As netball moves beyond dark days, Vixens head to enemy territory in grand final quest
By Jon Pierik
Netball great Bianca Chatfield says Super Netball has added a “new layer” to its audience in 2024 and believes club expansion is the next great frontier for the sport.
Ahead of Saturday’s grand final between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens in Adelaide, the sport’s governing body says that this season was the most-attended season in the history of women’s sport in Australia, with a record-breaking 331,841 fans attending games – a 25 per cent increase on last year, and breaking the record set by A-League Women last season.
Adelaide Thunderbirds captain Hannah Petty and Melbourne Vixens counterpart Kate Moloney with the Super Netball trophy.Credit: Getty Images
While the sport’s off-court financial and boardroom machinations have often dominated headlines, Chatfield, the former Australian Diamond and Vixens captain, said Super Netball was also attracting a wider audience.
“Yes, crowds are huge, and bigger than what we have seen before, but we have often seen sellout crowds in the sport. But general sports fans are now experiencing a whole range of different sports. So, I think it’s great to attract that new audience for people who appreciate the game,” Chatfield said.
“We have always had our rock-solid netball supporters, but I feel like that next layer are getting involved and are appreciating the incredible athleticism and competitiveness that we get to see out there on court each week.”
Chatfield, a leading commentator with sports streaming service Kayo, said netball was increasingly seen “as a form of entertainment on the weekend”.
“As opposed to all the other things you could possibly do as a family, families are now valuing how important sport is, and how great it is to see so many incredible role models out there. You get that by watching the Olympics right now – how insane some of those role models are that are competing,” she said.
“Netball has certainly had a lot of negative headlines for the past couple of years. Netball Australia, all the players, and stakeholders seem very invested in making sure this is a moment where the game moves forward and continues to grow.”
Bianca ChatfieldCredit: Nine Network
New franchise Melbourne Mavericks this season replaced Collingwood Magpies, who folded and withdrew from the league after the 2023 season.
Chatfield, a six-time championship winner with the Vixens and the Melbourne Phoenix in an earlier incarnation, suggested a long-term vision should be expansion, taking the league from eight to 10 teams.
“Big picture is definitely bringing new teams into the league and expanding it from eight to 10 teams. I think there is a need for New Zealand teams to come back into the competition,” she said.
“When I used to play, it was the ANZ Championship, and we had the luxury of having five Aussie and five New Zealand teams, but that mix wasn’t right in the end. But maybe now there is an opening for a couple of New Zealand sides, even to Tasmania, where we know they are gaining a lot of momentum in their sport.
“I think the next iteration of what Super Netball looks like is going from eight to 10 teams … I really think we are at the point where we are ready for it.”
The ANZ Championship ran from 2008 to 2016. Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand have held discussions about a reunification, while Netball Tasmania explored replacing the Magpies this season but opted against formally applying for a licence.
The sport’s focus on Saturday is purely on the court, where few are tipping the Vixens to prevail in the decider, given they were thumped by 25 goals by the Thunderbirds a fortnight ago in their major semi-final.
Moloney hopes to lead her side to an upset win in the Super Netball grand final.Credit: Getty Images
Led by captain and mid-court gun Kate Moloney, and shooters Sophie Garbin and Kiera Austin, the Vixens rebounded with a one-goal win over West Coast Fever last weekend. But they must now find a way through arguably the league’s most talented line-up, particularly in defence where the Thunderbirds boast Jamaican star stopper Shamera Sterling-Humphrey.
Moloney insists that the Vixens, who had a light training session in Adelaide on Friday, are now better prepared to handle the Thunderbirds.
“I think last week against the Fever was a real step forward for us after that loss to the Thunderbirds, just trying to get our movement back in our attack. They really suffocated that. They have got a great defensive end with some Jamaican superstars … we’ll tinker with our attack line and how we want to play,” Moloney said.
Vixens coach Simone McKinnis, in her 13th season with the club, was delighted with how her team responded last weekend, but the Thunderbirds are overwhelming favourites with the bookies to prevail in front of their home crowd.
Chatfield said: “The Vixens are going in as the underdogs. I am sure they are very happy to head back to Adelaide with that title because, really, they have nothing to lose now. They go in with the mentality of, if they can play their game, and not the Thunderbirds halt them or intimidate them from the start, they have got every chance of beating them [Thunderbirds].
“They have got the skill level, they have got the international players with experience in finals that can actually do it, but they just have to make sure when they get on court for that first whistle, that they actually take charge.”
The Vixens are aiming for their second Super Netball crown, having last won in 2020.
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