Dana Johannsen: Vicki Wilson's outburst off, but point is valid

Dana Johannsen

In the controversy-shy world of netball where everyone plays nice and any dirty laundry is kept safely tucked away behind closed doors, a straight-talking coach can be rather refreshing.

Yet there was something very off about Queensland Firebirds' coach Vicki Wilson's outbursts this week.

The former Australian shooter firstly arrogantly dismissed the Central Pulse, their third-round opponents today, as being ordinary, before accusing the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic of rorting the salary cap.

"I can't believe the makeup of the New Zealand lines," Wilson said this week, clearly referring to the Magic, a shadow Silver Ferns side.

"The Australian teams are all fairly even, but if players all want to go and play in the one team I suppose that's fair enough, but don't try and con us that you're all sitting under the salary cap."

There has never been any hint that the Magic, or any other New Zealand side for that matter, are breaching the salary cap agreement, and for Wilson to make such accusations is devious.

There is no con. The salary cap allows for third-party payments and sponsorship, and this is quite fair when you consider the cap is only a measly $300,000 to be split between 12 players. For the ANZ Championship to restrict top players' earning potential would be wrong.

But among all the mud-slinging Wilson does raise a valid argument, albeit not a new one.

Her comments echo those of former Pulse coach Kate Carpenter, who said this year she was not convinced the salary cap system had worked effectively in the inaugural season.

The situation is worse this year, with 11 of the 14 Ferns who played test netball last year split between the Magic and the Southern Steel.

This is not doing the national programme any good, with many top players sharing court-time. It also makes for some one-sided matches.

To help ensure a more even distribution of playing talent, some have suggested a points system.

It may solve one problem, but it would only create another. While netball has increasingly become a money game over the past few years, the concept of professionalism and the idea that players can make netball a fully fledged career is still new.

For many top players court-time, opportunities to improve as a player and increasing their national selection chances comes secondary to lifestyle and family considerations.

If you look at the set-up of the Magic and Steel franchises, as well as having a healthy group of sponsors, they are also the most family-inclusive, offering free childcare and the like.

By forcing players to move away from their preferred team it is likely some would choose not to play, which could have a severe impact on New Zealand's playing depth.

In the end, players need to decide themselves. They need to realise being a professional athlete means going where the opportunities are.

Hopefully in time natural selection will prevail, but this requires the New Zealand selectors to make a firm stand and not pick players who have spent all season on the bench.