Australian Diamonds coach should be worried about influx of New Zealand players, says Lisa Alexander
Former Australian Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander has expressed concern over the high number of New Zealand netball players joining Australia's domestic league. She argues this trend limits opportunities for local Australian talent.
Why it matters
This highlights the tension between maintaining a world-class domestic sports competition and protecting the development pathways for national team players.
Former Australian Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander is concerned by the number of New Zealand players in Australia’s domestic competition. Photo / Photosport
Former Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander says the influx of New Zealand players into Australia’s domestic competition is further squeezing opportunities for local players, posing a headache for the Australian coaching staff.
New Zealand’s leading netballers are heading offshore in unprecedented numbers, as the future of the country’s elite domestic competition remains uncertain.
Twelve New Zealand players will ply their trade in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) competition in 2027 – 10 of them are current Silver Ferns.
The exodus comes amid ongoing uncertainty over the ANZ Premiership’s future, with Netball New Zealand (NNZ) unable to provide assurances there will be an elite domestic competition next year. NNZ recently removed all restrictions around Silver Ferns players competing offshore.
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