The League was established with six metropolitan and two country regions, consisting of a home and away series where all players and officials were required to play or compete in the region of their place of residence.
Fast forward to 2015, and following community consultation, the State Netball League was renamed the West Australian Netball League. The League now consisted of eight regions, including three from the country and five representing metropolitan areas. Residential boundaries were no longer a requirement and twenty-two teams played across three divisions: League, Reserves and 18 Under.
For a multitude of reasons, 2018 was an historic year for the League. The Men’s division was re-introduced with four teams, including the Perth Lions, Southeast Demons, Wheatbelt Flames and the West Coast Warriors, who later went on to win the premiership. 2018 also marked the WA Netball League’s 30th anniversary, coinciding with a revamp to the competitions format. Up to eight new clubs were sought out by Netball WA, with seven clubs awarded a license to compete in the 20 Under and Open divisions, four of those opting to submit a team into the newly invigorated Men’s division.
In 2019, the league was re-branded to its current name, the Gold Industry Group West Australian Netball League (GIG WANL), following a $5 million partnership with the Gold Industry Group and Netball WA. The League as we know it today is very different than in the 1980s and 1990s, consisting of three divisions: Opens, Men’s and 21 Under.
The Men’s division has grown to five teams in 2024, inspiring the next generation of boys to take a step onto the netball pathway and showcasing that netball is for everyone.
The growth and development of the League since its inception is a testament to Western Australia’s commitment to netball and ensuring a pre-eminent competition for future elite athletes to hone their craft. Young players have continued to be fostered and trained within the League to be fantastic representatives of the state, many going on to play professionally and give back to the competition which gave them such a solid grounding.
View the Centenary page.
