네트볼의 앤잭 데이 강력한 성명

They both struggle for recognition in male-dominated fields, so Super Netball chose to host an all-female Anzac Day ceremony to commemorate and give visibility to female veterans.

By Brittany Carter

We're officially halfway through the Super Netball season and teams are desperately trying to up the ante in the race for finals spots. As the league commemorated Anzac Day, it also saw its tightest weekend of the 2026 competition.

The NSW Swifts and Giants are just one position different on the ladder, but they were miles apart on the scoreboard by the end of the Sydney derby. The seventh placed Swifts secured their second victory of the season, 72-59, and the eighth placed Giants have now lost seven straight.

A top four contest between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning went down to the wire on Saturday night. A couple of mistakes from the Lightning's midcourt in the final quarter were pounced on and converted by the Thunderbirds to steal the win, 61-60.

The Melbourne Mavericks then leapfrogged the Lightning into fourth place with a 58-57 win over the Queensland Firebirds on Sunday. This match was so tight, the entire second half was tied.

To finish off round seven, the West Coast Fever did manage to become the first team of 2026 to beat the Melbourne Vixens in a fourth quarter. But their error-ridden form in the first three periods really cost them against the undefeated number one side, 50-44.

As a female-led sport, netball took the opportunity to make a strong statement on Anzac Day, holding groundbreaking ceremonies that championed servicewoman of the army, air force and navy. 

We also need to talk about the resignation of Netball Australia chief executive Stacey West.

If you missed it, don't worry — we'll get you up to speed with our Super Netball round-up.

All four games on the weekend held Anzac ceremonies that featured mainly servicewomen.

Due to broadcast timing, the ceremonies at the games with earlier time-slots happened right before the centre pass and were shown on Fox Sports. While ceremonies at matches with a later time-slot happened ahead of the team warm-ups for just those in stadium.

The Swifts hosted an all-female ceremony run by Women's Veterans Australia (WVA) that aimed to champion the women in military that are often overlooked. To say it left all those who witnessed it with a powerful impression feels like an understatement.

Chair of the WVA Llani Kennealy said they had been approached by the club late last year and believed it was a historical first, as they'd never been asked to appear at a sporting event before.

Kennealy said she appreciated netball had avoided comparing battles in war to sport. Instead, it focused on the strength of its female leadership and a mutual fight for recognition.

"I did feel like it was a perfect match," Kennealy told ABC Sport.

"We both struggle for recognition in male-dominated fields as veterans and elite athletes, so from a gender equality point of view, it was a chance to create visibility for women.

"That shared understanding of challenges helped us connect … The more women's organisations can work together the better.

"There were so many mothers and daughters in the crowd, it was such a positive environment showcasing role models that demonstrate young women can be whatever they want to be."

Kennealy was deployed in Iraq alongside Warrant Officer Kimberly Kiely, who recited The Ode of Remembrance on the day and is also the vice president of Australian Defence Force (ADF) Netball.

"Netball is a really popular sport in the ADF and the women who were on court in Sydney, who did the guard of honour, most of them were from the ADF Netball community," Kennealy said.

"Kimberly rallied to have them be part of it, so it was extra special to have our players there in uniform for the Super Netball."

Afterwards, there was discourse on social media that criticised the lack of New Zealand anthem in the ceremony. Five Kiwi athletes were present for the Sydney derby, and the influx of Silver Ferns talent has increased viewership of the league from across the ditch.

Given the other three games included it, there was some confusion amongst fans, but this topic has come up before, so it's important to set the record straight. The ceremonies are all guided by the relevant organisation, and it is not mandatory to include the New Zealand anthem.

On this occasion, there was limited time allocated for the pre-game broadcast and with all servicewomen involved belonging to the ADF only the Australian anthem was incorporated.

There were similar variations in ceremonies held across the AFL on the weekend.

Whether it should be a compulsory requirement is really a question for someone like the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Returned and Services League of Australia, not the sport.

The Thunderbirds also had an all-female representation from the First Intelligence Battalion and introduced the Vivian Bullwinkel Medal to be awarded to the player of the match. New Zealand import Kate Heffernan was the inaugural recipient, tallying four gains in 60 minutes at centre.

Born in South Australia, Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Statham (née Bullwinkel) was an Australian Army nurse during World War II and the sole survivor of the Bangka Island massacre.

This was a really nice touch and hopefully something they can continue in future seasons even if they're not hosting a match on the Anzac Day weekend.

The news that Stacey West was stepping down as Netball Australia chief executive last week came as a shock. A Melbourne Phoenix champion from the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era, West spent 16 years in administration at the organisation — most notably in the high performance sector, working closely with the Aussie Diamonds.

West took over as interim CEO from her predecessor Kelly Ryan in December 2023 after a series of controversies and a bitter pay dispute with players left the sport on shaky terms.

It was a time where mending the relationship with its athletes and stakeholders was crucial.

In May the following year, West took on the role in an official capacity. Australian centurion and World Cup winning captain Liz Ellis was also elected as the chair of the Netball Australia Board.

With fresh leadership it was a chance for netball to turn over a new leaf.

During the last two years these former goal keepers have been in charge there has been huge progress. Crowd numbers have hit a record high, a free-to-air broadcast deal has been signed, the Diamonds continue in the world number one ranking and netball has managed to by and large — on a national scale, anyway — avoid controversy.

It is interesting that someone who has spent so long serving the game would resign a week after the latest broadcast agreement was signed, right before the 2027 World Cup in Sydney, and on the cusp of new negotiations with the players' association for the next pay deal. West has made such a positive mark in a short period but has lasted less time in the role than her predecessors did.

ABC Sport heard mixed information in the days after the announcement as to whether it was West that decided it was time to move on or whether she was tapped on the shoulder.

But the general consensus seems to be that while her relationship building skill set was needed back in 2023, Netball Australia now needs to appoint someone more business savvy.

World Cup chief executive Mark Falvo is now its interim leader as of April 27. The announcement last week made note of his "commercial expertise".

Falvo previously worked at Football Australia on the bid for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup which captured the nation's attention and built incredible hype for the Matildas.

"I was interested to see the CEO of the World Cup taking on such a substantial role even in an interim period," World Netball board member Stacey Francis-Bayman said on Fox Netball's Pivot show.

"Obviously hosting the tournament is a huge task, there's a lot of work to be done and I don't envy him taking on these two ginormous hats."

It's hoped West won't go too far and be lost to the sport after steadying the ship and getting netball back on course.