A GENDER pay gap within local sports clubs has come under the magnifying glass in the wake of national furor surrounding the low payment of elite female Australian soccer players.
The Matildas this week became the first Australian soccer side — male or female — to win a knockout final match in a FIFA World Cup, defeating soccer giants Brazil in Canada earlier this week.
The win means the Matildas will receive $2850 for reaching the quarter finals — to be played against Japan on Sunday morning — while the Socceroos would have received $66,500 for doing the same in the men’s.
A number of sports pundits, including SBS commentator and former Socceroo Craig Foster, have used the achievement to highlight the pay disparity, along with the minimal media attention that’s been afforded to female sports.
Local netball clubs have revealed they too face a financial imbalance in contrast to their football counterparts, with players and sometimes even coaches not receiving any financial recognition from some of the clubs.
Radio presenter and former Woorinen coach Naomi Lewis brought the issue to light on her weekly 3SH radio program Netball Central a few weeks ago and said it had struck a chord with listeners, in particular men.
“It’s certainly raised some interesting opinions,” Ms Lewis said.
“I’ve had a lot of men ask me about it, often it was because they didn’t even know there was a problem.”
Ms Lewis said though different clubs had different attitudes towards paying netballers, a lot of club members weren’t aware of what their club was doing because it was treated as a taboo topic and never talked about.
“The requirements of a netball coach (especially senior coach) is no different to a football coach.
“They are managing the same number of personnel, in the way of leading the club, taking all senior based players for trainings, managing the senior playing list — which now consists of five teams (40 plus players) — more than a senior football team.”
Ms Lewis said Central Murray Football Netball League (CMFNL) figures would show participation rate was higher within netball teams and their players were often more loyal, while travel expenses and time away from work also meant netball players and coaches deserved some reimbursement.
Her view was echoed by a number of local netball figures, including Woorinen netball president Kellie Wilcox, who said that with nine netball teams at Woorinen it was an important crowd-drawer at her club.
“If players and coaches are promoting junior development and supporting any or all grades to finals, and perhaps a premiership, then I think match payments could be made,” Ms Wilcox said.
Nyah coach Carlie-Marie Clark was more candid about her point of view, saying the pay disparity was because netball “is a female sport”.
However, she thought no sports person should be paid at a grassroots level.
“I know that clubs feel that footballers draw in the crowds and that’s where they get their money from, but I don’t think anyone should be paid to play sport,” Ms Clark said.
Football club presidents have said there was nothing untoward with the pay gap, saying there was a straightforward economic explanation for it.
Swan Hill club president Alistair Ward said the club has reviewed its payment situation a couple of times already, but it was clear to him football has always been the principal income driver, being the more popular sport locally.
“A football/netball club is basically based around football,” Mr Ward said.
“Football draws far more in terms of support, far more in terms people through the gate, and football draws the sponsorship dollars, because football has the exposure, football is on the back page of the paper.
“I’m not saying netball [isn’t as good a sport], but it doesn’t have the exposure so it doesn’t generate the income.”
While the club paid its netball coach an honorarium fee, Mr Ward said Swan Hill was struggling financially to pay its footballers as it stood, and had no other choice because otherwise no one would support the club.
Tyntynder president Paul Morrison agreed, saying the reason for the pay gap was a simple case of supply-and-demand.
“There’s plenty of players that want to play netball, but there’s not enough who want to play football,” Mr Morrison said.
“We don’t really want to pay players money, but that’s the way to keep clubs alive — if you don’t pay players, they’ll just go to other clubs — and I don’t blame them for that.”
Mr Morrison also pointed out the number of female committee positions has increased at most clubs.
The CMFNL did not wish to comment on the issue, saying player payment was a matter for local clubs.
