Nat Medhurst: Why Australia‘s lack of homegrown shooters is not because of overseas imports

These questions have been frequently asked since the inception of the Suncorp Super Netball League in 2017 and have proven to be an even hotter topic of conversation over the past 12 months, particularly when Caitlin Bassett, the former Australian Diamonds captain, found herself without a SSN club.

Back in the day – and I am talking Commonwealth Bank Trophy days – imports were non-existent. That a player would even consider moving states to get court time was a big deal. Then, when Australian netball joined forces with our beloved friend and arch nemesis, New Zealand, to form the ANZ Championship, teams were allowed one import. Even when that happened, it raised eyebrows and concerns.

Then came SSN and it was goodbye to New Zealand and hello to unlimited internationals.

In writing this, and thinking about my position as a player, it has dawned on me that the vast amount of uproar around the unlimited import rules comes from fans. Not the players and not the clubs.

Personally, running out alongside and against the best players in the world was the ultimate. While Australian netball had always produced tons of talent at the elite level, it went to a whole different dimension when players from all across the world arrived to play in our competition.

Many criticise the import rule in the belief that it restricts the amount of opportunities for up-and-coming Australian youngsters to play on the big stage. But the truth is, as much as some people won’t like to hear it, netball at the elite level is not a development program.

Its primary purpose is to showcase elite athletes.

The best of the best.

The introduction of the league promised as much – and it is delivering. The issues with our up-and-coming players lie with Netball Australia, and their lack of feeder programs and competitions that provide a platform for players to prepare for the big league and beyond. What is – or, more precisely, isn’t – happening there is a topic for another article, but it is the basis for the current predicament in which our rising stars find themselves.

The biggest argument against imports tends to focus on our shooters and the supposed lack of opportunities at elite level – an argument that was amplified when Bassett found herself without a club. And while there is much to the C-Bass story and the way everything unfolded, a cap on the number of imports would not have resulted in her finding a team.

Clubs have shooters who have been entrenched in their game plan for years and are providing incredible service. To give up one of these players for someone who, dare I say it, was at the very back end of their career and may have filled a role for possibly just one season was not a risk they were prepared to take. These shooters are a highly sought-after commodity in the league.

No SSN club is without an import. In fact, 40 per cent of the players in the league are from overseas. Seven out of the eight clubs have imports filling at least one of their shooting positions (the only team that doesn’t is the Sunshine Coast Lightning, who are quite comfortable with their Australian squad shooting combination of Cara Koenen and Steph Wood).

While some clubs, such as the Melbourne Vixens, have made a conscious decision over the years to use their homegrown talent, those same clubs – Vixens included – still have powerhouse shooters as keys to their game plans. A restriction on imports would not see them flick out these players in exchange for another position.

Could you honestly see West Coast Fever removing Jhaniele Fowler if they were only allowed one import?

No, I didn’t think so!

It could be argued that the introduction of unlimited imports in SSN has helped other countries develop their players and strengthen their national teams at the expense of the Diamonds.

At first inspection, the point seems to have some merit, but there is more to the success – and failures – of the Australian Diamonds in recent years than the import rule. And what is wrong with strengthening the other countries anyway? The usual two-horse race of Australia and New Zealand needed a bit of a shake-up and to now have England, South Africa, Jamaica and Malawi able to beat anyone on any given day is what international netball has needed.

For this, SSN should be applauded.

A limit on caps would not solve the perceived issue around the development of our Australian talent. What does need to be addressed are the feeder competitions, as well as increasing team sizes back to the traditional number of 12, up from the current 10; an idea that has previously been raised by the Players’ Association to the league, to provide additional rookie contracts for additional up-and-coming players.

To provide these players with the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best of the best. To give them the opportunity to be on the team bench week-in, week-out and exposed to match-day atmosphere and preparation. To offer them a chance to actually take the court, even if only for a few minutes.

This idea has obviously not been taken on board but with the extreme loading already placed on the contracted 10 players, and the need for Australian netball to nurture their own talent, I can only hope this is explored further before the idea of league expansion is considered.

The list of international imports over the years is long. For me, to have played alongside and in the same colours as the likes of Fowler, Romelda Aiken and Geva Mentor was a great thrill. To compete against the GOAT in Laura Langman, other greats such as South Africa defensive duo Karla Pretorius and Phumza Maweni, as well as Mwai Kumwenda, Helen Housby and Jo Harten was an absolute privilege.

I now sit back and watch in awe at the athletic abilities of the Adelaide Thunderbirds’ Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson. As spectators, we should appreciate what it is we are seeing. A mix of talent, court craft, athleticism and sometimes unorthodox playing styles that, each and every week, are providing us with incredible netball and a competition that has lived up to its billing as the best competition in the world.

I know it is. The players know it is.

So much so, they will make big decisions to play in our competition.

Leading up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Netball New Zealand delivered an ultimatum for their international players: to be selected for the national team, they needed to play in the NZ domestic competition.

Langman, who was already playing in Australia, had played 141 consecutive games for the Silver Ferns since making her debut in 2005. She chose to play in Australia, despite it resulting in her being cast out by Netball NZ and missing the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The fact that a player such as Langman, would sacrifice representing her country to play in our domestic competition says a lot about what it means to be a part of netball at this level.