Super Netball could grow its status by investing in player merchandise

After a brilliant 2024, where 366,222 fans helped Super Netball to break the record of the most assisted season of Australian Women’s Sport, you may wonder how it is going better.

Several clubs are already constantly organized to maximum capacity during the regular season. Meanwhile, the western coast fever continues to establish the reference point, attracting more than 11,000 people four times last year in seven games at home.

The grand finale of 2025 has already been updated to a larger place, changing from the typical Netball Melbourne residence in John Cain Arena to Rod Laver Arena to accommodate 5,000 additional fans.

There are some limitations in the growth of the number of crowds in sport, considering that a team like Sunshine Coast Lightning cannot fit more people in its Unisc of 3,000 seats.

Other clubs, such as giants and Mavericks, are not yet selling their places. If they had their season averages, that would certainly offer the League an impulse.

Then there are television classifications, where the sky really is the limit, since Super Netball is launched in binge for the first time to accompany the existing Australian transmissions in Foxtel and Kayo. There are also international transmissions available on Netball Pass and Pacific Aus TV.

It feels obvious that the best way in which sport can attract more eye in the future is to amplify the personalities of its game. The president of Netball Australia, Liz Ellis, also recognizes it.

“It’s just the beginning, our sport is in a growth phase, and we expect larger crowds and more people watching this year in all the channels we have,” Ellis told ABC Sport.

“We have new players from abroad, the two big names play goals, I am excited to see Uganda Mary Cholhok for Firebirds and Grace Nweke from New Zealand for swifts.

“We want to remain considered the best Netball League in the world and attract those imports puts us in that category. I think they will bring another level to our league.

“In addition, I really want to see the young local talent because we have a packed two years below with the Commonwealth Games and a World Cup at home, so we are going to need that talent and is already beginning to shine.”

On a recent trip to the United States, this writer had a moment of chocolate light while attending several sports and noticed the merchandise offered on game day.

An outstanding was the shirts with names on the back, encouraging the staunch to support their favorite athlete. This is not a new concept in sport, of course, only a different approach to that seen in Netball, where clubs market their brand instead of players.

It is just another example of the non -exploit commercial potential of Netball.

In ABC Sport’s discussion with the League during the past week, it seems that there are several reasons why this type of merchandise is no longer offered.

Super Netball and Netball Australia say it is a project that its commercial team is looking to explore beyond 2026, although some clubs are already entering this area.

The fever is ahead of your time. They are the only club that currently sells players who celebrate the state of Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard as the victory of La Cabra and Alice Teague-Neeld as the election of the town in their end of the end of the season last year.

Others sell individual players pins for each member of their team.

There is an eagerness for most clubs to branch and offer more clothes in this department, but in a sport like netball, with money limitations, there are risks and logistics to weigh the production costs, the minimum amounts of orders and how many athletes appear.

Then there is the IP player. That feels like a real can of worms.

At this time, there is nothing in the Super Netball Collective Player Agreement indicating that athletes must be compensated for the use of their name, image or likeness.

Abroad, several American sports codes have had to address the intellectual property rights of licensed and protected players.

According to the reports, the salary stop model and income participation of the NBA and NHL incorporates a percentage of sweater sales. The marketing of a player can also inflate his salary.

According to reports, in the NFL, a t -shirt sales go to the athlete and the union to put money in a pool for all players. In MLB, the Association of Players negotiates and manages royalties before distributing them to athletes.

The star of England Roses, Helen Housby, is one of the most famous names in Netball, has a long list of brand offers and has helped the NSW Swifts reach new heights in their membership and ticket sales.

“We play in dresses and that is probably more difficult to sell … Heating tapas with our names would be incredible,” Housby told ABC Sport.

“I grew up wearing Wayne Rooney and David Beckham shirts, so I think it’s definitely something we could do, then you look at LeBron James and Steph Curry in the NBA.

“Historically, our sport has moved away from that and because the netball is a sport so focused on the team, I think some people have been afraid to be commercialized as individuals.

“We must not be afraid to push that limit, I am in favor.”

His teammate, the Swifts co-capital and Australian Diamond Paige Hadley said he had only begun to have similar thoughts about the merchandise of individual players this low season.

“I actually mentioned this with our team because we know that many fans fall in love with an athlete and then follow them throughout their career,” Hadley told ABC Sport.

“If you look at other sports, it is common for everyone to have their own shirt with the names on the back and fans can even continue to follow that player if they change equipment.

“I definitely think it is something we can do, in Swifts we have someone like Helen Housby who made a name after scoring the winning goal in the bell at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, so I definitely think it is an unplug potential that we can explore.

“The stories and personalities of the players are really what attracts people.”

Imagine if the merchandise of Super Netball players was already one thing, how much the swifts could have capitalized on the signature of their new import, Nweke.

In the early stages of his career, silver fern is already considered one of the best shooters in the world and will surely increase the Fandom for his team.

Based on their performances during the preseason, some experts are already praising it as the best signature of 2025, one that could take Swift to another Premier League.

Nweke had to put aside his national aspirations to join the best league in the world, so unless Netball New Zealand changes his eligibility rules, he is not expected to be for a long time. The 1.93M power wants to return to the frame for the selection of the next Commonwealth games and the World Cup.

“I have great respect for someone so young, at 23, to give up playing for their country to sign with us and want to challenge herself to be better,” Hadley said.

“He couldn’t even imagine being in his place, he respects his desire to learn and improve, and I am very excited that he is playing in our team.”

The next Super Netball season begins this weekend on April 5 with a great completion of the grand final between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Vixens.

The swifts play their first game in Perth against fever on Sunday afternoon.