New Idea is proud to be the official magazine of Netball Australia and our world champion national team, the Australian Netball Diamonds.

New Idea is also naming rights sponsor of the new Australian Netball League which launched in 2008.

Netball is the most popular team sport for women in Australia - and the New Idea Australian Netball League is an important step in the development pathway for young talented players.

With netball in this country heading into an exciting new era, Netball Australia Chief Executive Officer Kate Palmer believes the New Idea Australian Netball League is a key ingredient in this transition.

"This league bridges the gap between the level of state and territory competitions and the ANZ Championship, by providing an important step in the pathway for the development and identification of national players, coaches and officials," Palmer said.

"This competition also provides a terrific opportunity to develop Netball in markets such as the Northern Territory, Tasmania and the ACT who will have an opportunity to watch Australia's up and coming stars in action."

The New Idea Australian Netball League (ANL) features 11 teams playing in 13 different venues across Australia and Singapore.

The New Idea Australian Netball League is designed to bridge the gap between State League competitions and the ANZ Championship. The Australian teams competing in the ANL are AIS, Canberra Darters, NSW Blues, NSW Waratahs, NT Storm, Queensland Fusion, South Australia, Tasmania, Victorian Fury and Western Australia.


Singapore’s inclusion in the ANL for the first time comes as a result of a long-standing relationship between Netball Australia and Netball Singapore with teams, coaches and umpires visiting from both countries on a regular basis.


Netball Singapore is the host for the 2011 World Netball Championships so their involvement in the ANL is crucial for athletes to test themselves against international competition.


Three Australian teams experienced international travel as a part of their ANL campaign with Western Australia, Territory Storm and last year's ANL winners,Victorian Fury, all travelling to Singapore to play their Asian rivals at Toa Payoh Sports Hall.


This opportunity exposed players to the rigours of an international tour, an experience that will be invaluable to the growth and development of their netball careers.

Victorian Fury retain New Idea Australian Netball League title in 2009
The New Idea Australian Netball League reigning champions, Victorian Fury, retained the championship trophy following a huge 46-32 win over the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Brisbane on Sunday September 13.

The Fury dominated the match at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre from the start with shooters Kathleen Knott and Karyn Bailey shooting at 100 per cent in the first quarter.

In the second quarter the Fury continued to overpower the opposition with mid-court intercepts and crucial rebounds from the defence end propelling the Victorian team to an 11 point lead.

Throughout the second half of the game the Fury maintained a 10 to 15 point lead to clinch the match and take the trophy for the second year running.

A series of changes in the third quarter for the AIS proved to be little help against the Fury despite narrowing the gap for a brief period in the third quarter.

The inclusion of AIS Laura Scherian as centre in the second half bolstered the side but it wasn’t enough to even come close to a comeback.

The Fury continuously took advantage of rebounds in the AIS shooting circle and mid-court intercepts from both teams kept the match alive.

Fury Goal Defence Kara Richards put notable pressure on the AIS attack players throughout the match while Knott and Bailey shot at near perfect accuracy in all four quarters.

The ANL grand final was a curtain raiser to the Australian Diamonds v New Zealand Silver Ferns test match, whcih was also captain Sharelle McMahon's 100th game for  Australia. In a hard-fought match - the lowest-scoring game in the history of competition between the two sides - Australia triumphed 36-33.

For more information about Netball Australia and the Diamonds, click here.