Netball agents frustrated as pay talks roll into Glasgow 2026

Has netball learned much since 2023? You be the judge.

The messy and drawn-out pay negotiations that dominated headlines during that World Cup year are once again overshadowing a major tournament for the sport.

The Diamonds are aiming to defend gold at the Commonwealth Games, and that mission starts on Saturday night in their opening match against Tonga at 8pm AEST. But the world number one team hit the court in Glasgow with uncertain futures.

The current Super Netball collective player agreement (CPA) expires on September 30, meaning all 88 players will be off contract. It is a chaotic way of doing things and leads to a mad scramble for everyone involved, with so many trying to secure opportunity at the same time.

The 2027 signing window was supposed to open the Monday after the grand final on July 4. That has been delayed a month so the athletes can focus on their international duties while the terms of the next deal are worked through.

There are several sticking points that the national sporting organisation and the Australian Netball Players’ Association (ANPA) cannot agree on. More on that later.

It is important to note that ANPA provided a detailed submission late last year to try and get the ball rolling. Netball Australia wanted to wait and sort out its new broadcast agreement with Nine, which underwrites the majority of the costs of the CPA first. That was done in April.

Although from the sport’s point of view, discussions are more respectful and constructive this time, with greater transparency of information shared amongst parties, the players are incredibly frustrated. And so are their agents, who argue they are unable to make meaningful progress on behalf of their talent.

There is no prohibition to hold non-binding conversations with your own club or another right now, yet a request to allow non-binding written offers while CPA talks take place was denied. The agents believe this would’ve freed up the system and given players more certainty.

Kathryn Deiulio, the founder of Behind Your Brand, said it was her understanding that the Diamonds players did not ask the sport to push back the contracting window and wanted discussions to continue. There are concerns this kind of assumption could create a divide amongst the group, positioning some as more important than others.

“This misunderstanding creates the impression that they didn’t consider the impact it could have on the remaining 60-70 players not playing at the Games,” Deiulio told ABC Sport.

“It is our role to continue contract negotiations on their behalf, and it would have created an additional layer of complexity, given the time difference and the need to carefully manage communication with players so as not to distract them from their performance.

“However, ultimately, that is part of our role as agents and something we are equipped to manage … These are professional athletes who dedicate their lives to their sport, and they deserve the same level of security around employment expected in any other profession.”

Jace Bode is the chief executive of W Sports & Media, which works across a range of elite codes, such as cricket, Aussie Rules, football, golf and tennis.

“The fact that 80-plus athletes have once again been put in this position is incredibly disappointing and challenging to manage from our perspective,” Bode told ABC Sport.

“We have the best netball competition in the world, and it is frustrating to watch these athletes continue to navigate uncertainty around their careers when it has so much potential.”

This CPA will only be a 12-month deal, allowing Netball Australia to try and bring in more revenue from 2027 onwards with the free-to-air broadcast agreement and present a stronger offer. But both agents worry that without a longer CPA in place we may be right back here next year, ahead of a World Cup on home soil.

According to the new dates, contracts will open for clubs’ own players from August 4-16. Non-binding written offers are permitted for all players during these 12 days. Then, from August 17-28, contracting officially opens for those looking to switch allegiances.

The agents argue this process favours those who intend to remain at their existing club, while placing players who may be looking elsewhere at a significant disadvantage. The time frame is also not ideal for those weighing up their options overseas, with the English Superleague contracting window already in full swing.

Complicating things further, in other sports it is normally the responsibility of the governing body to handle CPA talks with the players’ association, but here the clubs appear to have taken greater control of the wheel.

All eight Super Netball franchises are likely to have competing ideas slowing progress further, and it is unclear if their vested interests will be prioritised over what is best for the sport as a whole.

The delay has wide-reaching implications beyond the Australian team at the Games.

In-form Melbourne Mavericks star Shimona Nelson had already flagged with Netball Jamaica that she would be unavailable for selection for Glasgow ahead of the Super Netball season. The goal shooter needs to get her tonsils removed and deal with a knee issue.

Although the Sunshine Girls did try and get her to change her mind, an appearance at the major tournament would be risky. Should she injure herself, with only one-year contracts being offered, where would that leave her?

It makes sense that Nelson has put herself first, considering the history of her career. After the Collingwood team disbanded, Nelson had to forge her way back into the league as a No.11 player with the Mavericks, working hard to return to a full-time contract the next season.

It is unfair that athletes are being forced to make these tricky decisions based on what is happening in Super Netball, and what is right for each of them is extremely individual.

There has been a rumour that Nelson isn’t playing because she instead wants to represent the Diamonds at the next World Cup.

Nelson indeed plans to get her citizenship in September, purely to cement her status in a country she has lived in for almost 10 years and now classes as home.

At this point, there have been no discussions between the Australian camp or Shimona’s about the possibility of her playing for the Diamonds.

So, what are some of the sticking points of the CPA talks?

Currently on the table is a 25 per cent pay increase for those on the minimum wage and a three per cent pay increase for everyone else.

This all sounds rosy until you do the numbers. Australia’s consumer price index sits at four per cent. Once these changes are factored into the salary cap, with increased superannuation contributions and the rising cost of living, the take-home pay for many of the athletes could actually be worse off than they were this year. It may lead to a pay cut in real terms.

Despite this, the sport will continue to restrict player opportunities to make extra cash in sponsorship deals. The cap for commercial arrangements with an existing team sponsor or partner is going to be raised to $50,000 but the agents want the cap removed entirely.

There are no monetary limits on a player’s commercial agreements with third parties, but agents find the amount of compliance their talent must go through to get approval is unreasonable and leads to sponsors turning to athletes from other codes.

“When athletes are able to work with brands and authentically leverage their own platforms, they bring different eyeballs to the sport … This should be viewed as a positive, not a threat,” Bode and Deiulio said.

“If netball does not evolve in this increasingly competitive female sports landscape, these limitations will have a broader impact on its growth and visibility.”