Supported by Netball WA Principal Partner Gold Industry Group, the annual forum brought association leaders together to share ideas, build capability and explore key opportunities and challenges facing the sport. Attendees participated in a mix of joint and stream-specific sessions, alongside a trade fair featuring SportWest, Coaching Lab, Belgravia Apparel, SportsGrid & Revolutionise Sport, and the Netball WA Participation Team.
Thank you to our Major Partner, Northern Star Resources, and Alisa Cardaci, Group Manager – Organisational Development, for generously volunteering her time and expertise at the Forum on Sunday.
Alisa worked with more than 100 Netball WA Association Presidents, Coach/Player Development Officers and Umpire Development Officers, sharing practical strategies for identifying, assessing and responding to conflict while maintaining positive relationships. Through interactive, real-life scenario sessions, participants gained valuable insights and practical tools to navigate challenging situations, strengthen communication and build positive, collaborative environments within their associations.
The forum also featured presentations from Netball Australia's Deanna Stainer on the recently launched Volunteer Action Plan and ways associations can support volunteer growth and retention, while SportsGrid & Revolutionise Sport CEO Alex Mednis provided an overview of the new Handover Portal platform, set to launch in early 2027, which will support volunteer inductions, role transitions and access to key Netball WA resources.
Across the weekend, Netball WA staff delivered sessions on topics including facility and infrastructure development, PlayHQ e-scoring, marketing, complaints handling and child safeguarding, while development and umpire officials explored tailored content focused on community priorities, representative pathways and participation initiatives.
One of the most inspiring presentations came from Netball WA Youth Advisory Group members Tori Newman and Indiah Reidy, who challenged attendees to embrace youth voice and create meaningful opportunities for young people to contribute to decision-making within the sport. Their message was simple but powerful: decisions about young people are better when they are made with young people.
The forum concluded with presentations from Esperance and Belmont, recipients of the 2025 Netball WA Growth and Innovation Awards, showcasing the initiatives helping drive participation, engagement and innovation within their communities.
Netball WA sincerely thanks Principal Partner Gold Industry Group for its investment in the Leadership Forum, supporting the continued development of leadership, skills and capability across netball associations throughout Western Australia.
