‘Deep scars’: Netball’s highest-profile critic has been appointed to its board

2 weeks ago 6

Netball large Liz Ellis, an outspoken professional of Netball Australia for its handling of a bid of off-court dramas, has been appointed to its board.

The erstwhile nationalist squad skipper and Australia’s astir capped netballer told this masthead connected Monday that she hoped to revive the Super Netball league during her tenure connected the Netball Australia board, but acknowledged that “deep scars” stay from the sport’s near-two-year saga.

Liz Ellis has voiced her concerns implicit the narration betwixt players and the governing body.

Ellis was highly captious of the governing assemblage past twelvemonth amid a series of off-court dramas that plagued the sport, including a wage warfare with players and the nonaccomplishment of millions of dollars successful national authorities funding.

In November, she appeared connected The Project, describing the narration betwixt Netball Australia and its players arsenic “so poisoned” that she wondered whether it could beryllium repaired. That aforesaid month, Ellis issued a lengthy connection expressing her choler towards a missive Netball Australia sent Diamonds players informing they could look ineligible enactment if they boycotted the Australian Netball Awards.

“As a erstwhile Diamonds captain, I cannot judge that the governing assemblage of the athletics I emotion would dainty its Diamonds ambassadors for netball with specified callous regard,” Ellis wrote astatine the time.

Speaking astir her assignment connected Monday to this masthead, Ellis said:

“This is not the extremity constituent wherever we spell ‘OK, everything’s fixed let’s get Liz connected the board, let’s get a [new] CEO’ … determination are heavy scars from the past mates of years and I deliberation there’s a batch of enactment to beryllium done.

“I don’t privation radical to deliberation we’ve got the messiah, that each our problems are solved – I’m conscionable 1 of present a squad of nine. I person skills that are antithetic from each the different committee members, and tin hopefully complement them.”

Her assignment to the board, announced connected Monday, had been rumoured among netball insiders since erstwhile main enforcement Kelly Ryan resigned successful December. Stacey West, a erstwhile subordinate and long-time Netball Australia administrator, was appointed arsenic interim CEO.

Outgoing seat Wendy Archer connected Monday pointed to Ellis’ occurrence connected the netball tribunal and enactment skills.

“Like each members of the board, Liz is passionate astir netball, some connected tribunal and off, and brings important enactment skills arsenic good arsenic a breadth of cognition gained from her post-career roles successful broadcast and business,” Archer said.

Following Ryan’s resignation, respective committee members besides stood down from their positions, paving the mode for Ellis’ appointment. Marina Go – who appointed Ryan and chaired the committee during the Hancock Prospecting saga, erstwhile the institution withdrew $15 cardinal successful sponsorship – secretly stood down days aft Ryan’s resignation.

Netball Australia seat Archer and lawman seat John O’Sullivan besides announced their resignations this year. Archer volition stay connected the committee and spot retired the remainder of her tenure until 2025.

Asked whether she would beryllium funny successful chairing the board, Ellis did not disregard the thought but said she would request to hold and “see however that plays out”.

“I haven’t adjacent had a committee meeting,” she added.

The three-time satellite netball champion, who practised arsenic a solicitor successful her aboriginal career, has besides sat connected the committee of the Australian Sports Commission, the NSW Institute of Sport, Sydney Olympic Park Authority and Players Voice.

“When you look astatine that board, determination are a wide assortment of strengths and experiences. I’ve got a truly heavy cognition of the vertical of the sport. I’ve been successful astir each [role] – I’ve been a high-performance player, I presently beryllium astatine grassroots arsenic a coach, my daughter’s a rep subordinate truthful I spot that archetypal measurement connected the rung of the pathways,” she said.

Ellis said her absorption would beryllium to reinvigorate the Super Netball competition, which is presently bleeding millions of dollars and being propped up by netball’s grassroots.

The 53-page State of the Game review authored by Ellis successful 2020 urged that the Super Netball contention indispensable beryllium the commercialized jewel successful Netball Australia’s crown, and noted its existent operation was “not optimised for commercialized growth”.

“The happening that I learnt during the State of the Game reappraisal – and you benignant of instinctively cognize this – the merchandise is fantastic. But I deliberation we tin person a bully look astatine it and accidental is this a operation optimal for commercialized return?”

She added that superior injection into the league would beryllium a focus. In 2022, Ellis backed a rejected $6.5 cardinal bid from backstage equity steadfast Tier 1 to bargain the league outright. That woody was yet rejected.

Asked whether she would beryllium supportive of New Zealand teams joining the league, Ellis said that immoderate decisions made needed to beryllium portion of a larger strategy.

“I don’t deliberation you tin look astatine New Zealand teams coming into the league without knowing wherefore you’re doing it, and what you’re getting from it, and however it’s going to work.”

News, results and adept investigation from the play of athletics sent each Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.