Australia's best netballers are "threatening strike action this weekend, a Super Netball breakaway to form a rebel competition and a boycott of Diamonds games for the rest of the year" unless the state associations re-elect "threatened" board member Kathryn Harby-Williams at Friday's Netball Australia annual general meeting, according to Linda Pearce of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. As the political divisions within the sport "became public following the dumping of highly credentialed former board chair Anne-Marie Corboy" at a special general meeting called by the member organizations last week, the Australian Netball Players' Association "strongly condemned" the treatment of Corboy as "an inexcusable lack of judgment that only serves to satisfy self-interest." Following a "90-minute telephone hook-up on Tuesday involving multiple representatives" from all eight Super Netball clubs, the ANPA then forwarded a "scathing letter" to Netball Australia Chair Paolina Hunt to be distributed to all member associations and delegates before the AGM in Canberra. Netball Queensland and Netball NSW are reportedly two of the state bodies "refusing to vote for the respected and experienced Harby-Williams as part of a power play" aimed at returning "more clout" to the "disgruntled" member organizations. The ANPA letter said, "It is a non-negotiable position that Kathryn Harby-Williams be re-elected to the board with the overwhelming support of all MOs and delegates. ... Failure to re-elect Harby-Williams will see the players lose complete confidence in the people entrusted to select the board of NA" (SMH, 4/19). ABC's Mary Gearin reported the launch of Super Netball a few months ago "promised a new start for the sport," but tensions between the state associations and the ANPA "now threaten the harmony of the competition." ANPA Dir Bianca Chadwick said that she thought the state associations "were worried about losing control." Players "are worried state associations want to stack the Netball Australia board because they have lost players and some control to three new clubs in the league." If that happens, "strike action is on the table." Chadwick: "It's the last resort we want to take, but it's just something the player group are really passionate about and really determined to take a stance and be united." Netball Queensland President Jane Seawright "is adamant" the associations, or member organizations, "just want what is best." Seawright: "I think the players have probably been misinformed" (ABC, 4/19).
