Gina Rinehart Netball Australia row sees South Australian radio host Andrew Costello slam athletes

A radio host has verbally abused Australian netballers for ‘spitting in the face’ mining magnate Gina Rinehart for rejecting her $15 million sponsorship deal through her company, Hancock Prospecting.

The Diamonds refused to wear the company logo in support of Indigenous player Donnell Wallam, over racist comments by Ms Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock, about Aboriginal people four decades ago.

But South Australian radio host Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello – who hosts ‘South Aussie with Cosi’ – condemned the netballers’ decision in a furious social media post.

South Australian radio host Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello (pictured) taunted the players, saying they had ‘spit in the face’ of the billionaire heiress

“You’d think a group of ladies would embrace and welcome a successful businesswoman like Gina. Instead, they spat in her face,” he wrote.

Costello recalled how Ms. Rinehart had generously supported his charity, Cows for Cambodia, because of her “love of the livestock industry.”

“She helped us to the utmost. Never ask for anything in return,’ he said.

“She was kind enough to spend $15 million sponsoring this netball team. She didn’t have to. She chose to help them.’

Costello claimed the billionaire heiress would now find someone “more grateful to take her money” and that he felt sympathy for her because she only “wanted to help.”

“To the team members who are tired of it. You won. You’ve lost the sponsor. But at what cost to the rest of the team or the sport???? Time will tell,’ he continued.

Costello erroneously says that the reason the Diamonds opposed the sponsorship deal was because “a few (players) don’t like mining, so they crack the s***s.”

Costello supported Gina Rinehart (pictured right) and recalled how she generously supported his own charity

The feud started after native player Donnell Wallam (pictured) disagreed with wearing a uniform with the Hancock Prospecting logo over racist comments by Ms Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock

But the furore was sparked by a racist remark made by Rinehart’s father, Lang Hancock, in a 1984 television interview in which he suggested breeding “unacceptable” Aborigines by sterilizing them.

“Those who aren’t good to themselves and can’t accept things, the half-castes — and this is where most of the trouble comes in,” said Mr. Hancock in the 1984 documentary, “Can’t Be Fairer.”

“I would anesthetize the water so that they are sterile and would reproduce in the future and that would solve the problem.”

Mr Hancock, who died in 1992 at the age of 82, added that Indigenous Australians who had been ‘assimilated’ should be left alone.

Native netballer and Noongar wife Donnell Wallam refused to wear the uniform with the logo of Hancock’s mining company, Hancock Prospecting, which he founded in 1955.

Mrs. Wallam’s teammates gathered around her and also chose not to wear the uniform.

Ms. Rinehart then pulled the plug on her company’s massive sponsorship deal with the sport’s governing body over the weekend, accusing them of “virtue signaling” in a statement.

Lang Hancock, seen here with his wife Rose Porteous, gave an infamous TV interview proposing to sterilize native people who wouldn’t accept white “civilization.”

Ms Rinehart then accused Netball Australia of ‘virtue signaling’ and pulled the plug on its massive $15 million sponsorship deal on Saturday

Fox Sports reported that Ms Rinehart’s withdrawal has left Wallam “devastated”.

Meanwhile, Kathryn Harby-Williams, the CEO of the Netball Players Association, has revealed that Ms Wallam had actually planned to wear the logo jersey – because the pressure “became too much to bear.”

“In the end, Donnell sought an exemption for himself and it was not forthcoming because there was a meeting last week where it was made very clear that no exemption would be given to any of the players,” Ms. Harby-Williams told the ABC Tribune.

“And that was a disappointing moment because at the very least the players thought Donnell would get an exemption at that point.”

Wallam was then reportedly prepared to wear the logo on the jersey when she made her debut for the national netball team during their game against England.

“One of our First Nations players had conscientious objection to just three games and ended up requesting an exemption not to wear that logo,” Harby-Williams said.

‘There is a priority in other sports where exemptions are given. I had thought for Donnell and hoped that that exemption would be granted.’

“It got to the point where Donnell actually agreed to wear the dress and that was simply because the pressure was too much for her to wear and as a sport that should be very disappointing for everyone.”