Womens' sport "has finally found its deserved footprint in the Australian recreation and television landscape," according to Roy Masters of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. A new eight-team national netball competition "will begin in February next year," televised by Channel Nine in primetime, with significant investment from National Rugby League and Australian Football League clubs. Melbourne Storm CEO Dave Donaghy, one of the potential investors in the new womens' netball league, said, "We can see a golden age for female sport in Australia. We want to be at the start line, not the finish line." The current trans-Tasman competition "will be cut in half, with Netball Australia separating itself from the five New Zealand teams, leaving the five existing Australian teams to be joined by another three in the new league." While a final decision on the three new teams has yet to be announced, a Storm-owned team "is likely to be established on the Sunshine Coast, as well as another Melbourne-based team backed by AFL club Collingwood and a second team set up in Sydney." Channel Nine and Telstra "are expected to enter into five-year agreements to broadcast the 17-round competition, with incumbent telecaster Channel Ten, losing the rights." TV ratings "drove the inevitable national league, with poor numbers for games between Australian and New Zealand teams forcing Netball Australia's hand" (SMH, 5/11).
THE RIGHT THING: In Sydney, Melissa Woods wrote former Test coach Norma Plummer said that "dumping New Zealand teams in a trans-Tasman netball competition shake-up would be the best thing for Australian netball." Plummer, who coached West Coast Fever, said that "New Zealand teams were holding Australia's progress back." Plummer said that including another three Australian teams "would give more local players a chance to play at an elite level." Plummer: "I don't think it would dilute the standard as we had the same type of competition before the ANZ Championship anyway. ... Australia has to do what's right for Australia" (SMH, 5/11).
LEFTOVERS: STUFF's Brendon Egan wrote former Silver Fern and elite coach Marg Foster said that "the break-up of the trans-Tasman netball league is a step back for the sport in New Zealand." She "slammed the proposed break-up of the trans-Tasman netball league, arguing leading Silver Ferns will jump ship across the ditch." There "is speculation the top teams from the Australian and New Zealand competitions could play off in a finals series," but Netball New Zealand and Netball Australia would "only say" in a joint statement on Wednesday that they were close to reaching an agreement over the '17 competition, and "look forward to making a joint announcement next week." Foster "is worried that top-line Silver Ferns will leave and play in the lucrative Australian league with the New Zealand domestic scene becoming a watered down product for leftover talent" (STUFF, 5/11).
