Players back Harby-Williams in power play

Retired Diamonds netballer Bianca Chatfield says players will hinge their next move on what happens in the board elections in Friday's annual general meeting.

Captains from the eight Australian Super Netball teams

Players have threatened industrial action if a Netball Australia board member is ousted. (AAP)

Severe industrial action at Super Netball games this weekend is unlikely and looming as a last resort option if former Australia captain Kathryn Harby-Williams fails to hold her position on the governing body's board.

Harby-Williams' position is reportedly under threat as two member associations - Queensland and NSW - seek to oust her to install their own candidates at Friday's AGM in Canberra, in response to a slipping grasp on power.

It's understood member organisations are reluctant to embrace new Super Netball teams not aligned to state associations, rather football clubs, particularly due to player recruitment issues.

The Australian Netball Players' Association (ANPA) are firmly behind Harby-Williams and angry that former board chair Anne-Marie Corboy was dumped at a special general meeting called by the member organisations last week.

"We're just hoping that the players are being heard and listened to and when they do cast that vote, that it's the most educated decision that members organisation can make," ANPA board member Bianca Chatfield told AAP.

If Harby-Williams isn't re-elected, a phone conference between players and ANPA will be held immediately after the AGM to determine what, if any industrial action, will be taken.

Former Diamonds defender Chatfield said mooted action like striking from Super Netball games, forming a breakaway competition and players not making themselves available for international games were "completely last resort" options.

"I guess it shows the strong stance that that's what the girls are prepared to do,' Chatfield said.

"But by no means do they want to do that, they want to play the game."

Netball Australia says in a statement the threat of industrial action was "unfortunate".

"The sport is in total agreement around the need to move forward collectively, with a focus on the most critical issues impacting netball, including fully leveraging the recent commercial and broadcast inroads that have been made with the inception of Suncorp Super Netball," the statement read.


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Source: AAP



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