Media release – Collingwood Magpies, 25 May 2023
Club Update: Magpies Netball
Collingwood regrets to inform it has made a decision to withdraw its licence from the Super Netball competition, exiting the sport at the conclusion of the 2023 season following a review focussed on the viability of the Club’s netball program into the future.
Chief Executive Officer Craig Kelly acknowledged the meaningful impact the program has had on the progress of Collingwood.
“Collingwood is a better place for having had a netball team and the decision to not renew our netball licence has been an incredibly difficult one which has weighed heavily on us,” Kelly said.
“As a Club, we are tasked with continuing to deliver growth across all areas of Collingwood and ultimately, the review, which analysed key aspects of the Club’s netball program and that of the governing body, determined that the program is not sustainable.
“We acknowledge we could have run a better netball program at Collingwood.
“Throughout this process, we met with Netball Australia and SSN on multiple occasions to explore potential solutions. The challenges Netball Australia has experienced and continues to experience in terms of profitability combined with the current impasse in regard to finalising the TPA and CPA, played a key role in our decision-making.
“While the timing of an announcement like this is never ideal, or pleasant, it is important to provide our athletes, coaches and staff with clarity so they can plan for the future. We will support athletes and staff on their transition over the coming months.
“To our team, I want to thank each netballer and the wider program led by our brilliant Head Coach Nicole Richardson and outstanding Captains Geva Mentor and Ash Brazill for their contribution, loyalty and commitment to our Club.
“Each netballer who has come through the doors has made our Club better. The energy of our netballers, dedication to their craft and love of the game has been a key part of why this decision has been an incredibly difficult one to make. The training standards of our netballers is elite and they have been great role models for everyone connected to Collingwood.
“To be clear, while we are exiting netball, Collingwood remains absolutely committed to growing, investing in and developing women athletes through our AFLW and VFLW programs.
“We thank every single member and supporter of the Magpies’ netball community for their unwavering support and loyalty and we thank all corporate partners, past and present, for their support over the course of the journey.”
Media release – Netball Australia, 25 May, 2023
COLLINGWOOD NETBALL UPDATE
Netball Australia has today received notification from Collingwood that it will not be renewing its Suncorp Super Netball team licence for the 2024 season.
Negotiations are already underway with interested parties for an eighth team licence for the 2024-2026 seasons.
“While we are disappointed by Collingwood’s decision, we thank them for their participation in the Suncorp Super Netball competition,” said Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan.
“In recent times it had become clear that Collingwood’s priorities had shifted away from netball to focus on its core business of football.
“We are understanding of the impact Collingwood’s decision has on its current players and staff, and we will support them during this time.
“We are currently talking to interested parties and look forward to communicating the next steps as this process unfolds.
“The growth of netball in Australia is strong, with more than one million participants across the country. We are proud of the Suncorp Super Netball competition, and it remains the number one professional netball league in the world.”
