Australia's new-look netball league
HOW AUSTRALIA'S NEW-LOOK NETBALL LEAGUE SHAPES UP:
WHAT HAS HAPPENED?
The trans-Tasman league will be axed at the end of this season, with Australia and New Zealand to start standalone domestic competitions from 2017. Netball Australia has been forced to break away from the low-rating NZ teams to secure a lucrative five-year broadcast deal.
THE TV DEAL: A five-year free-to-air tie-up with the Nine Network and Telstra. Nine will show a live Saturday night double-header as well as two delayed games, while Telstra has mobile streaming rights as well as two exclusive matches per week
HOW MANY TEAMS?
Eight all up. Three new Australian sides will join the five existing in the trans-Tasman league - one from Collingwood AFL club, one from Melbourne NRL club but based on the Sunshine Coast, and the third a joint initiative by Netball NSW and AFL side GWS
WHERE WILL THE EXTRA PLAYERS COME FROM?
Around 35 additional athletes will mostly step up from the second-tier Australian Netball League, with the net to be cast wide for overseas talent. New Zealand's Test players are off limits so as not to weaken the Kiwis' own new national competition
HAS THE FORMAT CHANGED?
The regular season will still run over 14 weeks followed by a four-week finals series. In a slight alteration to the trans-Tasman league, teams will play each other twice. Currently, Australian sides face each other twice but only meet NZ teams once and vice-versa
THE SALARY CAP
It's yet to be finalised, but Netball Australia chief executive Kate Palmer said it would be "significantly above where we've been previously". The current cap is $270,000 for a 12-player squad, with the minimum salary at just $15,000
THE WINNERS
Netball Australia will receive a massive cash injection, players are set be paid better while fans will benefit from the game being thrust onto the prime-time TV. The Storm's partnership with the University of the Sunshine Coast will only strengthen the club's links with the Queensland market
THE LOSERS
The Melbourne Vixens, given Collingwood's large fan base and financial clout. The Vixens also revealed last week that the Victorian Institute of Sport would not be able to continue supporting its elite program if a second team was established in Melbourne, meaning they might need to find a new high-performance base. The NSW Swifts and Queensland Firebirds might also have to share fans with a second team in their states
