Netball Australia has confirmed this year's Super Netball grand final will be played in Perth, leaving players "devastated" and calling for change.
The grand final will be played at Perth's RAC Arena on Sunday, July 3, with a new location chosen and released with the fixture before the season each year.
The decision to change to a fixed venue each season, rather than awarding hosting rights to the winner of the major semifinal, caused uproar when it was reported on Wednesday, with the news coming just two weeks before the end of the regular season.
The Australian Netball Players' Association (ANPA) said "the players are devastated" and were not consulted at all before it became public.
The professional netball players in Suncorp Super Netball have called for a change of culture at Netball Australia after a "unilateral, rushed, late-season, and fundamental change of the competition playing arrangements, and the manner in which the players have been treated before and after the decision," the ANPA said in a statement with all eight team names at the top.
The statement said it was not the first time players had not been consulted on major decisions that affected them and said they were then "deliberately misled by Netball Australia about the status of the decision and the nature of their engagement with us".
"It demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of why we play and what we have sacrificed," the statement read.
The ANPA said players were "shattered" and felt as if they were Netball Australia's "lowest priority".
"We want to work with a Netball Australia that understands that if they want to grow the game, and they want the players to be valuable partners in that venture, then they need to change the way they engage with us."
Netball Australia strikes deal with WA government
Netball Australia also announced a prize money boost, with the Super Netball champions to receive $100,000 and the runners-up getting $25,000.
"We understand the netball community is disappointed by the timing of this announcement. We had to move quickly to secure this funding investment for our sport," Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan said.
In addition to the increased prize money, Netball Australia said the West Australian government had committed to more netball funding from the grassroots to the elite level.
The Diamonds are also now set to hold their pre-Commonwealth Games training camp in Perth in July.
Former Diamonds, Firebirds and Fever goal-attack Nat Medhurst said on Twitter the players "would be beyond furious with how these big decisions have yet again been handled".
The Melbourne Vixens looked set to claim the minor premiership and be in the box seat to get hosting rights for the decider until this decision was announced.
"We know that many netball fans and club members across [Super Netball] will be disappointed by this decision, particularly after two years of very limited live sport in most states due to the COVID pandemic," the club said in a statement.
"No doubt many in the Victorian netball community will be disappointed at losing the potential opportunity to host the grand final this year, and we share that disappointment."
