Netball Australia expects joint AFL/netball franchise to join trans-Tasman championship in 2017

Netball Australia Chief Executive Kate Palmer says she would not be surprised if there was a joint AFL/netball franchise in the trans-Tasman competition in 2017.

Last year, the national governing body put out a call for expressions of interest for new teams in the championship, with the window closing in March.

Palmer said three new Australian teams were set to join the competition next year and there was significant interest from AFL teams when they were approached about possible mergers with netball teams.

Palmer told 3AW's Sports Today “we're on a real growth trajectory.

"We think partnerships with AFL clubs, it's a marriage made in heaven because of that whole connection between football and netball and because of the capability of AFL clubs to provide a high-performance environment for athletes.

"It's about exploring the interest, and there certainly is interest."

In August, the first televised women's AFL game between Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs drew better viewing figures than the men's match on the same night, commitment that interested Palmer.

She commented “clearly the AFL have a really strong women's strategy.

"There's no reason why a club couldn't have an AFL women's team and a netball team.

"In actual fact, it would be probably a strength for that club in terms of its women's strategy and bring a different cultural mix to the club.

"I think it's about getting the priorities right ... and we certainly would provide lots of support."

The NSW Swifts and Sydney Swans already have a "very strong relationship" and share sponsors.

Despite the positive response, Palmer admitted there is still a lot of work to do in order to ensure neither side of the coalition is adversely impacted.

She reiterated that the national governing body would be “investing significantly" so the burden is not solely placed on the clubs, adding “we certainly don't want to damage the opportunity of, for example the (Melbourne) Vixens.

"We need to work on what it means for them and ensure they are ready for that."

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