Giants netball licence: Mounties Group deal could transform club
Discussions are continuing behind the scenes between current owners of the licence, Netball NSW and the Mounties Group about a change of hands, with the possibility that the deal could be done in time for the 2026 season.
Netball NSW last week confirmed it was 'exploring the proposal' of an external party about the club's Super Netball licence after an unsolicited approach, with the powerful Mounties Group later confirmed to be the body interested in taking over the club.
A preliminary case has already been presented at Netball Australia board level, with the national body needing to approve any licence transfer but there remain significant details to iron out before any deal goes ahead.
Sources confirmed to Code Sports that there was no timeline on the deal, with the possibility that it could linger into next season if that was the time needed to iron out the finer details in an agreement that could transform the Giants into a Super Netball powerhouse.
That's likely to work for both sides given any change is due to a genuine desire from Mounties to continue its investment in women's sport rather than any fire sale of the licence.
Code Sports has confirmed the Giants are not in any danger of falling over should the deal not proceed, with the club not under any financial pressure, or looking to be offloaded by Netball NSW.
The state body holds the licence for both the New South Wales Super Netball sides – the long-established Swifts and the Giants, who were formed ahead of the launch of the elite competition in 2017.
And moves to transfer the Giants licence have only come about because of the unexpected Mounties approach, with rumours of the demise of the club wide of the mark.
The body's annual report showed it made a small profit last year and while running a Super Netball club is no small undertaking, operating both the Swifts and Giants is something that Netball NSW is managing well financially.
In short, this is no Collingwood Magpies situation.
Player reviews and contracting for the 2026 season are ongoing and it's business as usual for all organisational operations.
Any change to the licence would need Netball Australia board approval but the Mounties approach is being seriously considered and Code Sports understands there is broad alignment on key terms.
The approach is being seen though as an opportunity for both the Giants and women's sport in the southwest Sydney region.
'Sport is one of the most powerful tools we have to improve lives and build communities,' Mounties Group CEO Dale Hunt said of the organisation with more than 280,000 members.
'We believe women's sport represents the next frontier for growth in Australia.
'Whether it's netball or rugby, or anything in between, we are committed to investing in women's sport with a long-term view.
'This is about more than sport. It's about community, representation, and building stronger futures.'
Mounties launched NSW Premier League club South West Mounties Magic in 2023 in a partnership between the group's health and wellbeing offering, Mounties Care and Liverpool City Netball Association, giving a pathway for players from U6 to state league in the southwest Sydney area.
And Mounties' ownership of the Giants would provide a seamless pathway to Super Netball level, as well as a growing supporter base, the thing the club has struggled for most in its first nine years in the competition.
While the GWS Giants are not owners, it's understood the AFL club is keen to remain involved with the Super Netball side after forming a strategic partnership with Netball NSW ahead of the foundation season in 2017.
The Giants lent their name, colours and logo to the new entity in a bid to help gain traction in a market in which Sydney rivals the Swifts already had significant roots and while the Mounties also have a strong brand, already holding a Netball NSW Premier League licence, with the South West Mounties Magic winning the premiership in 2024 in their inaugural season.
Mounties Group also has a partnership with the Canberra Raiders to support and grow women's rugby league pathways, with alignment between the Raiders' NRLW program and the Mounties' NSW Women's Premiership League team. Netball
Super Netball's eliminated teams must confront harsh truths about their failed campaigns. But there is a road back to the top. We assess what's next for the six teams to miss the grand final. Netball
From big-name recruits and runaway premiership favourites at the start of the year to a crushing prelim-final defeat, things turned very ugly for the Swifts. So how did it all fall apart?
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