Further turmoil at Netball Australia as Director behind Hancock Prospecting sponsorship saga quietly steps down

The Netball Australia Director who is understood to have been responsible for the Hancock Prospecting sponsorship saga in late 2022 quietly walked away from the board of the governing body just three days after former Chief Executive Kelly Ryan resigned.

Documents filed to the corporate regulator on Thursday 18th January have revealed that Marina Go stood down from her position as director on 15th December following the lengthy pay dispute with leading players and mounting pressure for changes to its leadership.

As reported by the National Indigenous Times, while Diamonds player Donnell Wallam publicly took the fall for over the loss of Hancock Prospecting’s $15 million sponsorship, an unnamed Netball Australia senior official (believed to be Go, a board member for more than a decade) advised the team not to wear the sponsorship logo.

Hancock Prospecting Executive Chair Gina Rinehart rescinded the lucrative four-year deal for the sponsorship rights of the Australian Diamonds, days after hearing Wallam was uncomfortable wearing the Hancock Prospecting name on the uniform.

Australian Netball Players Association President Jo Weston revealed the role of the official late last year during the pay dispute between management and the players.

Weston advised “the players, absolutely, did not turn their back on this sponsorship, as is the popular misconception.

Go apparently told the players they had to "stand as one" together on the issue because the occasion against England was also Wallam's Test debut.

While Wallam's non-Indigenous teammates supported her stance, the National Indigenous Times revealed that Go never came forward to accept responsibility.

While only revealed on 19th January, Go stood down as a Director of Netball Australia on 15th December last year, just days after Ryan resigned.

The departures followed weeks of turmoil in the sport.

Go had only recently been removed from the list of Netball Australia directors on its website and only updated her personal LinkedIn profile in the new year.

On LinkedIn Ryan thanked Go for showing "faith in me to lead the sport" while Go also responded with, "congratulations on all that you achieved Kelly".

While Ryan largely faced the expected scrutiny after her departure for a range of errors from the governing body following two years in charge, Netball Australia took 35 days to announce the end of Go's tenure that included previous roles as chairs of both the now-defunct Super Netball commission and later Netball Australia after the bodies merged in 2019.

The statement advised "Marina Go has informed the Netball Australia board that she will be stepping down as a director.

"The board is well advanced in the process to choose a new director and an announcement is expected soon."

Go no longer lists having been Chair of Netball Australia on her LinkedIn page.

The board vacancy has now been filled by Kirrily Zimmerman.

Images: Netball at the Blackwood Recreation Centre (top) and Marina Go (below, credit: Celebrity Speakers).