The superlative G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) is thrown around carelessly. Seems like every second person or team fits into the G.O.A.T category. People like to argue about who the G.O.A.T is. Don’t get me started on the Michael Jordan versus LeBron James debate.
Australia is lucky to have many dominant teams that represent internationally in a variety of sports. Which team is the G.O.A.T though? Which team stands above the rest?
The men and women’s cricket teams are amazing, winning many trophies in the different formats. The men’s national hockey team, the Kookaburras, have been a powerhouse for quite some time winning three Hockey World Cups, seven Commonwealth Games titles and an Olympic gold. All could be debated as the best national team but none of them compare to the success the Diamonds have had and continue to have.
The Diamonds, the Australian women’s netball team, have won 12 World Cups, four Commonwealth gold medals, 11 Constellation Cups and are consistently the No.1 netball side in the world. So why is it we barely think of the Diamonds for this debate?
Australia’s Stephanie Wood lines up a shot against New Zealand. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
More importantly, why is it that when I am trawling through sports news, I scarcely see any news of netball outside of major tournaments? This is either personal bias and ignorance or a branding issue impacting media coverage.
I wonder how many ‘sports enthusiasts’ could name the Australian league, or how many teams play in it, let alone the team names.
Despite limited media exposure, the game is Australia’s most attended women’s sport. In the 2024 season the game had a total attendance of 366,222.
Netball.com.au also reports netball attracted the highest average crowd in Australian women’s sport, with an average of 6,097 fans attending each match of the Australian League. Mi3 confirms that not only was the 2024 season the most attended in women’s sport but also had incredible viewership.
Netball Australia’s broadcast and streaming rights deal with Foxtel Group has been the main reason for large viewership. Last year Mi3 reports netball on Kayo Sports, Foxtel Now and Foxtel Go now reportedly comprises 63 per cent of the total viewership with the grand final recording nine million minutes streamed on the platforms.
What am I missing here? Viewership is through the roof. Attendance is amazing, yet everywhere I look, I can’t seem to find the sport. The sport pales in comparison to media coverage of other sports. AFL, cricket, soccer, basketball and the not really a sport but we claim it is horse racing all gain massive media coverage.
Where is netball’s share? Netball is almost a rite of passage for school aged children around Australia. It begins on its own with no competition. It is estimated that 223,000 children aged 9-14 participate in netball in Australia. This age group the sole focus is netball.
However, the 132,000 youths aged 15-17 also involved in netball, play along side the associated football team. The well-kept oval, equipped with changerooms and kiosk is the focus point of the ground. How often do we see netball courts at the back away from spectators and action?
I’ve been to many country football grounds and the courts are always the same. Limited facilities, away from the crowds with limited place for spectators and the matches on at the same time as the football. We tell our youth from a young age, football comes first.
For the record the Suncorp Super Netball competition has eight teams, and this coming weekend will be the start of Round 3 of the 2025 competition. Maybe this weekend we all can invest in our other national sport. The one our daughters, sisters, aunts, or mothers have all been a part of and the one that has been created to fundamentally fail.
