Suncorp Super Netball

Suncorp Super Netball (also known non-commercially as the National Netball League) is the premier professional netball league in Australia. The inaugural season commenced in February 2017.
History.
Foundation.
In 2008, Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand joined forces and created a Trans-Tasman league, the ANZ Championship as a successor to the Commonwealth Bank Trophy in Australia and the National Bank Cup in New Zealand, both of which were retired after 2007. The ANZ Championship saw netball become a semi-professional sport in both countries, with increased media coverage and player salaries. The 2016 season was the last of the competition, as Netball Australia looked to create a nationally exclusive league with a significantly improved broadcasting and media deal. This instigated the creation of Suncorp Super Netball, announced in May 2016. The New Zealand successor to the previous ANZ Championship is the ANZ Premiership.
The new league consists of the five former Australian ANZ Championship teams; the Adelaide Thunderbirds, Melbourne Vixens, New South Wales Swifts, Queensland Firebirds and West Coast Fever, in addition to three new teams, the Collingwood Magpies, Giants Netball and Sunshine Coast Lightning. Giants Netball are owned by Netball New South Wales and in a strategic partnership with the GWS Giants, and the two other new teams are owned and operated by two clubs in the popular Australian Football League and National Rugby League football codes.
Expansion teams Sunshine Coast Lightning and Giants Netball met in the Grand Final in the competition's inaugural season, the Lightning winning the match 65–48 before a crowd of 8,999 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
The league is run by the Suncorp Super Netball Commission, an independent commission formed in January 2019 to oversee and make all decisions relating to the league. The commission replicates the examples set by Australia's two most popular football codes, the AFL and NRL and consists of six independent commissioners and the CEO of Netball Australia.
Ladder system.
The league introduced a new ladder system for the 2018 season. In any game the winning team receives four points, with the loser receiving none. In the event of a draw, points are split. In addition to these points, the winner of each quarter is awarded a point. Drawn quarters result in no points being awarded. Thus, teams can win up to eight points in a match. If two teams finish the regular season on the same number of points, their final position on the ladder is determined by the number of wins and not percentage. If teams are tied on points and number of wins are equal, then goal percentages during the home and away rounds are used to determine the rank.
In 2020 the point for winning a quarter was abolished and the super goal (scoring 2) was introduced.
Awards.
A total of six major awards are issued at the conclusion of each Super Netball season. These awards are:
Currently, the Player of the Year is Jhaniele Fowler (West Coast Fever), the Grand Final MVP is Mwai Kumwenda (Melbourne Vixens), the Rising Star is Maisie Nankivell (Adelaide Thunderbirds), the Coach of the Year is Simone McKinnis (Melbourne Vixens) and the Leading Goalscorer is Jhaniele Fowler (West Coast Fever), who scored 795 goals in the 2020 regular season. The players represented the clubs referred to in the 2020 season.
Broadcasting.
The Nine Network and Telstra are the current broadcasters of Suncorp Super Netball. Netball Australia signed a five year deal with the broadcasters which commenced from the 2017 season. Under the provisions of the deal Nine televise two matches per round live on either their primary channel or on secondary channel 9Gem, whilst Telstra broadcast all four matches per round. The service is available via Telstra TV and the Netball Australia app. Finals matches are broadcast live on both entities. Will McCloy and Catherine Cox host the Super Netball Show.
In 2022 the broadcast rights will be taken over by Foxtel. The new five year deal will result in all regular season and finals matches broadcast live on the pay-tv provider and its over-the-top streaming service "Kayo". Two matches per round and all finals matches will be streamed live via the free-access "Kayo Freebies" program.
Corporate relations.
Salary cap.
As of 2019 the salary cap for each team in the league is A$515,000, with an additional $150,000 available for clubs to provide players with employment, education and/or ambassador roles. Players are also provided with a private health insurance allowance that as of 2019 is capped at $1,635. The average player salary is $67,000 and the minimum amount a contracted player can earn is $30,000, making Super Netball the country's leading player payment system for women athletes.
Sponsorship.
Suncorp Group is the league's current and inaugural naming rights partner.
All playing and training equipment as well as all licensed apparel and hats for the league's eight clubs are manufactured by ASICS.
Other league sponsors include Australian Institute of Sport, Nissan Australia and Cadbury
The official ball supplier is Gilbert Netball.
Merchandising.
Official match day attire together with other club merchandise is sold through the Super Netball's stores and website as well through the clubs and through some retailers.
Tap'n'Play decided to enter the Netball trading card market. In 2018 they produced their first very basic release but in 2019 they have ramped it with a release full of colour and signature cards.