The final round of the regular Super Netball season for 2023 gave us fairytale finishes for two retiring stalwarts of the game, April Brandley (Giants Netball) and Ash Brazil (Collingwood Magpies). The black and white dress of Collingwood was also retired as the club played their last game in Super Netball after what has been an emotional few weeks for all involved. The Diamonds World Cup squad was finally announced after an ugly stand-off between the playing group and Netball Australia. We disc...
Jun 20, 2023•1 hr 6 min
The NSW Swifts have won the minor premiership for the first time in 13 years! Every title they’ve won in the Super Netball era has been from an underdog position in second place, so this is now a very happy and comfortable territory for the team who are on a nine-game winning streak heading into the final round of the regular season. Helen Housby has been a huge part of their success this year, as has her new shooting partner Romelda Aiken-George. Here, we catch up with the England Roses shooter...
Jun 16, 2023•21 min
As the news breaks that the Diamonds World Cup selection details are being held over the players heads by Netball Australia until they sign their next CPA, we are beginning to get tired of the unnecessary mess. Something needs to change at the top, as the sport has been dragged through the mud in the media more times than we can count in the past few years and enough is enough. Beyond that disturbance, there is plenty of Super Netball analysis to be discussed as we wrap the penultimate round of ...
Jun 13, 2023•59 min
Indigenous artist Krystal Dallinger joins us on this bonus episode to talk about her experience designing the Giants’ Super Netball First Nations Round dress for the last six years and this season – for the first time – the official competition artwork ‘Gather as One’ that was printed on all the netballs used over the last two weeks for game play. As a Gamilaroi woman, Dallinger explains how her painting style has evolved since she first picked up a paintbrush at age 16, how a sentimental gift s...
Jun 10, 2023•32 min
After two weeks of turmoil, the Collingwood Magpies pulled off the upset of the season against the ladder leading Adelaide Thunderbirds at their final home Melbourne game. The Swifts have rocketed their way to the top of the Super Netball ladder, winning eight straight matches to peak in form right before finals. Meanwhile, Sasha Glasgow has accepted a 2023/24 national contract with the English Roses. We ponder, have the Aussie Diamonds missed out on a golden opportunity?
Jun 06, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Round 11 marked the beginning of a two-week celebration honouring the First Nations people who are involved in all levels of netball, and we reflect on whether Netball Australia has done enough since signing the Declaration of Commitment in 2020. With confirmation that Collingwood's netball program has been axed, we discussed the possibility of a fresh start for some of the players and a possible location for the eighth team in 2024. With only three rounds until the end of the regular season, th...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 18 min
After one of the closest Super Netball seasons in history, we saw some huge unexpected blowouts in Round 10. Three of the matches of the round were very lopsided, particuarly the contest between the West Coast Fever and Queensland Firebirds, which saw the home side record the highest-ever total in a game (97 goals) and the largest-ever winning margin (34 goals). Beyond the results, we discuss the Collingwood Magpies and their doubtful future, Netball Australia’s improving finances, and concussio...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 1 min
The sky is the limit for Tonga captain Hulita Veve and her Tala team as they prepare to play in their very first Netball World Cup at Cape Town. The team have recently defeated Africa’s best netball team, world number six the Malawi Queens, to defend their third Pacific Aus Sports Netball Series crown. Here, the Queensland Firebirds training partner joins us for a one-on-one chat. We hear all about her Super Netball aspirations, her experiences leading the undefeated Tala side over the last 12 m...
May 22, 2023•23 min
These are bleak times for the Collingwood Magpies, with reports circulating that their club might not renew their license for the 2024 Super Netball league. In other news, the England Roses have announced their World Cup squad, a former legend makes her return to the court sending social media into meltdown and we've got just five rounds let to play before the semi-finals as teams look to find their peak form.
May 16, 2023•1 hr 8 min
With the Thunderbirds sitting on top of the ladder after eight rounds, the 2023 Super Netball season has undoubtedly delivered some beautiful surprises. Kate and Britt have a yarn with Diamond #105, Sharon Finnan-White, who updates us on her Indigenous Diamonds team ahead of their Premier League campaign in Townsville. Also on the agenda are concussion protocols and how they seem to differ from one game to the next, and the fiery time-out spray that Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst gave her team to...
May 09, 2023•1 hr 3 min
This week we delight in the glory of our Queen Liz Ellis, who stole the win (and everyone's hearts!) on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! We hear from former Australian Diamonds head coach, Lisa Alexander, on the recently announced Diamonds squad and she gives us her thoughts the inclusion of Adelaide Thunderbirds defender, Matilda Garrett. Round seven served up some tight matches where we saw the come-back-queens of 2023, the Swifts come from behind (again!) to steal the Sydney Derby from t...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 11 min
A Giant of our game has called time on her international career and we are struggling to come to terms with it! This week we dedicate our podcast to the one and only English Rose Jo Harten, featuring special messages from the coaches and teammates that have felt the impact of her career. We also interview Aussie Diamonds World Cup hopeful Jamie-Lee Price.
Apr 27, 2023•1 hr 16 min
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have hit great form in 2023 and are chasing the ladder leaders, West Coast Fever. The Giants and NSW Swifts enjoyed wins against the Collingwood Magpies and Sunshine Coast Lightning, making a spot in the top four very interesting as we find ourselves a third of the way through the season. This week we also chat with U19’s Nationals champion and captain for South Australia, the delightful Sophie Casey, who shares her experience at the tournament and her thoughts on the n...
Apr 19, 2023•57 min
English import Eleanor Cardwell, nicknamed ‘The Claw’, has been the biggest buy of Super Netball in 2023 and her presence at the Adelaide Thunderbirds has already made a huge difference in just five rounds. Britt caught up one-on-one with the Roses shooter early in the season to learn more about her netball story. Including Cardwell’s plans for her upcoming match against her old rival, West Coast Fever and Diamonds defender, Courtney Bruce.
Apr 18, 2023•35 min
The reigning premiers are sitting pretty on top of the ladder and Giants have their first win for 2023. Through their Easter induced chocolate comas, Kate and Britt discuss the big topics from round four. Do the Lightning have the bench to win grinding battles? Do the Thunderbirds believe they are a grand-final team? Did the timing of Bec Bulley’s Fox Netball interview cost the Firebirds the game? And did the Swifts implode due to the gamesmanship of Dan Ryan and the physicality of Fever?...
Apr 12, 2023•59 min
Two investigations with vastly different findings and outcomes from Super Netball on the controversies surrounding last week. The Fever and Thunderbirds continue to stamp their undefeated dominance on the competition, while the Giants and Firebirds flounder in search of their first win. We’ve got an update for you regarding concussion and plenty of nice things to say about Fever shooter Sasha Glasgow!
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Unsafe decals, power outages, extra centre passes and concussion policies were all under the spotlight in Super Netball’s Round 2. It makes us wonder if our sport is doing enough to keep up with the professional standard of its athletes? And whether this season’s campaign ‘We Are Here’ is totally accurate? This week we discuss the two big controversies that rocked the weekend gone and speak with neurophysiologist Dr Alan Pearce from La Trobe University about netball’s concussion policy....
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 14 min
The opening weekend of the 2023 Super Netball season saw the Jamaican imports star, cleaning up all four match MVP awards available. Other than that, we saw an upset in the first game, some impressive debuts and the defending champions the West Coast Fever make a strong statement. Our guest this week is South African and Sunshine Coast Lightning star Karla Pretorius who shares her experience returning to elite netball after taking last year off during pregnancy. We also hear about Pretorius’ exc...
Mar 21, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Nat Butler (nee Medhurst) is an Australian netball legend that needs so introduction. She’s a three-time World Cup champion and a Commonwealth Games gold and silver medallist. After a couple of years in retirement, watching from the sidelines, the goal attack has decided to make a return and extend her elite netball career by signing as a training partner with the West Coast Fever. So how is Nat doing this pre-season and what’s it like making a comeback after having two kids?...
Mar 15, 2023•32 min
The seventh season of the Super Netball league is upon us and we are beyond excited to be back with you for what is our fourth season of The Netty Life podcast! As per usual, we love chat and a chinwag, so this consider this a mega preview with every team’s biggest narrative heading into the competition and as a warning for length -- you may need to settle in with more than one cup of tea. We also cover the latest hot topics in the netball world right now, including: the departure of the Queensl...
Mar 14, 2023•1 hr 26 min
The Diamonds have dazzled in 2022, winning all the silverware that’s been on offer in a dominant display. In the last pod for the year, Kate and Britt analyse their final international series against the English Roses. - Can the Diamonds win the Netball World Cup without Beuta? - Can Ash Brazill get back the WD bib after a classy international debut by Amy Parmenter? - Have the Roses lost their killer instinct? Thanks for all your continued support and we look forward to bringing you more netbal...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 14 min
With the Constellation Cup on the line, the Australian Diamonds displayed great resilience despite external pressure to win the decider, claim the series and reclaim bragging rights over their rivals, the Silver Ferns. In a tumultuous week for the sport, we discuss the events that lead to Hancock Prospecting pulling their $15 million dollar sponsorship deal.
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 12 min
The Kiwis have a 2-0 advantage in the Constellation Cup series. As the Diamonds struggle to get a win without Gretel Bueta, four debutants have taken the court to prove their worth. Meanwhile, more drama is in the papers surrounding Netball Australia, with their new life-saving $15 million dollar partnership under fire. It has caused another rift between the playing group and the sporting body in a year already filled with turmoil, about whether the national team should have to wear a logo assoc...
Oct 17, 2022•53 min
The Australian Men’s Netball Team will be back in action next week, facing New Zealand for the first time since 2018. The side have had limited opportunities to play international netball during the pandemic, but there has been a lot of interest and momentum building in the domestic men’s space this year. We catch up with captain Dylan Nexhip to hear his thoughts ahead of their return to court and his hopes for men’s netball beyond this historic tour – which will include double header matches al...
Oct 07, 2022•20 min
Young Ash Ervin has had an unbelievable year and has topped it off with a 2023 Sport Australia Hall of Fame scholarship! The up-and-coming defender scored herself her first Super Netball training partnership, represented Queensland at the U19s National Championships in Tasmania and at the Australian Netball Championships in Traralgon, where she topped the stats for deflections. Before she was picked for the Australian U19s emerging squad and was also invited to head along to the U21s camp. Britt...
Oct 02, 2022•27 min
At the end of the 2020 Super Netball season, Chelsea Pitman found herself in a vulnerable position with no plans locked in for 2021, after surviving a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, a tough season away from home in the COVID hub and the disappointment of being dumped by the club she had captained through it all at the Adelaide Thunderbirds. Aged 32, others may have thrown the towel in, but not Chelsea. She refused to believe it was the end of her netball career. Instead, she took a step back...
Sep 28, 2022•18 min
After 10 days of hotly contested netball, the gold medal was decided in an epic 60 minute showdown that will live on in netball history. It was Jamaica’s first appearance in a gold medal match and they were up against an Australian side who were desperate to win back the gold they lost in 2018. Despite a first class performance by the Sunshine Girls, it was the Diamonds who were victorious, claiming the win and solidifying their number one world ranking. New Zealand blew the reigning champs, Eng...
Aug 10, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Australia have suffered their first loss of the Commonwealth Games against an extremely dangerous Jamaican side to finish second in Group A. But despite being battered and bruised the Diamonds will need to regroup quickly ahead of their semifinal match against England. Kate and Britt discuss how the Diamonds lost a 6 goal advantage and what changes the may have made when Jamaica hit back in the fourth quarter. Does Australia have a plan B when plan A doesn’t work and can coach Stacey Marinkovich...
Aug 05, 2022•1 hr 11 min
While the Aussie Diamonds sit on four wins from four games, their real test of character will be in their upcoming match against Jamaica, who many believe have what is takes to win gold at these Commonwealth Games. Kate and Britt discuss how the Aussies have faired in their first four games; the combinations that have stood out and the best individual performances for the Diamonds. They also ponder who might get the nod by coach Stacey Marinkovich as the starting seven against the Sunshine Girls...
Aug 03, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Can the Aussie Diamonds win back the gold medal status they lost four years ago? Kate and Britt analyse their chances of winning the Birmingham Commonwealth Games event and take a look at the other top four ranked team’s chances: New Zealand, England, Jamaica and South Africa. We’ll bring you more Games analysis during the group stages of the tournament. Good luck Diamonds!
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 4 min
