Netball appears to be in the best position that it has ever been in, despite the current financial crisis and the effects that this is having on major sporting teams and competitions across the globe.

After a 10-year domestic competition featuring eight Australian National league teams, both the hierarchy here in Australia and across the ditch decided to mould a competition that would bring the two greatest netballing countries together.

In 2008, the competition was aired in Australia on Fox Sports and now has been signed over to Channel 10 for the next four years, allowing both the domestic and international competition to be viewed free to air.

Whilst the broadcasting of netball on Fox Sports brought about many new spectators to the games, mainly blokes who glue themselves to the sports channels, the fact that the broadcasting rights have moved to Channel 10 allows netball to have a far greater reach, meaning the sport can be viewed by more people and therefore providing greater coverage to current as well as potential sponsors.

Over the past twelve months, players have been able to receive a rather sizeable increase in their pay packet as previously top players were earning around a lousy $8,000 a season.

Clubs now have a salary cap of NZ$300,000 that is split amongst twelve contracted players, which in comparison to the current NBL player salary cap of $840,000, is still a bit of a slap in the face for the players.

However, compared to other female sports, we are doing pretty well for ourselves.

Yet despite the financial woes surrounding teams within the NBL, some are still asking for the salary cap to be increased to over $1 million, which seems completely absurd.

Surely with teams collapsing and the competition looking worse for wear, the clubs would be looking at cutting costs and perhaps this should start with reducing the players’ salaries?

If players are that passionate about the game, then a cut in their pay shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Or does it all just come down to greed, as well as relying on other people including fellow basketballers to bail them out, rather than caring whether their club folds and doing something about it themselves?

Whilst basketballers currently enjoy the luxury of being professional athletes, netball is still only semi-professional with players attempting to work near full-time on top of the training, meetings, and appearances as well as interstate and overseas travel for games in order to make a decent living.

Yet, despite the increase in the earnings of players, the demands that are placed on players since the beginning of the ANZ Championship have not increased greatly by any means as what has been expected of netballers has always been the same as any current professional athlete.

Whilst players are pressured into beginning ‘non-compulsory’ pre-season months in advance before their contracts even begin, something that would probably never been seen amongst other sporting organisations, they only receive an eight week break at the end of the season.

In order to ‘protect’ players, both the national and international competitions are split into two seasons, with the regular playing season running from April through to August, which is then followed straight up with international commitments which causes players to participate in training and competition for around eleven months of the year, all on a limited salary and with rather understanding employers.

It is by no surprise that at the end of 2007, Laura von Bertouch, at only 27 years of age, took a break from the sport citing exhaustion as the main factor.

Despite these demands on players and the lesser salary that is earned by the girls, their passion and their commitment to their sport, and in particular the reasons behind their continued involvement, can never be questioned.

Is life as an NBL basketballer so highly demanding that they are unable to accept a pay cut and get their fingers dirty doing some other form of work to create a form of income?

I highly doubt it.

Maybe it’s time they took a few steps backwards in order to go forward again.

Even though other sporting athletes are earning a greater deal more than netballers, the sport of netball has never looked healthier, with great sponsors and a far greater public interest.

And that’s the way I would prefer it.

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