Netball Australia commit to mining sponsor

Melissa Woods | October 18, 2022

Netball Australia is working to reach a compromise with Indigenous goal shooter Donnell Wallam after re-affirming a commitment to its sponsorship deal with mining giant Hancock Prospecting.

Wallam, a Noongar woman from Western Australia, raised concerns about NA’s four-year $15 million sponsorship with billionaire Gina Rinehart’s company.

The 28-year-old took issue with Hancock Prospecting’s record on Indigenous matters, which date back 40 years to Rinehart’s late father Lang Hancock, who proposed that some Indigenous people be sterilised to “breed themselves out”.

Set to become the first Indigenous Test player in over 20 years when she faces England later this month, Wallam was reluctant to wear the new sponsor’s logo.

She was considering seeking an exemption, as other athletes have done when a sponsor doesn’t align with their beliefs or religion, however the issue flared when her teammates opted to stand with her.

Both NA and Diamonds skipper Liz Watson on Tuesday voiced their support for Hancock Prospecting, with the deal securing the future of the sports organisation which suffered losses of more than $7 million over two COVID-impacted years.

The money will go directly to the high performance program, which will see the Diamonds through to next year’s World Cup in South Africa and the next Commonwealth Games in Victoria in 2026, where they will defend their title.

“As players we do know that Hancock is such a great investment for our program,” Watson said on Tuesday ahead of the team’s third Test in the Constellation Cup series against New Zealand in Melbourne.

“We are supportive of Hancock and all the players here are as well.”

But Watson said they also wanted to show support for their new teammate.

“Donnell’s part of this program, she knows where we stand, and we’re supporting Donnell with everything that’s going on. I’m confident that we will get a solution on this,” Watson said.

“We’re supporting her cultural sensitivities around the program, around the partnership, and we want her to be herself and feel comfortable and strong. I know that the girls are supportive of that.”

Hancock representatives addressed the Australian team on Tuesday morning and Watson said all parties “wanted to make it work”.

Incoming NA chair Wendy Archer, who replaced Marina Go on Monday, said they were in talks with Wallam.

“Netball Australia has continually attempted to understand, support and work on a long-term solution to this matter which at this time remains unresolved,” Archer said in a statement.

She said that the players didn’t boycott the new uniform but after wrangling with the Australian Netball Players Association (ANPA), NA decided it could prove a “unnecessary distraction”.

The issue is the latest in a series of flare-ups between NA and the union, which is headed by former skipper Kathryn Harby-Williams.

New chief executive Kelly Ryan got off-side when she sold off the Super Netball grand final to the highest bidder five weeks out from the match without seeking their input.

She also rejected a private equity takeover of Super Netball despite the union’s unanimous support for the move.

While Hancock wasn’t identified due to commercial sensitivity, Archer said players were were advised of an impending mining partnership back in July.

Given their current major sponsor is Origin energy no concerns were raised.

Watson said the players hoped to be involved in future sponsorship deals to ensure they aligned with their beliefs.

“We need to align Netball Australia with our values as a playing group as we want to leave a legacy behind,” she said.

“As players we always say the bib that we wear, we want to leave it in a better position than when we get it. 

“I feel like it’s just having open conversations with them and I know that they open to do that with us as well.”