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As Jo Weston exited stage left after Thursday’s emotional media conference at the offices of the netballers’ cricket-union brethren, one of Super Netball’s toughest defenders could at least summon the humour to mutter: “Disaster, crying on TV. Oh no.’’
Not a disaster. No, no.
ANPA President Weston’s distress was genuine when discussing the toll of not just the past nine weeks without pay for her non-Diamonds sisters, and the fallout from a toxic industrial dispute that reached its nadir with Saturday afternoon’s letter from Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan threatening legal action for non-attendance at the annual awards night just hours later.
However necessary, perhaps, in a strict legal sense, to protect the national association against breach of contract claims from its own commercial partners, it was inflammatory and damaging; taking a traditional and in many ways still humble grassroots sport to a place it had not been before.
And if, as the players believe, part of Netball Australia’s delay-and-delay-some-more strategy includes a desire to divide and conquer, then Thursday’s appearance from Weston, ANPA CEO Kathryn Harby-Williams and experienced industrial advisor and ex-footballer Ian Prendergast — the brother of former Diamonds’ great Julie Corletto — reinforced just how united the playing group remains.
Inevitably, skirmishes in this war are being played out on the PR battleground and — with the NA board now wavering on its stance over the nature of the revenue share provisions that remain at the heart of the stand-off — this might just have been a killer blow.
An impressive showing from the trio on the theme of #FightForFair referenced netball’s “shame” about the duress the athletes are suffering, of not being heard, and their resolve to raise their collective voice.
Interesting, too, were the references to past events in the 21 unanimous player resolutions — including the faux-consultation before selling the hosting rights to the 2022 SSN grand final, plus condemnation of the Hancock sponsorship disaster’s handling and messaging, in which a deal to wear the logo was allegedly reneged upon.
Clearly, the long-deteriorating relationship between the governing body and its greatest asset, its players, is broken, perhaps beyond repair. The futures of Ryan, and/or the board chaired by Wendy Archer on whose instructions — in concert with the SSN clubs — the CEO is acting are among the issues still to be played out as the parties prepare to return to the negotiating table on Friday afternoon.
Combined with the black mark that is the loss of almost $18 million in Federal Government funding, too much damage has been done, too many fences have been flattened, and too little trust and respect remains.
While the revenue share demands may seem overly ambitious for a sport swimming in red ink, the percentages and share of above-sponsorship-forecasts-only realities are modest, and the idea that the players would prioritise immediate pay — including back pay — over a CPA still not agreed “in totality” after all this time never realistic.
Yet if this was a sports film, Thursday’s money moment came when Weston broke down discussing the personal referencing of both Harby-Williams and Prendergast in the legal letter received ahead of the awards night; Weston having already described the nature of a netballers’ association that has far fewer resources than bigger and better-resourced versions in cricket and the football codes, before choking up.
“I think all of us just want to move forward with what we think is fair and reasonable for our playing group,’’ Weston said. “We want to feel like we’re valued. We want to feel like we’re respected and listened to, and hopefully tomorrow when we’re in the room we’ll be able to get something done for our players … sorry.’’
No need. That was the perfect illustration of what Harby-Williams swept in – after an appropriately consoling moment – to reinforce: the toll, the tears, the sleeping in cars, the moving back in with parents, and the commitment to an already-pared-back stance on which the players will not budge further.
When and even whether a deal gets done is unclear. But Thursday’s dramatic instalment in the PR battle may well count as a crucial day of reckoning when the time eventually comes to reflect on a needlessly destructive war.
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