Annual 2018 Report Contents From the President 4 From the CEO 6 2018 Snapshot 8 Strategic Direction 9 Board of Directors 10 Staff 11 Life Members 12 Associations & Presidents 13 Sport Development 14 Adelaide Thunderbirds & Elite Pathways 24 Commercial 30 Brand, Marketing & Communications 34 Corporate Services 36 Financial Report 38 from the president The atmosphere during the matches was electric with Graeme Gilbert our teams playing in front of President Netball SA their friends and families When asked to reflect on what has transpired over the Underage teams see success Suncorp Super Netball season Dedication across the state past 12 months, it becomes apparent that there are two constant themes. One is that as an organisation The 2018 Suncorp Super Netball season proved I acknowledge and thank the Netball SA Board who we do a lot, maybe too much at times. The second is challenging for the Adelaide Thunderbirds, finishing the volunteer their time to govern the sport in South that our landscape is constantly changing; change is season winless. Despite this the players, coaches and Australia. We are very fortunate to have such highly constant, and this makes the job much more difficult. support staff remained passionate and determined to skilled and passionate people who are keen to see give their best performance. success for our organisation and sport. I will be the first to admit that we may not get it right every time – and that for me is okay, provided we Whilst the on-court results were disappointing, it was Nicole Williams, who has been on the Board for learn from our mistakes and do it better the next time. extremely pleasing to see our magnificent Pink Army fan four years, has indicated she will not be seeking Financial sustainability is also something that we must base continue to support the team, which I know was re-election at the end of her current term. I thank continue to monitor and address over the coming appreciated by all players. Nicole for her contribution over that time and wish her well for the future. years, whilst at the same time remaining a vibrant and The Netball SA events team continued to step up and relevant organisation. improve the game day experience for fans with new The success of netball in South Australia would Along the way we have had some great wins, but we activations and innovations in the Fan Village and not be possible without the magnificent volunteer have also had some areas where we were not able to during match breaks. network. Thank you to members of the Audit and achieve what we set out to do. We need to take time Risk Committee, Foundation Division Committees The final match of the season was the last game for and Country Championships Organising Committee to not only celebrate the wins but ensure the learnings The 2018 netball calendar began in outstanding Dan Ryan as Head Coach. Dan’s involvement with the and our Council Delegates, who all do fantastic work we have gathered over the year are captured and help style with Netball SA hosting the National Netball Adelaide Thunderbirds stretched over six years and in their respective areas. A big thank you also goes us move confidently into 2019. Championships in mid-April. The seven-day competition throughout he showed great passion for the club, his out to all the volunteers within our netball family was a success for our state both on and off the court. players and the fans. I thank Dan for his contributions, who work tirelessly within their netball clubs and Our 17/U team won the gold medal for the third year along with all the coaches, players and support staff associations and at Netball SA. running, claiming the elusive ‘three-peat’. Our 19/U who worked tirelessly during the 2018 season. team just fell short in the gold medal game against The Netball SA staff are dedicated to meeting the Victoria, defeated by five goals to take the silver medal. We have taken the learnings from 2018 and with needs of a variety of stakeholders. On behalf of all changes made both on and off court we are confident members I thank them for the loyalty and expertise These results confirm that our underpinning pathway the Adelaide Thunderbirds will be a competitive force in they provide every day. programs are working well and producing athletes with 2019 and beyond. skills as good as any in the country. The results at I also acknowledge and thank our CEO Ben Scales these Championships certainly indicate that the future and his leadership team for the passion they provide of South Australian netball looks extremely promising. in driving our business forward. The atmosphere during the gold medal matches was To everyone involved in netball throughout our state, electric with our teams playing in front of their friends I hope you continue to enjoy the opportunities and and families. This will go down as one of my fondest memories our sport provides. We look forward to netball memories of 2018. working with you again in 2019. The Championships is Australia’s largest and pinnacle underage netball competition. Hosting an event of this size is no easy feat and I acknowledge and thank all Graeme Gilbert Netball SA staff and volunteers involved. President Netball SA 4 | Netball South Australia 2018 Annual Report | 5 from the ceo At a local level we have seen growth in Netball SA membership and our Ben Scales underage state teams Chief Executive Officer Netball SA experienced great success Our sport has gone from strength to strength in 2018 Game Plan: 2021 A network of support across the grassroot, national and international levels. Locally, we have seen growth in Netball SA membership Game Plan: 2021 sets our vision for the next three years In a fantastic show of faith, our partnership with and our underage state teams experienced great success. and is underpinned by our overarching purpose, “We Premier Partner, Priceline Pharmacy, has been provide opportunities to enrich lives through the extended by two years until the end of 2020. Thank The increase in exposure of our sport was further aided power of our sport”. Our key strategic foci for the you to Richard Vincent, Managing Director and CEO by the success of season two of the Suncorp Super coming three years will centre around five key pillars: of API, Priceline Pharmacy’s parent company, who is Netball. Netball was further catapulted into the spotlight a huge supporter of netball and our partnership. during the Commonwealth Games held on the Gold 1. Participation and Development On behalf of Netball SA and the Adelaide Coast, culminating with an exceptional gold medal match 2. Elite Pathways where England defeated Australia by the smallest of Thunderbirds, I would also like to acknowledge the 3. Influencing, Partnerships and Sustainability margins. achieve through the affiliation was the introduction support and investment of all our partners. (see page 31 for the full list). Without the ongoing support of 4. Priceline Stadium of programs to create opportunities for young boys to play netball. The launch of the boys’ academy and these businesses Netball SA would not be able to 5. Adelaide Thunderbirds school holiday clinic and the state’s first weekly junior provide the services and benefits to the community that we do. For each of these pillars we have identified our core boys’ competition were key highlights. We look forward strategic goals and the key activities that will be to expanding these programs and working alongside I thank also Kylie Taylor and her team at the Office undertaken to ensure the success and sustainability of SAMMNA into the future. of Recreation, Sport and Racing for their ongoing our sport well into the future. The full Game Plan: 2021 support. The staff at Netball SA enjoy great working will be distributed to our members and stakeholders in relationships with Netball Australia, along with our early 2019. A boost for netball facilities colleagues at the Member Organisations. Thank you Netball continues to enjoy a great working relationship for your continued support and camaraderie. with the State Government and I thank the Minister for Strategic partnerships Recreation and Sport, Corey Wingard, for his support. I thank everyone involved in delivering netball across The Government’s backing of grassroots sport was South Australia: our 33,000+ members, Netball SA As with any business, Netball SA continually seeks Board and staff, the dedicated volunteer network, strategic partnerships that benefit our organisation, evident with a program announced to fund sporting As we enjoy the continued rise of netball, the infrastructure and building upgrades, with a key focus coaches, officials, administrators and committee sport and members, and the partners with whom we members. professionalism and exposure of women’s elite sport has are engaging. This year has seen the establishment and on women’s facilities. This program has the potential grown across Australia. This in turn has led to increased continuation of several strategic partnerships. to inject $24 million over the next two years. We will As evident in the 2018 Netball SA Annual Report and choices in sport and new role models for girls and work alongside SACA and the SANFL to provide advice the successes highlighted throughout the following women. We are one of three peak sporting bodies who on where the investment should best be spent to pages, there is much to be proud of and a lot to be partnered with SEDA College, a new high school to provide the best possible outcomes for our clubs and excited about for the future.