July 25, 2026 – 23:22 Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. TOTOTO Glasgow: The Diamonds have put aside a pay dispute with Netball Australia to record a clinical, ruthless 61-point victory over Tonga in their Commonwealth Games opener. The Diamonds’ victory on
Glasgow: The Diamonds have put aside a pay dispute with Netball Australia to record a clinical, ruthless 61-point victory over Tonga in their Commonwealth Games opener.
The Diamonds’ victory on Saturday was the first step in Birmingham’s defense of their 2022 gold medal, but they will once again have a campaign overshadowed by a battle with Netball Australia over wages.
The current Super Netball player collective agreement expires on September 30, meaning all 88 players, including the Diamonds team, will be out of contract. The dispute between Netball Australia and the players’ union centers on the distribution of netball revenue and players’ frustration over pregnancy and paternity policies.
It’s a situation similar to the complicated and protracted salary negotiations that dominated the headlines during the Diamonds’ 2023 World Cup campaign, as players fought for a revenue-sharing partnership and greater financial transparency.
The long and bitter dispute culminated in the resignation of CEO Kelly Ryan.
Diamonds and Melbourne Vixens star Kiera Austin said after the win over Tonga that the team was staying focused on the competition.
She noted that the Commonwealth Games are one of netball’s two marquee events and therefore an opportunity that doesn’t come around often.
But he acknowledged that player delegates were doing “a lot of work to achieve this.” [deal] made”.
Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich dismissed suggestions that the pay dispute would be a distraction for her players at the Games, saying the team was “fully focused on the job at hand.”
But the Australian Netball Players Association had previously confirmed that players rejected a “final offer” from Netball Australia at a recent board meeting and players meeting.
“The bottom line is that the players were not willing to accept a real pay cut,” a union spokesman said. “Especially without real improvements in conditions.
“The current CPA negotiations cause a lot of stress for the players. They are champion athletes, but also working mothers, working students and people with second and third jobs.
“What has made the situation worse is that Netball Australia has not allowed written, non-binding contract offers to be exchanged as an interim measure.”
They questioned why “the highest paid people in netball [are] administrators” and why “most players [are] that they be asked to accept a real pay cut.”
“Players see stadiums full and ask, ‘Where does the money go?’ “Why do athletes in other major sports in Australia receive around 30 per cent of the revenue they generate, while netball players only receive around half that?”
“These are fair questions and it’s our job to ask them.”
The spokesperson said players needed certainty about the future, adding: “They need to know if they can pay the bills.”
Netball Australia was contacted for comment but was unable to respond before publication due to the time difference between Glasgow and Australia.
The union’s 2026 wellbeing survey reported that 77 per cent of netball players rated financial security and fair pay as their most important challenge, compared to 69 per cent in 2025.
The spokesperson said maternity and paternity policies were also an important issue for players, and that Netball Australia’s pregnancy and paternity policy had not been “substantially updated in almost a decade”.
“As Australia’s number one team participation sport for women and girls, netball policies should have best practice, but we don’t,” they said.
“We have fallen behind other sports in the length of paid parental leave and return-to-play support. We have a lot of work to do and we need to step up.”
In May this year, Netball Australia told this newspaper that its maternity leave policy was designed to support the sport’s elite athletes.
“The pregnancy policy is being actively reviewed and updated by Netball Australia, the Australian Netball Players Association and Suncorp Super Netball clubs,” a spokesperson said.
“While there is no set date for completing the review, we are working closely with ANPA and the clubs to ensure the policy supports our athletes in Suncorp Super Netball and the Australian Diamonds programme.”
Despite the 2023 pay dispute, the Diamonds took home the World Cup title with a victory over England in the final.
And by November 2025, it seemed like the sport had completely turned things around financially. Netball Australia posted a third consecutive operating profit and reduced its debt from $4.2 million to $1.2 million, while Super Netball crowds averaged more than 6,000 fans per game in the 2025 season.
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Hannah Kennelly is an award-winning sports reporter and Formula 1 writer at The Age.Connect by email.From our partners
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