With a ground-breaking broadcast deal locked away, Stacey West has announced her departure as chief executive officer of Netball Australia.
Spending more than two years in the role and 16 years with the governing body, West says the position has been a “labour of love”.
West took over the top job from Kelly Ryan, who stepped down following a bitter pay dispute with players, and she has made in-roads with the sport signing a five-year broadcast rights deal with the Nine Network which starts in 2027.
A minimum of two Super Netball matches per week will be shown on free-to-air television under terms of the deal.
West will be replaced in the interim by Mark Falvo, who is also the CEO of Netball World Cup Sydney 2027.
“This role has been a labour of love for me,” West said.
“My commitment to the sport, our people and our athletes, has been a lifelong vocation and the opportunity to contribute to our growth and success has been a privilege.”
West said she felt the time was right to move away, with netball in a strong position.
“I hand over the reins at the dawn of a new era with the sport poised for continued success,” she said.
“Super Netball continues to set crowd, audience and membership records and our new long-term free-to-air broadcast partnership defies market trends and is built off the wonderful product and people who make up this sport.
“We remain the number one sport for women and girls, and the love and respect in the community for both the high performance and participation aspects of our game is the backbone of our culture and dominance.”
