Netball Australia have launched two separate reviews in as many days after controversies marred round two of the Super Netball 2023 season, the second leaving one coach fuming and a captain calling for a better framework to support the growth of the game.
Collingwood Magpies Suer Netball coach Nicole Richardson.Credit:Getty
Netball Australia admitted an error occurred in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Melbourne derby between the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Vixens, in which the Vixens were awarded two consecutive centre passes, but said the result would stand.
“Netball Australia is reviewing the circumstances that led to an error in the fourth quarter of yesterday’s match,” Netball Australia said in a statement released on Monday morning. “Under the Suncorp Super Netball rules of the game, the result of the match stands with the Melbourne Vixens winning 62-61.”
The day prior, the game between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and New South Wales Swifts was called a draw after a power failure forced an early finish at half-time with scores level at 25-25. This was after an hour delay to the start of the game for work to be completed around the decal areas at Netball SA Stadium in Adelaide.
Netball Australia also announced a review into those two separate incidents from the match, adding the game could not be resumed as repair crews were expected to take several hours to restore power.
Collingwood co-captain Geva Mentor said these circumstances impacting both games would affect team placings come finals.
“The game at the elite level is evolving, but the framework around it is not allowing for the growth.”
“If the rules need adapting – change them. If the umpires need more support – provide it. The game at the elite level is evolving, but the framework around it is not allowing for the growth,” Mentor posted on Instagram.
“How do we take the game we love to the next level? Let’s have these conversations to ensure what happened on the weekend doesn’t occur again. As the results in round 2 will not define the particular teams involved, but their placings in finals will be affected.”
Mentor added the controversies brought many eyes on netball and its professionalism and that the game needed to be better.
Mwai Kumwenda of the Vixens defends Magpie co-captian Geva Mentor.Credit:Getty
“Regardless of the results in round 2 of the SSN it has shone a spotlight on our league, the game of netball and where female sport is placed amongst other codes,” Mentor continued.
Fellow Magpies co-skipper Ash Brazill also took to social media to say the result was disconcerting.
“The score, time and centre pass management is FUNDAMENTAL to our game,” Brazill posted to Twitter. “This is bitterly disappointing.”
Magpies coach Nicole Richardson said her team were robbed of the victory and called the result a “fiasco”, which cannot happen in an elite-level of competition.
“We’ve been completely robbed because we would have had the opportunity to go two goals up. We would have had the opportunity to go starve the ball and take some time off the clock,” Richardson said.
“And they shot after the siren anyway. So, that is a massive error.”
The Melbourne Vixens said: “We’re aware of the discussion surrounding the last quarter of our round two match and have been advised by the league that the result of the match stands under the SSN rules of the game. The club will support a review process led by the league if requested and won’t be making further comment at this time.”
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