A difficult week for Netball Australia has continued with a former board member saying she experienced racism while in the role, and alleging that it exists “at every level” of the sport.
It comes amid the ongoing dispute between players and officials over new sponsor Hancock Prospecting, after the players backed Indigenous player Donnell Wallam who said she was uncomfortable wearing the branding.
Nareen Young, who is now Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) at the University of Technology Sydney Business School and was an NA director from 2013-15, said she had experienced comments from other board members that would “knock your socks off”.
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“My observation and experience over many years is there is quite a lot of racism in netball at every level including the board,” Young said on ABC’s The Drum.
“I experienced some racism there.”
She added: “I’m really proud of those netties.
“It’s really interesting that this issue has come from them, as a women’s sport, and an Indigenous player has raised an issue and her teammates are falling in behind her.”
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Young went on to give an example of the difficulties she felt the sport still experiences in regards to racism.
“I’ll give you an example, and this goes to a whole lot of issues about racism and how it’s perceived and how it’s been normalised,” she said.
“One of my first meetings they were talking about One Netball – their diversity program and how proud they were of it.
“Indigenous players make up so many local (carnivals) … there was then a promotional video made and released about netball and it was just all these blonde people.
“I don’t think there is a recognition that it manifests in every single thing that’s done.
“I had some things said to me by other board members that would knock your socks off – not at a board meeting, after a meeting – and in that moment I thought ‘not much point’.
“I went back and talked to very high-profile black netball players, and said it looks like it’s the same as it is at local comp level, and they said absolutely.”
Netball Australia responded in a statement to News Corp.
“Netball Australia was not aware of these allegations but takes any claim of racism extremely seriously,” the statement said.
“In 2020 a coalition of netball’s peak organisations signed a Declaration of Commitment, pledging to take significant action to break down the barriers that have prevented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, coaches, umpires and administrators from flourishing in the sport.
“Netball Australia made a public commitment to listen, learn and change by engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and hearing about their experiences within netball.
“This incredibly important work continues and we welcome the opportunity to further understand these allegations.”
