Kate Eddy's departure from Melbourne Vixens sparks fan backlash amid Super Netball roster overhaul

As the 2027 signing window comes to a close, it's clear great Australian talent will be missing from the Super Netball court next year.

Young shooter Lucy Austin is a dual premiership player and a Diamond. After making her international debut 10 months ago, she was not offered a contract.

Eight years toiling away on the fringe of selection finally paid off for Sharni Lambden in 2025. However, the lethal midcourter lasted just two seasons before being turfed out of the league.

Then there's the forced retirements of Em Mannix, Maddy Proud and Maddy Turner. Stalwarts of the game that have been squeezed out without a proper goodbye from fans. The former two are mothers that had only just returned from pregnancy and had more to give.

There have been some brutal calls made across the eight teams in pursuit of success. Yet nothing has quite rocked the fan base like the loss of Kate Eddy.

The beloved defender won multiple titles during her nine seasons of Super Netball and played a key role in getting the Melbourne Vixens to the past three consecutive grand finals.

Swinging across the wing defence and goal defence positions, Eddy is versatile and a workhorse. She's a team player, great for building culture off the court and the kind of glue that pieces a bunch of superstars together on court.

On Monday, a devastated Eddy revealed a "breakdown in communication" meant she'd not only missed out on the opportunity to recommit to the Vixens but on a Super Netball contract altogether.

Although she has secured a non-playing role with the club and could still be picked up as an injury or pregnancy replacement, this has been the final nail in the coffin for Vixens supporters after a series of confusing contracting decisions.

Following a milestone year where the club set a 10,000-membership record, accounting for more than 25 per cent of the league's total membership base, many are now seriously considering whether to renew.

What happened?

There are two very different version of events.

On Monday night, the club issued a member's email responding to backlash, clarifying their preference had been to keep Eddy and that they had offered her a contract, yet were unable to lock in a deal with her management in the timeframe required to finalise their playing list.

They thought Eddy was still assessing her options from rivals and said when the deadlines and subsequent extensions they had given were not met, and the pay increase requested would not fit within their salary cap, they "had no choice but to switch our attention to other players".

According to this side of the story, more than one offer was discussed with Eddy's agent. The club would not confirm whether it tried to contact Eddy directly during this time.

Agent Anthony Panozzo said he was acting on the basis that the negotiations were happening in good faith with five to six days still left for clubs to re-sign existing players and was not told the offer was first and final.

In his discussions, he said he was transparent that Eddy had zeroed in on the Vixens and the deadlines given were loosely timed or unreasonable. For instance, an email seen by ABC Sport sent on Tuesday, August 11 at 6:36pm asked for Eddy's acceptance or rejection "by tonight" without listing a definite time.

There was a challenging time difference as this took place while Eddy was on holiday in Hawaii. After speaking with his client, Panozzo said he countered the Vixens original offer the next morning — Wednesday August 12 at 9:23am — with a pay rise of 7.5 per cent.

Three hours later, the Vixens replied and took the contract off the table. Following that, staff could not be reached by phone despite Panozzo's various attempts.

On this side of the story, only one offer was received by the agent.

Although both insist there was no "breakdown in communication", it feels like an accurate assessment from Eddy regarding deadlines and expectations. Ultimately the athlete has got stuck in the crossfire and even if she managed to get to the bottom of it, the truth wouldn't bring the same peace of mind as a full-time playing contract.

The main question is how desperate were the Vixens to keep Eddy? Six players leaving indicates their team is looking to go in a different direction — they will basically have a brand new, younger and taller backline — and there was still plenty of time to re-sign an existing player when they swung the axe.

Official signings for non-existing players didn't open until August 17. There were also reports that Rudi Ellis too was offered a two-year deal before it was revoked, and that both she and Mannix had to call coach Di Honey to find out what was happening with their futures. Ellis has since moved to the NSW Swifts and Mannix has retired.

Previously, the club adhered to a quota of 70 per cent Victorian signings. For the past couple of years, they've been the only team made up of 100 per cent Australian talent. Having announced their final roster of 10 on Thursday, the number of Victorians has dropped from eight to three, while three New Zealand Silver Ferns imports will join the team.

The clean-out has been hard for fans to comprehend. Although the Vixens lost the grand final by a record margin, they still finished in the top two and won a title as recently as 2025.

"We need to ensure the Vixens remain competitive in a Super Netball competition where the standards keep getting higher each season," a statement provided to ABC Sport read.

"After finishing runners-up, we determined to look further afield to enhance key areas of our line-up, particularly to add height and versatility across the court.

"That view coincided with considerable interstate player movement, as well as rule changes in New Zealand that have opened access to world-class talent from across the Tasman.

"This will result in fewer Victorians in our squad this year, however, we remain fully committed to our Victorian pathways and nurturing and prioritising local talent."

Why has this happened?

The delay in finalising Super Netball's collective player agreement (CPA) didn't help. It pushed back the signing window to coincide with the end of the UK Superleague window and meant there were less contracts available in England to offer by the time Australian players were finding out they weren't going to be asked back.

The situation across the ditch is extremely dire. Due to the poor mismanagement by Netball New Zealand, it's likely their elite competition won't exist next year. This, as well as a change in Silver Ferns eligibility rules has led to an influx of Kiwi stars.

With an unlimited import rule, the international playing cohort in Super Netball rises from 20 to 24 (with Sydney Sirens still yet to announce half their team). It might not sound that much higher, but with only 80 full-time contracts on offer and an increase from eight to 12 Silver Ferns in the competition, it means you could sign an entire Kiwi team and still have a couple left over.

Plus, Netball Australia cancelled its plans to add more teams and expand, which would've opened up more opportunity for homegrown talent.

What happens now?

The club wellbeing leads will no longer hold the responsibility or have the capacity to check in on departing players, so the Australian Netball Players' Association (ANPA) will help them transition out of the game.

An exit meeting is held to offer support and run through the list of services they can access. Former Australian captain Nat von Bertouch as the ANPA Alumni and Diamonds wellbeing manager checks in frequently for the first two years before they join the past player pool that can contact her anytime. This group features athletes from way back to the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era of the 1990s and enables them to still feel connected to the sport.

Players automatically get a certificate of foundation coaching level and ANPA ensures they leave the clubs properly. Financial and legal advice can also be provided.

"Some people are keen to engage straight away, some are really hurt and lost and not sure where to start, so we are there to meet the athlete whenever they're ready," Von Bertouch said.

"Whether they've left on their own terms or not, people often are seeking connection and as a sport we haven't done that amazingly well, so it's nice that they can join a wider group of women that want to support one another."