Anger as Netball Australia refuses to name World Cup team until after pay talks
By Roy Ward and Carla Jaeger
Australia’s netballers have called on the governing body to “preserve the sanctity of the Australian uniform” and end its refusal to name the Diamonds squad for the World Cup.
Netball Australia took the unprecedented move on Monday of refusing to announce the much-anticipated squad for the World Cup in South Africa, which starts on July 28, until the players signed off on a new collective bargaining agreement.
Kate Moloney in full flight for the Diamonds in Melbourne last year.Credit: Getty Images
The two sides have been some distance apart with Netball Australia adamant that the revenue share the Australian Netball Players’ Association (ANPA) wants is not viable as the governing body has debts of more than $4.2 million.
Former Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander sided with the players saying national team selections shouldn’t be “held to ransom over this”.
Netball Australia said it had offered more benefits to players and an “upside provision should the sport overachieve on its metrics in the next three years” but had yet to receive a response from the ANPA.
Netball Australia says it is within its rights under the player selection policy as it can’t name a team until “contracts are signed” but the union has called on them to “decouple” the national team from negotiations in the interest of player wellbeing.
The player selection policy includes a section on player wellbeing stating players should know 24 hours before any team announcement whether they are in or out and that Netball Australia should have “standard operating procedures and wellbeing support” for players ahead of the naming of national teams.
The ANPA said in an Instagram story on Wednesday night that players had met and reacted with “confusion, anger and sadness” at Netball Australia’s use of something as cherished as World Cup selection as a bargaining chip.
“The players unanimously agreed to invite NA to decouple national selection from industrial negotiations and, in the name of wellbeing, advise all players who has been selected for the Diamonds 2023 World Cup squad,” the ANPA wrote.
“The players make these requests to preserve the sanctity of the Australian uniform, to support the wellbeing of players and in support of good faith negotiations and not bad faith negotiations.”
Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan said in a statement on Wednesday that the latest offer was sent to the ANPA on May 18, and they had yet to receive a response.
“We are understanding of the impact this has on the players and I spoke to them all on Monday night to reassure them everyone is working to finalise negotiations,” Ryan said.
“We are fully invested in doing all we can to support the players now and through the 2023 Netball World Cup – a significant moment for all who represent their country.
“Netball Australia must uphold good governance standards and cannot commit to selecting players or announcing a squad before contracts are signed.”
Alexander called out Netball Australia for using the Diamonds as part of a “power play”.
“At the end of the day, the players shouldn’t be held to ransom over this,” Alexander told SEN 1116 on Wednesday.
“This is outrageous behaviour, in my opinion, from Netball Australia.
“They (Netball Australia) can use their power, but then the players have a right also to state they’re not happy with it.”
NA said it had been in negotiations with the ANPA for more than 12 months, but the union called this statement false.
“ANPA advises that suggestions we were aware of this proposed escalation by Netball Australia are false,” the ANPA wrote.
“As is the suggestion that negotiations have been taking place for 12 months. The negotiations have only been active for a number of weeks.
“ANPA commits to a good faith negotiation and regards this escalation as contrary to that principle.”
With AAP
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