Former captain Sharni Norder has criticised Netball Australia for allowing billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart to sponsor the Diamonds despite it helping ease the sport's precarious financial position.
Norder (nee Layton), who played 46 times for Australia and skippered the team in 2017, called on the governing body to "do better" than accept money from Rinehart, whom she called a "climate denier".
Earlier this year the sport's cash crisis was revealed, with the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to losses of more than $7 million over the past two years.
Norder, who switched to AFLW in 2018, is a Sports Environment Alliance ambassador and said netball shouldn't associate itself with Rinehart.
"As a proud @SEA_theChange ambassador, it's unacceptable to put our brand alongside an open climate denier," Norder tweeted on Thursday.
"We have put too much into our sport to give social licence to a company who's (sic) profit-at-all-cost attitude puts our future in danger. Be better".
Rinehart's company, Hancock Prospecting, will support the Diamonds until the end of 2025, with the money to go towards the team's high performance program.
It comes at a key time for the national team as they prepare for the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town and the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Ex-cricketer Matt Berriman, the head of a consortium whose private equity offer to Netball Australia was rejected, also slammed the partnership.
"So won't even engage with a credible team, that were willing to pay more then $6.5m for Super Netball & offered to invest into NA directly. Yet take money from Gina who's destroying Australian land & creating harm to the climate & increasing emissions. Am I missing something?," Berriman tweeted.
Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan said the code was "incredibly grateful" for Rinehart's support.
She defended the link and said Hancock Prospecting was one of the most significant private investors in Australian sport, partnering elite level of swimming, synchronised swimming, rowing and women's volleyball together with making a multi-million dollar commitment to the AOC.
"We are incredibly grateful to this leading Australian private company, Hancock Prospecting, for its significant support," Ryan said on Thursday.
"We are excited to partner with a company that has been committed to the growth and development of Australian sporting talent for more than three decades.
"This partnership recognises the true value of Australia's national team and the world's No.1 ranked netball team and it has been secured in the best interests of our sport, our players and our fans.
"We will continue to focus on growing our sport and identifying the right commercial opportunities for our game's future."
The Hancock Prospecting logo will feature on the Diamonds' uniforms when they take on New Zealand in the Constellation Cup next month.
