Netball Australia and the eight voting Member Organisations have unanimously endorsed reforms that will create the foundation for a more dynamic, efficient and innovative administration of Australia’s number one participation sport.
The landmark State of the Game Review challenged netball to make several difficult choices and decisions in order to forge a vibrant and sustainable future for the sport.
And at the first opportunity, netball has shown it’s more than up for that challenge.
One of the most significant reforms was set out in recommendation 2.1 which called for a Special General Meeting to adopt a range of governance reforms that would create ‘’a significant opportunity for stability, development and alignment to underpin strengthening of Australian netball.”
On Wednesday, following months of collaboration and discussion, netball’s eight voting Member Organisations, further supported by Netball Australia, unanimously endorsed reforms that will create the foundation for a more dynamic, efficient and innovative administration of Australia’s number one participation sport.
Key elements of the agreed reforms include:
- Merging the Netball Australia Board and Super Netball League Commission into a single nine-person Board with 6 Directors appointed by the NA Board and 3 elected by Member Organisations.
- The Super Netball Commission will merge with the new Netball Australia Board, which will run the Suncorp Super Netball competition.
- After nine years on the Netball Australia Board, the last four as Chair, Paolina Hunt has resigned as Chair and Director of NA, effective immediately. This facilitates the transition to a single Board, and provides certainty around leadership of the organisation for the current NA CEO recruitment process.
- Directors Elizabeth Hunter, Catriona Larritt and Terri Meadmore have also stood aside with thanks and appreciation for their critical contributions to netball.
- Marina Go will become the inaugural Chair of the newly-formed board following the unanimous endorsement of her fellow Directors.
- Following a unique election process, it was determined that Marina Go (Chair), Wendy Archer, Mitch Catlin, Todd Deacon, Peter Legg, John O’Sullivan, Jane Seawright, Gabbi Stubbs and Michael Thomson will serve as inaugural Directors in 2021.
- Subsequent Director terms will be staggered to ensure continuity.
- Commitment to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and athlete representatives are appointed to Board positions in accordance with the State of the Game Review recommendations.
- Newly constituted Nominations Committee is comprised of an independent external chair, an NA representative and one current MO President, chosen by the MOs.
The approval and adoption of the reform package represents one of the most significant structural changes in netball’s long history. It is also the bedrock from which other critical State of the Game Review recommendations can be reviewed, discussed and ultimately adopted.
Crucially, the change was made possible by the recognition of netball’s Member Organisations that the long-term future of the sport required the drive, determination and co-operation of all states and territories, rather than a top-down approach.
“Today’s news is a very positive and significant development for netball not just in New South Wales, but across the nation,” Louise Sullivan, President of Netball NSW, says.
“Netball Australia’s State of the Game Review outlined clear processes and recommendations to not only sustain netball into the future, but also ensure its continued growth.
“The governance changes announced today are the result of collaboration by all Member Organisations in what is a brilliant show of collective strength by netball’s stakeholders nationwide.
“The sports industry is constantly evolving and netball must be more streamlined in its approach to new challenges and opportunities as they arise. Significantly, Netball NSW fully supports our national body having a more inclusive and diverse voice at the Board table which results from this reform.
“At Netball NSW we are proud to have two professional franchises in the NSW Swifts and Giants Netball, world-leading high-performance pathways and grassroots numbers which are among the best in the country.
“I believe this new transparent nominations and election process for Netball Australia’s Board will result in the most skilled Directors being attracted to our game, enabling us to best achieve our purpose which is netball’s lasting growth and success.
"We look forward to working with Marina and her fellow Directors at Netball Australia."
Operationally, the new governance system provides the flexibility and organisational agility to ensure that the skillsets of Directors will be both complementary and responsive to changes in the broader economic, social, commercial, technological, governmental, and other landscapes.
A single Board will also facilitate whole-of-sport strategic decision-making that runs from netball’s vast grassroots community through pathways to Suncorp Super Netball and the Origin Australian Diamonds.
Finally, the new Nominations Committee structure will help ensure that the many stakeholders critical to netball’s health are considered and represented as the Board evolves over time.
Significant structural reform inevitably involves change, and the entire netball family once again thanks our out-going Directors Hunt, Hunter, Larritt and Meadmore for their commitment, leadership, and insights.
