A leading employment lawyer has urged Netball NZ to address player complaints swiftly so the coaching crisis doesn't drag on any longer.
A decision on whether Dame Noeline Taurua will be reinstated as Silver Ferns coach is still to be made, despite days of mediation between the world cup-winning coach and Netball NZ.
Dame Noeline was stood down as coach on September 10, with Netball NZ citing issues in the team's High Performance environment. That left New Zealand to play South Africa in the Taini Jamison series under interim coaches Yvette McCausland-Durie and Liana Leota.
Issues within the team had been brewing since a players' camp in January. A handful of players made complaints about Dame Noeline to the Players Association, with Netball NZ made aware of those complaints in early June. The exact nature of these complaints has not been made public.
The Silver Ferns were due to go into camp against next week to prepare for the four-test Constellation Cup against Australia. The first game was in Melbourne on October 17.
Andrew Scott-Howman, an experienced employment lawyer and workplace investigator, has worked across many cases in sport.
Athletes – in this instance the Silver Ferns – were employees of Netball NZ, a fact he said could be lost at times on the general public.
"My perception is some members of the public don't really appreciate what this employer is dealing with is no different to what an employer in the corporate sector or public sector would if allegations of bullying or harassment were made about a senior manager or a chief executive in a business," Scott-Howman told 1News.
"There is a positive obligation of the employer to get to the bottom of those allegations, either to see whether they are valid or not and to do the best they can in the interim to support both sides of the equation."
Questions have been raised over Netball NZ's handling of the matter, which remained unresolved after more than three weeks. Scott-Howman said delays were largely unhelpful when it comes to investigations.
"Acting swiftly is not only the best way to get your investigation done, but it's often the best way for your business or in this case your sport. The fact that issues are public now complicates the process that the employer might otherwise undertake."
1News understands several Silver Ferns have withdrawn their complaints following significant media coverage, although issues within the team and organisation aren't confined to the board room.
Dame Noeline’s future as the team’s coach remains unclear. (Source: 1News)
Sources close to the team say Grace Nweke's post-match speech in support of Dame Noeline caused division. Nweke used the words "we", rather than "I", as her teammates watched on.
An independent review into the team was conducted by Bryan Stronach. While Scott-Howman said that was sensible, if a resolution is not found, an investigation must be conducted to get to the bottom of the issue.
"The scary thing about that is it results in a binary outcome. Either the person who's been alleged of wrongdoing is found to have committed wrongdoing, or they are exonerated from that allegation.
"One way or another, there will be a certain outcome."
Dame Noeline has received plenty of public support since she was stood down, with former players and coaches backing her as the right person for the job. The Players Association, however, have remained silent.
Scott-Howman said the Players Association's approach did not surprise him as the process must be confidential.
"The integrity of the investigation has to be protected and, as an investigator, you want people to speak openly to you and not feel like their comments are going to be made public."
1News understands Netball NZ have an interim coach in mind if Dame Noeline is not reinstated before the Constellation Cup.
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