Why are Collingwood leaving Super Netball? Magpies withdraw licence

Collingwood has made the decision to withdraw their Super Netball licence.

After earlier reports that the club would pull out of the competition, it is now confirmed that they will exit the league at the end of the 2023 season.

Why is Collingwood leaving Super Netball?

Collingwood will officially depart Super Netball at the end of the 2023 season.

The club released a statement on Thursday afternoon confirming their exit from the league.

After a review, it became apparent that the club’s netball program was no longer viable.

Netball’s financial struggles and ongoing pay disputes were cited as key reasons for their departure.

“Collingwood is a better place for having had a netball team and the decision to not renew our netball licence has been an incredibly difficult one which has weighed heavily on us,” Collingwood’s chief executive Craig Kelly said.

“As a club, we are tasked with continuing to deliver growth across all areas of Collingwood and ultimately, the review, which analysed key aspects of the club’s netball program and that of the governing body, determined that the program is not sustainable.

“We acknowledge we could have run a better netball program at Collingwood.”

The Magpies also stated that they sought a solution with the sport’s governing body, but financial struggles for both parties meant a tough decision had to be made.

“Throughout this process, we met with Netball Australia and SSN on multiple occasions to explore potential solutions. The challenges Netball Australia has experienced and continues to experience in terms of profitability combined with the current impasse in regard to finalising the TPA (Team Participation Agreement) and CPA (Collective Player Agreement), played a key role in our decision-making,” Kelly continued.

“While the timing of an announcement like this is never ideal, or pleasant, it is important to provide our athletes, coaches and staff with clarity so they can plan for the future. We will support athletes and staff on their transition over the coming months.”

Despite Collingwood’s withdrawal, Super Netball still intends to run an eight-team competition in 2024, opening the door to a new franchise.

Will Collingwood’s AFL and AFLW teams be impacted?

Kelly thanked key figures at the club in his statement, before confirming that Collingwood intends to continue operating their AFLW and VFLW programs.

“To our team, I want to thank each netballer and the wider program led by our brilliant head coach Nicole Richardson and outstanding captains Geva Mentor and Ash Brazill for their contribution, loyalty and commitment to our club,” he said.

“Each netballer who has come through the doors has made our club better. The energy of our netballers, dedication to their craft and love of the game has been a key part of why this decision has been an incredibly difficult one to make. The training standards of our netballers is elite and they have been great role models for everyone connected to Collingwood.

“To be clear, while we are exiting netball, Collingwood remains absolutely committed to growing, investing in and developing women athletes through our AFLW and VFLW programs.

“We thank every single member and supporter of the Magpies’ netball community for their unwavering support and loyalty and we thank all corporate partners, past and present, for their support over the course of the journey.”