Adelaide Thunderbirds

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (16:53): I move:

That this house—

(a) congratulates the Adelaide Thunderbirds on winning the Super Netball Championship, their first title in 10 years;

(b) acknowledges the eight South Australians and SA Sports Institute (SASI) athletes that played in the grand final—Maddy Proud, Maddy Turner and Sarah Klau from the Swifts, and Hannah Petty, Maisie Nankivell, Georgie Horjus, Tayla Williams and Lucy Austin from the Thunderbirds; and

(c) welcomes the commitment by the Malinauskas Labor government for securing the 2024 Super Netball Grand Final and for working with the Adelaide Thunderbirds to secure the Adelaide Entertainment Centre as their new home court.

As if we were not geed-up up enough in celebrating the Women's World Cup, it was not the only exciting achievement our women in sport have made this year. Our very own Thunderbirds also brought it to the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball Championship and walked away winners. One goal went up and it went in, one goal to win the championship after needing extra time to get it done. The Thunderbirds and the Sydney Swifts could not be separated at full time and, as such, with all the pressure of the whole state watching on, the Thunderbirds made it happen.

Eight South Australians and SA Sports Institute participants took to the court in the grand final: Maddy Proud, Maddy Turner and Sarah Klau from the Swifts, and Hannah Petty, Maisie Nankivell, Georgie Horjus, Tayla Williams and Lucy Austin from the Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds are an incredible all-of-state team. With members from all over our great state, some of our smallest, most isolated towns have produced some of Australia's best netballers, netballers who can be so proud of the places they hail from—Wudinna, Mundulla, Balaklava and Parndana.

Netball is such a fast-moving game. The players are on the move constantly, and the skill, the training and the hard work required to compete at such a high level and then ultimately take home the win is to be acknowledged and admired. Inspiring thousands of young girls to take up the sport, our team should hold their heads high with pride, and we are all very proud of them.

We must also pay tribute to the loyal and loud fans. Fans play such an important role, inspiring our teams to do their best, and the pink army, who have been unwavering in their support of the Thunderbirds since 1997, do an incredible job. Our government is serious about supporting netball. In the lead-up to the grand final, our government made a significant announcement that South Australia will be hosting the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final, a game in which we know the Thunderbirds can successfully defend this hard-earned 2023 title.

Our government has also announced that next year the Thunderbirds will be using Adelaide Entertainment Centre as their home court facility. The move of elite netball to the Entertainment Centre will allow the state government to begin immediate work developing a plan to rejuvenate the ageing Netball SA Stadium at Mile End and ensure it is rightly a home for South Australian netball long into the future.

Having attended the mixed netball championships last year and seeing the state of the centre, it is necessary and urgent, and I am so glad we are going to get on with its rejuvenation. Ensuring these athletes have the facilities they need and deserve will enable them to inspire even more young people to get active and involved. Netball SA has close to 35,000 members, most of whom are women and girls.

Our government is serious about backing women and girls in sport. We have re-established the Women in Sport Taskforce, led by the minister, of which I am the deputy chair. We are doing the work to understand the hindrances faced by women and girls in sport to hopefully clear the way, to encourage girls to take up sport but more importantly to continue and aspire to great things. Linking funding for state sporting organisations to diversity on their boards opens the door to women to be in leadership positions, to drive change in their clubs and to ensure there is equality of access.

We have also recently announced an $18 million investment into supporting women's sport, with $8 million of this being available to clubs of any code—including netball—to support female sports, whether they be through new or upgraded facilities or training courses to support the development of coaches or officials. This investment demonstrates our government's steadfast commitment to enable girls and women to equally and actively participate in the sport they love and truly harness the momentum of the tournament.

We are a sporting state, and our government understands that. We are also supporting SASI, the South Australian Sports Institute, with their new facilities. Announced in June 2021, the original budget was $49 million, which did not include any car parking or public realm upgrade. Our government has approved an additional allocation for the project to deliver a scope that includes car park redevelopment and public realm upgrade and factors in unprecedented market escalation. The additional budget also leveraged investment of $20 million by UniSA for education outcomes.

The new budget, including car park and public realm upgrade, is $68 million. The facility will include a strength and condition gym capable of accommodating multiple sports and teams; a specifically designed indoor court with smart technology; sport-specific ergometer training zones; indoor bounding areas; an environment chamber for simulated heat, humidity and altitude stress training; and a dedicated UniSA education and research floor.

As part of the precinct development, the National Centre for Sports Aerodynamics will also be located at Mile End, which will redefine high-performance sport, research and education in South Australia. The future of sport in our state is bright for everyone. Next year, we will host the 2024 Super Netball Grand Final right here in SA. What an incredible opportunity for netball in South Australia, and it will no doubt leave a lasting legacy. Congratulations again to our Thunderbirds for an incredible achievement. We are so proud of you all.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley) (16:59): I move:

Delete paragraph (c) and amend as follows:

Notes that the 2024 Super Netball Grand Final will be played in the Adelaide Thunderbirds' temporary new home at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

On Tuesday the 29^th, the member for Waite gave notice that she would move the motion, as has been pointed out. What a game that grand final was. The Adelaide Thunderbirds were able to defeat the New South Wales Swifts in what was an incredibly close grand final match, ending a 10-year premiership drought. The Thunderbirds of course secured the grand final by just a single point.

I was watching the game with my son and my wife at the time, and what an absolutely nerve-racking game it was. The result was a 60-59 grand final, attended by a sellout crowd, with over 9,000 people turning up to support both sides. Excitingly, the Thunderbirds took the lead with around just one minute and 44 seconds left in extra time.

The South Australian government has won the right to host the 2024 Super Netball Grand Final in Adelaide. The Adelaide Entertainment Centre will be the temporary home of the Thunderbirds from the next season, with the grand final match being played at the venue, regardless of whether the Thunderbirds make it to the grand final in 2024.

Obviously, as a former government we worked tirelessly to commit around $400 million into sport during our time in office, and that supported thousands of jobs and better health outcomes and also increased economic investment in the state. The former government also led South Australia into a sporting golden era with its 20-year road map for the state's sporting infrastructure needs. Of course, we also invested $12 million into the upgrade of the Netball SA Stadium in Mile End.

We support paragraphs (a) and (b) of the motion but, as I said, we have moved to amend paragraph (c). I look forward to hearing the debate. Go Thunderbirds. It was also really pleasing to attend a ceremony here in the parliament celebrating their victory. In terms of netball in this state, I think our best days are ahead of us in South Australia. I offer congratulations to the girls on their grand final victory and I wish them all the very best in the future.

Mrs PEARCE (King) (17:01): I may be biased, but I think netball is one of the absolute greatest sports that there is. I know I am not alone in that; in fact, there is a champ player sitting across the chamber from me today and there are another 35,000 girls and women who love participating in netball.

Netball is played in suburbs and regions all across our state, helping to bring communities together. In fact, in the heart of my local community is one of the busiest and best netball associations you will find in our great state: SADNA. Comprising 20 courts, with over 2,600 members from all across the north and the north-eastern suburbs, with teams aged seven and up, SADNA facilitates an amazing opportunity for many to get outside, be active and contribute in a healthy way to my community.

They host games multiple times a week, they facilitate local team training sessions and they hold netball tournaments, all while developing the next generation of netballers through programs such as NetSetGO. They help to strengthen the social fabric of the north and north-east and continue to contribute significantly to our local community. I am proud of their efforts in bringing together players, family and friends and our wider community.

I know that the Thunderbirds' incredible season will only empower more people to take up this amazing sport, in not just my community but across the state. In fact, my little one cannot wait to start her second season of netball, and it is not because her mum won the C2 summer grand final last year; it is because she met Tori, the Thunderbirds mascot, during a tournament last year and became absolutely enthralled—just as the magnificent Thunderbirds have enthralled us all throughout this season.

I would like to congratulate all players on an incredible season and an exhilarating grand final against the Sydney Swifts. I still cannot believe that it came down to a solitary goal after going into extra time. Extra special congratulations go to the eight South Australians and SA Sports Institute participants who took to the court in the grand final, those being Maddy Proud, Maddy Turner and Sarah Klau from the Swifts and Hannah Petty, Maisie Nankivelle, Georgie Horjus, Tayla Williams and Lucy Astin from the Thunderbirds.

These players inspire so many girls and women to participate and chase their dreams in sport, so it is only fair that we as a government ensure that these magnificent women have the facilities they need and deserve to enable them to inspire even more young women to get active and involved. I know that having the impact of moving the Thunderbirds to the Entertainment Centre will be significant and cannot be underestimated. It will provide an opportunity to grow crowds at the elite level of the game, but more importantly it will provide us the freedom to take proper action to upgrade Mile End netball stadium for the tens of thousand of netballers who use it each year.

Our state is developing a reputation for hosting outstanding major events, and I am thrilled that the 2024 Super Netball Grand Final will be right here in Adelaide, in no small part due to this move. I hold high hopes for the Thunderbirds mounting a defence of their 2023 premiership title and to hold their crowns as the ultimate champs when it comes to the 2024 grand final. Either way, I do know that our state will be buzzing with excitement, and I am incredibly proud of these amazing players. Our government is serious about backing girls and women in sport, and the actions we are taking shows that we are not just talk—we are getting it done.

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (17:05): I, too, rise to congratulate the Adelaide Thunderbirds on what was a truly sensational season for them. It was one of those heart-stopping games. I could not believe that it went into overtime, and it was just an absolute cracker. To see elite netball having such a showcase—I agree with the sentiments of the member for King—really does inspire the next generation, seeing these Adelaide girls particularly, girls from the country like Hannah Petty and even girls from the city like Maddy Proud, who plays for the NSW Swifts. To know that they, too, can achieve something great like that I think is truly remarkable.

In thinking about elite sport, one of the things that I am always passionate about reflecting on is grassroots sport because everyone has to start somewhere. There is no better example of that than the Thunderbirds captain, Hannah Petty. She spoke so passionately and proudly about her country roots. To see about 50 Wudinna locals who made the 6½ hour drive from Wudinna to Adelaide, to then get on the plane to Melbourne to support her, I think was so fantastic. It is something that all of us in the house are so proud of. I know that Sam Telfer, the member for Flinders, is right behind that family as well.

That was just one small example of the travel that kids from that country have to do to be able to play elite sport. It is not just for netball; it is right across different codes. I was reflecting on this because Hannah Petty has a profile that has risen and will continue to rise even further. For her to have the opportunity to speak about country areas and the need for country communities to be equipped with better tools for coaching and those types of things I think was remarkable.

She was reflecting on all the travel her family did just so that she could get the opportunity to play at that level. Obviously, it is not just her; her brother is playing for the Melbourne Demons as well. I was reflecting on that because I remember that when I was in year 12 my mum and dad used to drive me down to town. We had a Holden Commodore at the time, and I would do my year 12 homework with the torch on because that was the only opportunity I had to get it done.

That is just one very small sacrifice and adjustment you have to make to be able to go to the city to follow your dreams. That is why I will always champion investment in sport because, as has been reflected on here in the house, it does bring community together. I think you really feel that at a personal level in the country because your community fuels your success, and that was great to see for Hannah Petty.

As I was reflecting back on the last few years the Thunderbirds have had, it is pretty remarkable they were able to take out the championship this year because their last premiership was in 2013, and then they had many, many years when they finished completely bottom of the ladder: they won only one out of 28 games. That all changed this year. I think part of the reason for that change was their new coach, Tania Obst. I have had the privilege of being coached by Tania.

Tania is an absolute taskmaster. She does keep things really simple, but she is very clear in her direction. She is very much supportive of making sure that you do the one-percenters for the team, and I think that was so clear in the game that we saw for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the win they had. Even Hannah Petty as the captain, and leading into that final series, did not necessarily take part in every quarter of every single game. What an amazing character Hannah Petty is.

I would like to pay commiserations to a couple of my mates but particularly Maddy Proud, who was on the losing end of that game. She is an absolute trooper. I know her star, the star of Sarah Klau, another South Australian netballer I had the privilege of playing with—she played for the Australian Diamonds in the world cup—and the stars of all those Adelaide Thunderbirds girls are going to continue to rise.

I think that is particularly exciting not just for netball in this state but for all those junior girls coming through the ranks at clubs like my home club in Angaston and right across regional South Australia. On that note, I would like to again congratulate the Adelaide Thunderbirds. I really hope they can do it back to back. It would be great to do it in front of a home crowd right here in Adelaide.

The ACTING SPEAKER (The Hon. L.W.K. Bignell): Thank you, member for Schubert. While we are on the subject of country sports stars, I think we should acknowledge the great contribution your brother, Shannon Hurn, made to the West Coast football club as premiership captain retiring at the end of this season after more than 330 games.

Mr FULBROOK (Playford) (17:10): I rise to make a small contribution to this timely motion, and I thank the member for Waite for bringing it to the house. To begin, I am definitely speaking in support of her motion and want to offer my personal congratulations to the Adelaide Thunderbirds on taking out the Super Netball championship.

Their thrilling 60-59 point win over the New South Wales Swifts in extra time will be the stuff of legends and it is fantastic that as a parliament we can imprint this very happy memory into Hansard for future generations to appreciate. Regardless of sporting code, when you have tight final matches like this, the sport itself is the big winner. While this moment belongs to our local team, it is right to thank the New South Wales Swifts for giving it their all and making the win for the Thunderbirds that extra bit special.

It has been a long 10 years between titles for a team that does have a pedigree of success. While the Super Netball championship has only been running since 2017, it is worth noting that when factoring in the ANZ Championship and the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, this is the fifth premiership they have taken out since their inception in 1997. I do feel the loss of the Trans-Tasman competition is something to lament but, given I am not an administrator, I am sure there are lots of good reasons why netball reverted to a national competition.

With Australia recently reconfirmed as netball world champions and a large number of foreign imports, not just within the Thunderbirds but playing across the league, it does not take much to argue that we do have the best competition in the world. When we have the best of the best pitted against each other, it does make this win all the more special. While this is the first in a decade, let us hope it is a sign of things to come.

The infrastructure is now in place to show how much this state rallies behind its teams. The Malinauskas government has not only locked in all home games to the much larger Entertainment Centre for the next season but also secured the playoff for next year's final. The Thunderbirds, of course, are world-class professionals. I do not want to put any undue pressure on them, but we are all set and ready to hopefully now cheer them on for two in a row in the comfort of their home city.

We have just recently celebrated the success of the Matildas, not just today in parliament but across the country. Both events have proven that gender is no barrier to a good sporting spectacle. We have seen this through the local euphoria, very large crowds and remarkable television audiences, locally and across the world. This point is reinforced by the attention and adoration the Thunderbirds have received from across South Australia.

In a world where sport is heavily commercialised, these events should serve as a massive wake-up call to sponsors, administrators, governments and everyone else linked to the success of sport, to ensure equal billing and resources, including wages, go to everyone involved, irrespective of gender.

Of course, netball in this country has been somewhat of a trailblazer in the journey to attracting respectable levels of pay for female athletes, thanks in part to a lot of solidarity and support from Bill Shorten and the Australian Workers' Union. With the recent pay dispute showing that there is still a long journey ahead, it is worth remembering there is a strong link between reasonable remuneration and the quality of sport played at the elite level and there is no better example of this than this close and exciting final that we saw between Adelaide and the Swifts.

Do not get me wrong, we still have a long way to go, and I hope it does not get ugly, but a strong signal has been sent out of Adelaide and South Australia that gender is no barrier to the teams we support.

As a male, I want to make it clear that it is ludicrous to feel threatened or worried by this wrong being rewritten. I might be a bloke, but I am also a father who wants any boy or girl to grow up believing that they will be properly compensated for the level of sacrifice they are prepared to make in anything they choose to excel in. In offering my congratulation to the Thunderbirds I want to take this opportunity to stress to the administrators that now more than ever we as a state are watching very closely how well you treat our team and all the other players participating at the elite level.

Before I close I want to send my sincerest thoughts to Latanya Wilson, who has, sadly, lost everything after her home in Jamaica was destroyed by fire. This included her 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medal and her Super Netball premiership medal that she won with the Thunderbirds this season.

I understand that her former Thunderbirds teammate and England World Cup silver medallist Eleanor Cardwell has also set up a JustGiving page to help out her teammate. While it is a UK page, I understand that through JustGiving you can donate in Australian dollars, so this might be an opportune moment to express our thanks to the team by standing with Latanya. I say hats off to Ms Cardwell, and wonder if the remuneration was better aligned to the more recent euphoria, perhaps this support may not be needed.

While this fantastic story is tinged with sadness from afar, it should still take nothing away from the dedication, hard work and great success of Tania Obst and Hannah Petty and the entire team. Judging by the comments made today, we are all very proud of you and, with this in mind, I am pleased to stand in support of this motion.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (17:16): I want to thank all members who contributed to the motion today and once again congratulate the Adelaide Thunderbirds and wish them all the best in the next year as they prepare for the 2024 recontesting, and hopefully bringing the win for us again in their home state. We will not be accepting the amendment to the motion, and I commend the motion as originally moved.

Amendment negatived; motion carried.