Giants defender Matilda McDonell says the new Super Netball collective player agreement gives the younger generation hope of securing fully professional contracts.
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Netball Australia announced the details of the new deal on Friday, which will see club salary caps increase by 8.65 per cent this year. The minimum salary of all contracted players will then rise by 10 per cent to $33,000 next year.
The minimum salary has increased by almost $6,000 since Super Netball's inauguration in 2017. Under the new agreement, players could potentially earn an average of $75,167, plus additional payments to players from existing team sponsors.
McDonell has been in Canberra for an under-21's national camp in preparation for the 2021 World Youth Cup.
The 19-year-old defender says the new collective bargaining agreement is a significant step towards all contracted players earning a fully-professional pay, which is an exciting prospect for emerging players.
"It's something that's a continuum. It's been worked on for a while now and I think the people behind it in the Player's Association are phenomenal," McDonell said.
"The fact they're pushing so hard for our sport to grow and be professional is really exciting, especially for our younger ones because we're coming through at the perfect time.
"It gives us young ones a lot of hope and a continual push for those positions.
"I think it's really exciting for the league to become an international league with lots of imports.
"It really is the best netball league in the world to push yourself in."
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McDonell, a former Canberra Giant, will return to the capital when Greater Western Sydney host the Queensland Firebirds at the AIS Arena on Saturday, May 30.
The round five clash will be the final installment of a three-year deal between Netball NSW and the ACT government to host matches in the capital until at least 2020.
A new deal is yet to be negotiated but a partnership between Netball ACT and the Sunshine Coast Lightning could see the Queenslanders move into their second home.
The Giants drew a sell-out crowd when they beat the Firebirds in Canberra last year and McDonell hopes the partnership extends beyond this season.
"The crowd in the ACT and the support we get out here is phenomenal. We tend to play well in Canberra," McDonell said.
"I think it's really great to keep that partnership and the development coming through the younger generations. It's exciting."
And the prospect of setting up a Super Netball franchise in Canberra? McDonell has given it the thumbs up.
"That would be a really exciting concept," McDonell said.
"We love playing out here, with the crowds and everything. I think it's something that can definitely be explored further."
Lucie Bertoldo
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
Lucie Bertoldo is a sports reporter for the Canberra Times.
