Dedication Finally Pays Dividends For Cox And Co

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday December 5, 2007

Jessica Halloran.

Semi-pro trans-Tasman league is set to usher in a new era of prosperity for netball's elite, writes Jessica Halloran.

CONFETTI fluttered through the air and players ripped material off their red lycra dresses to reveal the new team's name. Yesterday's launch of the NSW Swifts, who will compete in the new semi-professional, trans-Tasman ANZ Championship, signalled the dawning of a new netballing era.

Finally, players will earn wages that more accurately reflect their status at the top of their sport. In fact, some have been left "flabbergasted" at the amounts they are to be paid.

Instead of the measly $8000 they previously received, most are expected to start on salaries between $20,000 and $30,000. The new competition has a total budget of more than $20 million - nearly seven times that of the loss-making Commonwealth Bank Trophy.

No longer will players have to balance full-time jobs with hours of training. Now, they will be paid a wage which allows them to work part-time.

New NSW captain Catherine Cox, who started her career in the national league in 1997, is stoked. "I'm absolutely flabbergasted in the jump in the cash from one year to the next," Cox said. "Basically, we have had nothing this season and now we will have quite a hefty sum of money. In the next two or three years, it's going to improve even more. I'm stoked.

"To be honest I thought it [our wages] would crawl up slowly, slowly and I'd be retired by the time the players were making some decent cash, but now I'm beside myself. It means players don't have to work full-time jobs. We don't have to rush from work to training and end up exhausted and home at midnight."

Cox said she had dreamt of this day since making her debut a decade ago and hopes it will convince the best players to stay in the game.

"There's so many players we have lost over years because they had to make a hard financial decision," she said. "Hopefully, this cash will alleviate those issues. It was sad to see really top players give it away."

As the extra money will afford players more time to train, the standard of the game is expected to rise dramatically. Five teams from Australian and five from New Zealand make up the league, which starts in April - and the competition is expected to be fierce.

Swifts coach Julie Fitzgerald said the Kiwis' aerial prowess and tough style of play will also liven up the league.

"It is a big day - it's exciting that it's finally happened," Fitzgerald said. "I think it's very very exciting that we are bringing New Zealand teams in. The New Zealand teams have a great style of play and for the spectator, it will be exciting.

"It's exciting for the girls, because they get to be semi-professional - and that's a big thing for them. Also, having games live on Foxtel, that's pretty exciting as well."

Cox takes the armband for NSW following the retirement of Australian and Sydney Swifts captain Liz Ellis, and said she was honoured to succeed one of the country's finest players. However, Cox says, she will miss having the "world's best goal keeper" and her best friend on court.

"Liz will leave a massive gap," Cox said. "The footage before the launch started showed her playing. I said to the girls, 'I can't believe she's not going to be there next year'. I'm going to have find someone else to make trouble with."

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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