Former Australia player Steph Fretwell hopes to see netball at 2032 Brisbane Olympics

SINGAPORE – Having the Olympic Games in her backyard in 2032 will be a special moment for former Australian netballer Steph Fretwell, and it could be even sweeter if her sport makes its first appearance on the world’s biggest sporting stage then.

The 32-year-old was born in Townsville, a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, whose capital Brisbane will host the Games in eight years’ time.

“To have international eyes on netball in countries that are probably not as familiar would be incredible. There’s a really big opportunity in 2032 for Australia and the Olympic committee to bring netball in and I would love to see it,” said the former Diamonds vice-captain on the sidelines of the Mirxes Nations Cup at the OCBC Arena.

“I often find that when people come and watch netball, they actually realise how skilled (players are), how fast it is and that it’s a physical game. So if we can have people looking and changing that perception that it’s non-contact, that you’re not going to get injured playing it, that would go a long way.”

These are misconceptions that Fretwell has encountered over her career, which has seen her win gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2023 Netball World Cup. But the growing fanbase back home has also presented an opportunity to educate people about the sport.

With world No. 1 Australia dominating the sport alongside arch-rivals New Zealand, the Brisbane Olympics could be the best chance for netball to feature at the quadrennial event.

Global governing body World Netball has expressed its intention to work with Netball Australia to get the sport included in 2032, but both organisations will have to overcome several obstacles.

One main challenge would be the female-dominated nature of the sport, especially with the International Olympic Committee’s emphasis on gender parity.

But Fretwell hopes this will not hinder its chances, noting that there are other sports such as artistic swimming which are predominantly contested by women. She also noted that netball is played competitively by men in countries like Australia and New Zealand, which have men’s leagues.

She believes that being part of the Olympics will be crucial to help the sport grow globally, like it has done in Australia. The 2024 Super Netball league in Australia saw a record turnout of 331,841 fans, an increase of 25 per cent year on year.

“While I think we have the best league in the world, I also think that we have to expand,” she said, adding that watching the Nations Cup has shown her that there is talent from other countries, but there are limited opportunities for these players to play in the Australian league.

“You’ve been able to see the growth of international netball with England, Jamaica, South Africa having players coming into our league and being able to experience what we experience.”

Netball will have to battle the odds for Olympic inclusion, just like Fretwell has throughout her career.

The 1.75m player told The Straits Times that she was told at 16 that she was too short to play goal attack.

But that only fuelled her, as she honed her game and learnt to shoot over tall defenders. Her determination to succeed saw her earn 56 caps for the Diamonds from 2016 to 2023.

While she is still involved in the sport as captain of Super League side Sunshine Coast Lightning, Fretwell did not rule out remaining in netball after her playing career.

She said: “Netball will always be a big part of my life and I would love to get into coaching, but I understand there’s a lot to learn... But it is a space I’d like to consider.”