Jamie-Lee Price thinks fake tan could solve a lot of netball's problems

Netball fan favourite is frustrated. This is what she wants to see change in her sportMBy Marnie Vinall Link copiedShareShare articleAfter a physically exhausting Super Netball game, Jamie-Lee Price sat in her car after arriving back at her home in Melbourne. She'd spent the almost 2-hour drive back from Bendigo after the loss to the Melbourne Vixens ruminating about all the missed opportunities in women's sports for growth. Still in her Melbourne Mavericks polo top, she got out her phone. "I just can't believe that fake tanning brands have not collabed or sponsored a netball team," she said in a TikTok. "I just feel like there is such a huge market and they're just missing out." Jamie-Lee Price moved over to the Melbourne Mavericks for the 2026 season. (ABC: Danielle Bonica) It was the weekend after the Formula One and a month after the Australian Open, which both saw record crowds in Melbourne. During those events, Price watched on knowing Super Netball and the national team had the potential to pull people in like those tournaments. "The way they've marketed things, they get influencers, they make it a fashion show and then everyone wants to go because it's cool to go there," Price tells ABC Sport. Super Netball has a loyal and dedicated supporter base. Last year, total attendances reached a record 386,455 fans across the entire season at an average of about 6,400 per game. This was a steady but slow increase from three years prior, where crowds were just over 5,000 per game in 2023. But Price wants to look at ways to bring the public into home-and-away-season games more regularly. "And as soon as someone goes to a game, you're like, 'Holy shit. I didn't realise how athletic and physical it was,'" she says. "Like, yes, until you come to a game, you're not going to know that … [so] how do we get those people that don't know much about games? "We have a huge fan base of netball supporters but how do we get the general public or other people coming to games and falling in love with our game?" Melbourne Mavericks pride themselves on doing things differently. (ABC: Danielle Bonica) Her frustration comes from knowing how good the product of netball is at the elite level and how successful it can be, if it just taps into a bit "more fun" and allows for greater self expression for players. "We've always done it 'this' way, which works and that's cool, but we're not keeping with the times," she says. "It's probably the fine line of yes, keeping the traditionalists happy, but also how do we keep evolving the game and all the experiences and the storytelling?" Price would love to see netballers be allowed to walk into stadiums in different outfits rather than club polos or dresses. Jamie-Lee Price wants to get more eyeballs on netball. (Getty: Graham Denholm) The WNBA has successfully crossed over into the fashion space where the players' pre-game looks are now an iconic part of the build-up, helping to attract different audiences. It is one of many sports to tap into big-name beauty and fashion brands. British beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury is the official partner of the F1 Academy, MECCA has hosted fan experiences at the Australian Grand Prix and Australian Open and the WNBA has deals with both cosmetic brand Glossier and Kim Kardashian's SKIMS. "The game [netball] itself and the product is amazing, but it's just the game day experiences, the merchandise, the sponsorships, the storytelling, all the little things that become big things," she says. "Especially moving to the Mavericks, where I think there's a huge emphasis on doing things differently." Sponsors have not always flocked to women's sport, or targeted female fans, but they are now realising the potential of reaching women, and embracing femininity in sport. As other women's sports continue to rise, internationally and here in Australia, she knows netball needs to evolve to keep up. The WNBA is about to enter its 30th season with an 11-year $US3.1 billion media rights deal that puts games on major networks and streaming services, and player maximum salaries hitting $US1.4 million. Meanwhile, the North American women's ice hockey league, the PWHL, recently sold out Madison Square Garden and Arsenal Women has sold out Arsenal Stadium four times as of May 2026. The Matildas hype from the 2023 Women's World Cup saw momentum through to this year's Women's Asian Cup, while AFLW and NRLW continue to grow and cricket maintains a strong interest. The surge of interest in other women's sports presents a new challenge to netball, which has long been the prime sport for women and girls in Australia. Jamie-Lee Price says moving to the Mavericks was a good refresh. (Getty: Kelly Defina) One of the main questions Netball Australia has long grappled with is how to convert netball players across the country, particularly young girls, into Super Netball fans and members. And there is increasing anxiety in corners of the netballing world

Jamie-Lee Price thinks fake tan could solve a lot of netball's problems

Key takeaways

More in international