to develop or play.
“I reckon it should just stay open because, if you look, there are still teams in the league that do not really have an international player on their team yet. I reckon I can safely say that, and if anything, some teams just maybe have one international player,” said Fowler.
“But I reckon, yeah, bring the international players in, also give them the experience because other countries who don’t have the competition back home to develop players, it would be good for netball on a whole because then you will see that the competition is not just Australia or New Zealand or England or Jamaica in top four – other countries are putting out and delivering as well.
“And then netball is just going to be even more exciting. You just don’t want to see the same countries winning all the time.”
That international rivalry will be put on show at the World Cup in Cape Town in next month, but first Fowler has a Super Netball semi-final to win.
Fowler said despite West Coast having an inconsistent season with “ups and downs”, they are proud to have finished in third spot, meaning they take on Melbourne Vixens in a knockout grand final rematch.
“Definitely it will be pretty good coming up against the Vixens … They’re going to be a really tough team to beat, but we know that we have what it takes to win”.
The Fever will also have the home-court advantage.
“The green army, they’re really loud, and they also always help to get us over the line, so we’re going to make sure to capitalise on having the home court.”
With Carla Jaeger
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