If Dylan Nexhip wasn’t captaining the Kelpies, he would be in his year five classroom beginning to wrap up the year with his kids.
Instead, he’s fighting for equal representation in the sport of men’s netball and to get the sport introduced to the Olympics.
The Kelpies 4-0 clean sweep of New Zealand’s Net Blacks, which wrapped up on Wednesday night in Melbourne, will help.
“I’d love to see netball in the Olympics. That would help get our sport onto a global stage,” he told Central News.
“Many countries globally are working hard to build a netball program, such as the USA and many African nations.
“People would be amazed when they saw the athleticism and the skill that goes into the sport at the Olympics. So I hope that it gets there in eight years.”
Australian men’s sport is dominated by NRL, AFL, cricket and basketball, while women’s sport has successfully branched out from traditional pursuits such as netball, tennis and hockey, to cricket and football where the Southern Stars and Matildas have become household names.
The Kelpies right now can’t even wear the national coat of arms on their uniforms because the World Netball body does not recognise them.
That trend in women’s sport is now starting to be seen in men’s competitions and the Australian men’s netball team, the Aussie Kelpies, are riding the wave.
Three years ago, no one had heard of the Trans-Tasman Cup between the New Zealand and Australian men’s netball teams, but that changed when the Trans-Tasman Cup paired with the Aussie Diamonds Constellation Cup series broadcast live on Foxtel.
“The Trans-Tasman series between Australia and New Zealand has been going for 40 years,” said Nexhip, who was recently appointed assistant coach of the NSW Swifts.
“[But] 2022 was seen as a really big landmark year because it was the first time a men’s netball match between Australia and New Zealand was broadcast live on TV. It’s only four games a year that we get to represent our country, which is a little in terms of international representation.
“All of us work full time or study, so for us to be here, it’s a big choice to get granted the time off work and the financial commitment that comes with it.
“When you’ve seen the emergence of AFL and AFLW and NRL and NRLW, there’s no reason why netball can’t have the same thing happen regarding that dual product.”
Dylan Nexhip playing in the Trans Tasman Series. Photo with permission of Lauren Morgan Sport.
And, that dual product may be what netball needs to punch a ticket into the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
With World Netball petitioning the International Olympic Committee to include the sport, Britt Carter, ABC’s netball journalist said moving the men’s game further than a trans-Tasman series could help netball earn its debut.
“The Kelpies right now can’t even wear the national coat of arms on their uniforms because the World Netball body does not recognise them,” she said.
“We know netball desperately wants to get into the Olympic Games, and men’s netball can play a huge role. Something that needs to happen very soon is for Netball Australia to take control and ownership of the men’s game.
“Sure, there are fewer men’s teams of a competitive nature and at an elite level than there are women’s right now. But I don’t think that should stop them from starting.
“In the lead up to 2032, raising the profile of the men’s game is important because there’s a real gender equality nature to the Games now.”
Dylan Nexhip in the green and gold. Photo with permission of Lauren Morgan Sport.
But Nexhip and Carter were both clear that men’s netball isn’t trying to take over the women’s game.
Netball has empowered women to play sport since its creation in England in 1895 by schoolchildren.
Carter said men’s netball suffering similar conditions to women’s sports 10 years ago, had made her want to cover the game to promote an equality that can benefit the sport.
“I was listening to the coverage on Sky Sports of the first two games in New Zealand, and they were speaking about how the New Zealand team is paying about $6,000 just to be on tour,” she said.
“Cricket, rugby league and AFL have an all-white male cast and are trying to get more diversity.
“For a long time, netball was the only sport where women were celebrated on their own.
“And so they’re very aware of encroaching on that, but not trying to takeover.”
All photos taken by Lauren Morgan Sport.
