Netball’s clean image hurts our media coverage

 
Natalie Medhurst Roar Rookie

By , 2 Apr 2009 Natalie Medhurst is a Roar Rookie

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2009 ANZ Championship captains at official launch in Melbourne. At rear, left to right: Joline Henry (Colourplus Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic), Jamilah Gupwell (Central Pulse), Wendy Telfer (Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel), Catherine Cox (NSW Swifts), Natalie von Bertouch (Adelaide Thunderbirds); In front, left to right: Peta Stephens (Queensland Firebirds), Julie Seymour (Mercury Energy Canterbury Tactix), Sharelle McMahon (Melbourne Vixens), Temepara George (LG Mystics), Johannah Curran (West Coast Fever).

Pull on those netball dresses, tie up your shoes and strap in, for what can only possibly be another exciting season in the ANZ Championship.

With the first whistle being blown on Saturday, as the Melbourne Vixens take on the West Coast Fever, this season should promise to continue both the interstate and trans – tasman rivalries as well as continue to increase netball as a sport that is one to be watched.

The creation of the new competition in 2008 saw the sport move into semi-professionalism, giving players greater monetary reward as well as increased exposure for their skill and dedication to the game, whilst giving spectators the opportunity to witness champion athletes and countries compete against each other, week in – week out.

And yet, despite the intense competition, the flair, skill and speed that the game produces, the game itself still tends to get lost in the background of every other sport… at least here in Australia.

Our trans-tasman rivals receive the recognition and media coverage that we here in Australia could only dream of.

Perhaps it’s the fact that the Kiwi’s aren’t as strong in other sports and have less to compete against, maybe they have more female news editors allowing female sports to be recognised, but whatever the reason may be, they do not need to compete for media space as much as the teams here in Australia.

Unlike Australia, where sport dominates our culture with the likes of AFL, League, Union, Cricket, Swimming, Soccer, Tennis and V8 supercars, netball tends to find it difficult to make the ‘cut’.

Whilst I will point out the fact that all these sports are dominated by males, surely this doesn’t mean that netball and other female sports don’t stand a chance of getting the recognition that they too deserve?

Although coverage of netball has increased dramatically over the past 12 months, more so in particular states than others, it is still a long way off the pace as every other sporting code appears to get bigger each year and netball just cannot appear to catch up!

Does the issue lie with that fact that netballers continue to remain clean cut, respectable, hard working and highly skilled athletes just as they always have been?

In order to survive and continue to grow in this sporting country, surely netballers and the clubs they represent don’t need to have stories of players getting in to altercations in bars, urinating in public, getting busted for drink driving as well as taking illegal substances in order to create some sort of media coverage and frenzy!

Or is it this kind of behaviour, which is the stuff that drives media coverage and, as a result create greater interest in a sport? I hope not.

So, as the netball season is once again upon us, may netball become the “hottest sport in town” and a game that gets coverage for all the right reasons, and not the wrong ones!

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