The "dramatic public airing of netball's dirty laundry" is believed to have "enhanced the board re-election prospects" of the players' preferred candidate, Kathryn Harby-Williams, just a week after the former national captain was "rated no chance of retaining her director's chair," according to Linda Pearce of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. Last Thursday's "dumping" of Anne-Marie Corboy at a special general meeting called by the member associations was also "pivotal," in that it increased the number of vacancies on the eight-person board from two to three. Members of the Australian Netball Players' Association have "threatened to take industrial action" at this weekend's round of Super Netball matches, form a rebel competition, seek releases from their club contracts, run former players to challenge state presidents and boycott Diamonds games for the rest of the year unless the member organizations re-elect Harby-Williams. It is understood that Queensland and NSW remain committed to their original course, which is "widely considered part of a power play to gain board control and return influence to the states." After an "unprecedented flurry of controversy in recent days," one close observer estimated Harby-Williams' re-election chances to now be 50-50, "up from zero last week" (SMH, 4/20).
