Barnaby Joyce slams netballers for losing Hancock Prospecting deal over racist comments

Barnaby Joyce has become the latest voice to criticize Australia’s elite netballers for losing a $15 million sponsorship deal with Hancock Prospecting, while a radio host describes the ongoing saga as a ‘classic affair, wake up, break down’.

The Nationals MP told Sunrise that players should say “thank you” for the money instead of turning it down after the mining company ended the lucrative partnership.

“How about saying thank you instead of I don’t want (the money)?” said Mr. Joyce.

“You have $15 million of someone else’s money that was given to you… Now the money is gone, guess what, we don’t have the money to pay our players and to handle the financial situation Netball Australia is in.” cover. in.

“People are coming out now, like the Australian women’s wave saying, ‘We’ll take the money. There are many other causes and military returns and military returns and women’s sports that say we’ll have the money.

“They have to realize that if you don’t make the money, you have to be very, very careful with the person you offer the money, or you won’t get the money.

“If you know someone with $15 million in the top drawer, tell us where they are. It was insane what they did, very foolish.’

The $15 million deal was terminated Saturday after the Diamonds assisted their teammate Donnell Wallam, a proud Aboriginal woman, after she refused to wear the Hancock Prospecting logo on her uniform.

Her decision was prompted by racist comments by Lang Hancock, Gina Rinehart’s father, during a live television interview nearly four decades ago.

“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 1984.

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

Hancock Prospecting ended the $15 million deal on Saturday after the Diamonds stood by the decision of their teammate Donnell Wallam, a proud Aboriginal woman, to refuse to wear the Hancock Prospecting logo on her uniform (photo, Gina Rinehart in 2018)

2GB Radio host Jim Wilson called the netballers “selfish” and “property.”

“Seriously, these athletes are so terribly selfish,” the host said Monday.

“This is a classic case of go wake up, you’re going to break.”

Mr Wilson said the players had overstepped the mark by putting their personal interests before the team and the sport.

“My blood is going to boil,” he said.

You can’t pin the comments of Gina Rinehart’s late father, Lang Hancock, decades ago as a reason to protest the multimillionaire sponsorship of your sport.

“Sponsors are hard to come by and who knows how long it will take for Netball Australia to land a similar deal.

‘Are they thinking about the future of the sport? Are they thinking of track programs? Because their self-centered virtue signaling, their wakefulness, netball only cost $15 million.”

The lucrative deal appeared to be a lifeline after Netball Australia suffered losses of more than $7 million in two Covid-hit years.

Donnell Wallam (pictured) is an Aboriginal woman and member of the Diamonds team

In a statement on Saturday, Hancock unleashed Prospecting on Netball Australia.

“Hancock and its executive chair, Ms. Rinehart, believe that there is no need for sports organizations to be used as vehicles for social or political ends,” it said.

“First, because sport is at its best when it is focused on good and fair competition, with dedicated athletes striving for excellence to make their sporting dreams come true and represent our country at their best.”

“Second, because there are more focused and sincere ways to advance social or political causes without virtue signaling or for self-promotion.”

West Coast Fever CEO Simone Hansen said Australia’s elite netball players should be better informed about the value of sponsorship after her club suffered ‘collateral damage’ as a result of a lucrative $15 million deal.

Elite Australian netball players have been criticized for handling the $15 million Lancock Prospecting deal (photo, Jo Weston and Kate Maloney at a 2019 netball match)

The netball boss said her team is “highly dependent” on the success of the mining industry after losing their $2 million deal with Roy Hill, of which Hancock Prospecting is the majority shareholder, in the divorce from Netball Australia.

Ms Hansen has since attacked the players responsible for the deal ending, telling them ‘Money doesn’t grow on trees’.

“Our players and our playgroup were and remain 100 percent behind the partnership we had with Roy Hill,” she told ABC Radio.

‘I wish there was (other companies throw money at korfball). It is difficult.

Money doesn’t grow on trees. We have to go out there and work hard and build relationships and make companies see the value of women’s sports and especially korfball – it’s not an easy task.’