Why player power in sponsorships is dangerous for Australian sport

A time-honoured principle of Australian sport is that no individual is bigger than their sport. It’s a reflection of our national love of sport and our spirit of egalitarianism. The recent phenomenon of sports stars in elite teams rejecting or distancing themselves from national sponsors risks turning this principle on its head. Individual athletes seem to now have the power to decide who or what’s appropriate or inappropriate for a national team or entire sport. The team dynamic that is an integral part of team sport magnifies the risk. One player’s issue can quickly become one for the whole team, motivated by the noble urge to stand shoulder to shoulder, in the solidarity that is the essence of team success. Netball Australia has lost a major sponsor in Hancock Prospecting. Credit:Scott McNaughton While no one doubts the bona fides of the individuals, the validity of their personal concerns, or their genuine desire to advance the best interests of the game they love, it’s a poor development for sport, in multiple ways. Commercial sponsorships, even those focused just on the elite level as in cricket and netball, impact the financial competitiveness of entire sports, down to the grassroots. Grassroots sport made the elite athletes of today, so when they get to the top of their game, they in turn have – or should consider themselves to have – an absolute responsibility to do what they can to advance future investment in those grassroots. It’s the right thing for the tens of thousands of kids starting out who want and deserve the best possible opportunity in the sport. Which means maximising the sport’s revenue base, at all levels, and helping secure the financial future of the game.

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