In a "new era" for women's sport in Australia, Netball will finally reward the elite with "full-time professionalism," according to Linda Pearce of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. For next year's national netball league, the 80 players -- 10 per team -- will share a total payment pool of A$5.4M ($4M), the average 12-month contract for a 20-hour week will soar to A$67,500 ($50,500), and the minimum wage of A$27,375 ($20,480) "will be more than double that in the ANZ Championship." By comparison, only marquee players in the inaugural women's Australian Football League, scheduled to start February, "will earn the maximum" A$25,000 ($18,700). Netball Australia Deputy CEO Marne Fechner said, "We wanted to set the benchmark for women's sport, and we absolutely believe that we have achieved this with the new CPA (collective players agreement). We want to ensure that netball remains the code of choice; the front page of The Age today was a signal for us that potentially netballers are leaving the sport for AFL." The agreement is the result of four months of at-times "robust" negotiations between Netball Australia, the clubs and the Australian Netball Players' Association. Fechner said that the agreement "will see our national league athletes maintain their position as the highest-paid sportswomen in this country," while claiming details such as A$1,500 ($1,122) annual health insurance contributions, 100% income protection in the event of injury or pregnancy and parental care provisions were "leading the way" for women's sport. Former Diamond and Melbourne Vixens captain Bianca Chatfield "hailed the deal as finally delivering the conditions netballers deserve." Chatfield: "If you are a young woman growing up and deciding which sport to play, netball has just made you the offer of a lifetime" (SMH, 9/14).
