Commonwealth Bank Trophy
Encyclopedia
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy was the pre-eminent national netball
competition in Australia
from 1997 to 2007.
It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw large increases in crowd sizes and sponsorship over its predecessor. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship
.
competition, based around a fourteen week season starting in May and ending in August. The top four teams played off in a knockout finals series, culminating in the Grand Final in the first week of September. While crowd turnout fell short of that in the three football codes, matches were generally attended by several thousand people, with a record crowd of 13,436 being achieved in 2004. This has necessitated a shift to larger venues, with smaller suburban venues of earlier years having to be abandoned in favour of larger city arenas. A significant number of games were shown both on free-to-air ABC TV
and on pay television.
While the Commonwealth Bank Trophy was an elite competition, it lacked the attention and sponsorship of the three main football codes. This means that there was not the money to pay high player wages - indeed, according to Australian Workers Union National Secretary Bill Shorten
, many earned less than $4,000 a year from the sport. This means that the vast majority of players - including most of those in the Australian team - juggled training and game requirements with part-time or full-time employment, and raised their own funds if they were to afford added assistance such as the services of a physiotherapist. In an attempt to address this somewhat, most players in the competition made the decision to join the Australian Workers Union in late 2005. The Union changed its registration rules to allow this to occur.
decided to terminate it and look at setting up a permanent national league. Finally, they announced that the Mobil League would fold at the end of the 1996 season and be replaced by a new format in time for the next season.
The National Netball League, as it was initially called, had a more commercial focus from the beginning. Eight teams were created - two from New South Wales
, Victoria
and South Australia
and one from Queensland
and Western Australia
. These were representative sides made up of the best players from each state, rather than being limited to members of whichever state club had qualified that particular year. The season was doubled in length, and the unpopular double-header contests (made necessary due to the financial limitations of the previous competition) were abolished. The teams were given generic mascots with the theme of birds in order to assist with marketing and merchandising, and the uniforms were revamped, with new brightly-coloured bodysuits being introduced to attempt to improve the image of the game. These last two moves did attract some controversy among players - several felt the use of birds as their mascots was condescending and sexist, and some felt that the new uniforms were using sex to sell the games.
The changes had an immediate impact in terms of sponsorship, as the Commonwealth Bank signed on as naming rights sponsor and several others followed suit, bringing in far more than the Mobil League had. They also brought sizable media attention in the months leading up to the first season of the new Commonwealth Bank Trophy. While netball authorities were disappointed with the low turnout at the early games, crowds rose substantially throughout the first season, and by its end, some smaller venues, such as Melbourne
's Waverley Netball Centre were already becoming too small. People had to be turned away at some later games; an event that had rarely, if ever, happened in the Mobil League.
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy received a major boost in 2006, receiving a prime-time television deal with on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
's ABC2 digital-only channel. This saw matches televised live every Friday night for the first time, with additional highlights packages broadcast on regular free-to-air television.
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
competition in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1997 to 2007.
It was established in 1997 as a true national league to replace the ailing, state club-based Mobil League. Designed from the beginning to be more marketable to the general public, it saw large increases in crowd sizes and sponsorship over its predecessor. From 2008, it was replaced by the ANZ Championship
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship is the pre-eminent netball league in the world. The competition is held annually between April and July, comprising 69 matches played over 17 weeks. It is contested by ten teams, five from Australia and five from New Zealand...
.
Competition
The Trophy was an eight-team, single division round-robinRound-robin
The term round-robin was originally used to describe a document signed by multiple parties in a circle to make it more difficult to determine the order in which it was signed, thus preventing a ringleader from being identified...
competition, based around a fourteen week season starting in May and ending in August. The top four teams played off in a knockout finals series, culminating in the Grand Final in the first week of September. While crowd turnout fell short of that in the three football codes, matches were generally attended by several thousand people, with a record crowd of 13,436 being achieved in 2004. This has necessitated a shift to larger venues, with smaller suburban venues of earlier years having to be abandoned in favour of larger city arenas. A significant number of games were shown both on free-to-air ABC TV
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
and on pay television.
While the Commonwealth Bank Trophy was an elite competition, it lacked the attention and sponsorship of the three main football codes. This means that there was not the money to pay high player wages - indeed, according to Australian Workers Union National Secretary Bill Shorten
Bill Shorten
William Richard "Bill" Shorten is an Australian politician, the Member for Maribyrnong in the Australian Parliament, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Superannuation and Financial Services. He was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disability and Children's Services in the Rudd/Gillard Government...
, many earned less than $4,000 a year from the sport. This means that the vast majority of players - including most of those in the Australian team - juggled training and game requirements with part-time or full-time employment, and raised their own funds if they were to afford added assistance such as the services of a physiotherapist. In an attempt to address this somewhat, most players in the competition made the decision to join the Australian Workers Union in late 2005. The Union changed its registration rules to allow this to occur.
History
Australia had not had a national netball league of any form until 1985, when the Esso Superleague was formed. It saw the top teams from each state league face off against each other in a short national season. However, this meant that the teams representing each state changed from year to year, and many teams struggled to raise the sponsorship necessary or attract sizable enough crowds to meet the requirements of travelling interstate. The competition became the Mobil League in the early 1990s, but when it continued to struggle, Netball AustraliaNetball Australia
Netball Australia is the peak governing body for the sport of netball in Australia. The organisation's stated objectives for Australian netball are to achieve national and international success in competition, encourage greater participation and spectator involvement, and ensure excellence in all...
decided to terminate it and look at setting up a permanent national league. Finally, they announced that the Mobil League would fold at the end of the 1996 season and be replaced by a new format in time for the next season.
The National Netball League, as it was initially called, had a more commercial focus from the beginning. Eight teams were created - two from New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and one from Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. These were representative sides made up of the best players from each state, rather than being limited to members of whichever state club had qualified that particular year. The season was doubled in length, and the unpopular double-header contests (made necessary due to the financial limitations of the previous competition) were abolished. The teams were given generic mascots with the theme of birds in order to assist with marketing and merchandising, and the uniforms were revamped, with new brightly-coloured bodysuits being introduced to attempt to improve the image of the game. These last two moves did attract some controversy among players - several felt the use of birds as their mascots was condescending and sexist, and some felt that the new uniforms were using sex to sell the games.
The changes had an immediate impact in terms of sponsorship, as the Commonwealth Bank signed on as naming rights sponsor and several others followed suit, bringing in far more than the Mobil League had. They also brought sizable media attention in the months leading up to the first season of the new Commonwealth Bank Trophy. While netball authorities were disappointed with the low turnout at the early games, crowds rose substantially throughout the first season, and by its end, some smaller venues, such as Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's Waverley Netball Centre were already becoming too small. People had to be turned away at some later games; an event that had rarely, if ever, happened in the Mobil League.
The Commonwealth Bank Trophy received a major boost in 2006, receiving a prime-time television deal with on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's ABC2 digital-only channel. This saw matches televised live every Friday night for the first time, with additional highlights packages broadcast on regular free-to-air television.
Teams
| Team | City | Home Venue 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Thunderbirds Adelaide Thunderbirds The Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australian netball team based in Adelaide that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Thunderbirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was... |
Adelaide Adelaide Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million... , South Australia South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland... |
ETSA Park ETSA Park ETSA Park is a sporting venue located in Adelaide, South Australia, opposite Santos Stadium, Adelaide's premier athletics stadium. It is a specialist netball facility, hosting matches in both the national ANZ Championship and state Dairy Farmers Cup, as well as some international matches. However,... |
| AIS Canberra Darters AIS Canberra Darters The AIS Canberra Darters were an Australian netball team, playing in the now defunct national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They mostly represented the Australian Institute of Sport, giving young players experience at an elite level, but also included some young players from Canberra and the Australian... |
Canberra Canberra Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne... , Australian Capital Territory Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory... |
AIS Arena AIS Arena AIS Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Canberra, Australia. The capacity is 5,200 and was built in 1980. The arena was opened by the Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Fraser, on 26 January 1981 and was originally named the National Indoor Sports Centre and was the inaugural home of the... |
| Hunter Jaegers Hunter Jaegers The Hunter Jaegers were an Australian netball team representing the Hunter Valley of New South Wales in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. The team was initially based out of the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, but merged with the Sydney Swifts in 2008 to create the New South Wales Swifts to... |
Newcastle Newcastle, New South Wales The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
Newcastle Entertainment Centre Newcastle Entertainment Centre Newcastle Entertainment Centre is a multi-purpose Australian arena located within the Newcastle Showgrounds and was opened in 1992 at a cost of A$12m.... |
| Melbourne Phoenix Melbourne Phoenix The Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship... |
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball Hockey Centre is a multipurpose sporting facility located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the home arena of the Melbourne Vixens netball team in the ANZ Championship, and the Melbourne Tigers National Basketball League team. The facility is located in Royal Park, Parkville next to... |
| Melbourne Kestrels Melbourne Kestrels The Melbourne Kestrels were an Australian netball team. They were based out of the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Melbourne, Victoria and were one of two teams from the city to compete in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy, alongside the Melbourne Phoenix. The Kestrels were coached by Jane... |
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... , Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball and Hockey Centre State Netball Hockey Centre is a multipurpose sporting facility located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the home arena of the Melbourne Vixens netball team in the ANZ Championship, and the Melbourne Tigers National Basketball League team. The facility is located in Royal Park, Parkville next to... Waverley Netball Centre |
| Perth Orioles | Perth Perth, Western Australia Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000.... , Western Australia Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... |
Challenge Stadium Challenge Stadium Challenge Stadium is a sports complex in the suburb of Mount Claremont, west of Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It was opened in 1986 and is home to the Western Australian Institute of Sport. The main indoor arena holds 4,500 people... |
| Queensland Firebirds Queensland Firebirds The Queensland Firebirds are an Australian netball team based in Brisbane that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Firebirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was contested... |
Brisbane Brisbane Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of... , Queensland Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... |
Chandler Arena Chandler Arena The Chandler Arena is a Brisbane sport venue, located in the suburb of Chandler. It has seating capacity for 2,700, and hosts netball, basketball, indoor soccer, badminton and volleyball.... |
| Sydney Swifts Sydney Swifts The Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the... |
Sydney Sydney Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people... , New South Wales New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales... |
Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre/ Sydney Superdome |
- 1 Note: Many clubs play several "home" matches at alternate grounds.
Defunct Teams
- Adelaide Ravens (1997-2002, abolished to make way for the AIS Canberra DartersAIS Canberra DartersThe AIS Canberra Darters were an Australian netball team, playing in the now defunct national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They mostly represented the Australian Institute of Sport, giving young players experience at an elite level, but also included some young players from Canberra and the Australian...
) - Sydney SandpipersSydney SandpipersThe Sydney Sandpapers were one of the inaugural teams in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, Australia's national women's netball league. Based out of University of Sydney, the team's strip was a vivid sky blue and they competed from 1997 to 2003, after which the Sydney Swifts were left as the only New...
(1997-2003, abolished to make way for the Hunter JaegersHunter JaegersThe Hunter Jaegers were an Australian netball team representing the Hunter Valley of New South Wales in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. The team was initially based out of the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, but merged with the Sydney Swifts in 2008 to create the New South Wales Swifts to...
)
Commonwealth Bank Trophy Champions
- 1997: Melbourne PhoenixMelbourne PhoenixThe Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
- 1998: Adelaide ThunderbirdsAdelaide ThunderbirdsThe Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australian netball team based in Adelaide that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Thunderbirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was...
- 1999: Adelaide ThunderbirdsAdelaide ThunderbirdsThe Adelaide Thunderbirds are an Australian netball team based in Adelaide that currently compete in the trans-Tasman ANZ Championship. The Thunderbirds were formed as one of the foundation teams of the Commonwealth Bank Trophy , previously the premier netball league in Australia, which was...
- 2000: Melbourne PhoenixMelbourne PhoenixThe Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
- 2001: Sydney SwiftsSydney SwiftsThe Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the...
- 2002: Melbourne PhoenixMelbourne PhoenixThe Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
- 2003: Melbourne PhoenixMelbourne PhoenixThe Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
- 2004: Sydney SwiftsSydney SwiftsThe Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the...
- 2005: Melbourne PhoenixMelbourne PhoenixThe Melbourne Phoenix were an Australian netball team. They were one of two teams representing the city of Melbourne, Victoria in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They have been replaced by the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championship...
- 2006: Sydney SwiftsSydney SwiftsThe Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the...
- 2007: Sydney SwiftsSydney SwiftsThe Sydney Swifts were an Australian netball team, playing in the national Commonwealth Bank Trophy. They were based out of Acer Arena and Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in the suburb of Homebush. Following the 2003 demise of the Sydney Sandpipers, the Swifts were the only team representing the...