Netball was my first love.
I was that child at primary school in 2003 who begged her teacher to wheel an old television into my classroom so I could watch the Silver Ferns win the Netball World Cup then camped out in the staffroom until the game was over.
I scrapbooked everything about the Otago Rebels I could find in the early years and vividly recall the old blue court being clipped together for games at the Edgar Centre, makeshift wooden grandstands, and watching Angela Mitchell and Megan Hutton go to battle in the Rebels-Sting derby.
You might call me a netball tragic.
I took that to new heights recently when I crossed the Ditch with some of Dunedin’s finest men’s netballers to watch two Super Netball games in Sydney.
Watching the NSW Swifts — slightly biased, as they are my favourite team — play the Sunshine Coast Lightning, and the NSW Giants face the Queensland Firebirds, was something else.
Swifts v Lightning was up first and its atmosphere lived up to all expectations.
Tents filled the lawns outside with games for children, face painting, photo opportunities and endless food trucks wrapped around the stadium.
When the teams ran on to the court, virtually nobody was actually inside the stadium due to the activities going on outside.
Merchandise was sold from a giant container and the lines nearly stretched around half the the stadium before the game. I came home with a $55 Swifts scarf that I certainly did not need.
It is so easy to buy in to the atmosphere, something I think we lack at times in our domestic game.
Sure, we clap and cheer loudly for our teams, but how many of us are actually making signs, spending the game on our feet and really throwing our heart and soul into it? How many of us actually own team merchandise?
The Southern Steel fans are really the closest I can compare it to, but on a different scale.
As for the games themselves? Enthralling.
You ride every pass, every movement, every shot, and the players play the game differently.
It is faster, more physical and there is an element of real entertainment when English shooter Helen Housby drains a super shot, turns to the crowd and screams "come on".
I’m not a great super shot (two points) fan — I don’t believe in it for the traditional game and it frustrates me that some teams want to include it in our national league — but there are benefits to it.
It brings the crowd into it more, it makes for closer games, and it no longer allows shooters to remain under the post.
They have to add long-range shots into their game. Even former Steel player Jhaniele Fowler has been sinking them for the West Coast Fever.
The Swifts also desperately needed them to try to win the game, falling short 66-64 in the end.
Australia also use rolling subs, which are a good addition to speed the game up, and timeouts.
Timeouts are interesting when watching on television, as you get to hear insights into each camp, but in person, they are slightly dull.
The Giants v Firebirds game was another great occasion, despite the two being at the bottom of the table.
It was interesting to note the difference between the two home games.
The Swifts, a foundation team formed in 1997, had a large crowd compared to the Giants, formed in 2017, but the Giants fans still made nearly the same amount of noise at the same stadium.
Similar to the Swifts, the Giants’ pre-game atmosphere was buzzing with activities, food trucks, merchandise and Chelsea Pitman, who announced her retirement that week, spending time signing autographs before the game.
Eventually, the Giants won 71-67, and their team song — linked to the Giants AFL team — started blaring after the final whistle.
Everything has a sponsor. Replays, timeouts, two-point shots, "net points" — a system where players accumulate points for things like intercepts and centre passes — and halftime shows.
There is a lot New Zealand can learn from the product Australia puts together, and while we may not have the same budget or space at our venues, there are still things we could do differently to get more fan engagement.
It is netball on another level across the ditch, and we need to find some way to pour that excitement back into our game at home.
Super Netball
The facts
Established: 2017.
Teams: Eight.
Different rules: Two-point shot, rolling subs, timeouts.
Crowd numbers: 266,197 fans attended games in the 2023 round robin.
Non-Australian players: 13 (eight Jamaicans, three English, one Kiwi, one South African).
