Australia's leading netballers are most worried about financial security and fair pay - and most don't feel comfortable about raising issues with governing body Netball Australia.
The first anonymous player survey conducted by the Australian Netball Players' Association considered Super Netballers' thoughts on issues such as fertility, career transition, mental health and workload balance, as well as money.
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, minimum salaries will rise to $46,600 and the average salary to $86,500 by 2026.
By comparison, AFLW players' average salary will increase to $82,000 by the end of 2027. But the minimum salary for AFLW players has risen this year to $67,337, which is a large leap from netball.
According to the survey, which asked players to rank their key challenges, 69 per cent listed financial security as No.1, with a number of players requiring additional external employment.
"This remains the most pressing concern, reflecting ongoing issues around salary equity, job stability, cost of living pressures, and the need for supplementary income through work outside netball," the ANPA survey stated.
More than half of the players surveyed (56 per cent) stated scheduling and workload balance as their second biggest challenge - attempting to balance training, travel and games with work, study and a personal life.
The other top two challenges were career transition support post netball (47 per cent), and mental health and well-being (25 per cent).
"While fewer players listed this as a key challenge compared to other categories, it still reflects that one in four athletes experience wellbeing difficulties significant enough to impact performance or life satisfaction," the survey posits.
The survey also showed that 56 per cent of players accessed mental health support services in the past year.
While almost all players are comfortable raising concerns with their teammates or the ANPA, only 12 per cent said they were with Netball Australia (NA).
The governing body was accused earlier this year of mishandling a complaint against the Queensland Firebirds by former player Remi Kamo.
Kamo became the first Super Netball player to lodge an official complaint, accusing the club of bullying, gaslighting and an "unsafe environment" before her departure in mid-2024.
After a seven-month independent review, NA announced in March that Kamo's allegations "were not substantiated".
However Kamo was backed by the union, which claimed "key steps expected in a fair and thorough process may have been missed".
The survey also questioned players about reproductive health with 28 per cent reporting "anxiety", while 89 per cent would participate in a free fertility check.
"This demonstrates a high level of interest in reproductive health support and suggests that access to services like fertility testing could empower players with valuable information about their future options," the ANPA wrote.
The players' body said the results would guide targeted support strategies across the sport.
