Australian captain Liz Watson has opened up on the daunting moment she stood in front of a packed media scrum at the peak of the Hancock sponsorship controversy and was “drilled” by reporters.
Watson was the first Diamond to front the media after Gina Rinehart pulled her family’s $15 million sponsorship from the sport over a disagreement regarding the Hancock logo on player dresses.
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Speaking on Fox Netball’s Off the Court, an emotional Bianca Chatfield heaped praise on the composure Watson showed as she had to “stand there and cop it” as the sponsorship controversy unfolded in October 2022.
“I remember you doing that press conference – it was the first time a player spoke and obviously as the captain that was your role, to walk out onto John Cain Arena, an empty stadium,” Chatfield said fighting back tears on Off The Court.
“You had the masses of media who don’t usually pay attention to our sport who were all there trying to drill you for every bit of information.
“My heart broke for you in that moment having to stand there and cop it.
“But you were amazing.
“It makes me emotional thinking about it. You were amazing.
“It was just the pressure, it was just too much.”
Watson herself took a moment as she shared that the sponsorship ordeal taught her about the “people that really support you and really want you to do well”.
“There was so much media there and I was like, I don’t know half of these people,” she laughed.
“And they are asking the same question, they kept going at it – it was an eye opening experience to see I guess how brutal some of the media can be.
“I just wanted to be there for the group (by fronting the media).
“We were very very united and wanted to win that Test match – which we did.”
Since that controversy, Watson has gone on to lead the Diamonds to a World Cup victory and admits she has her sights set on hanging around for the next World Cup to be held in Australia in 2027.
“I’d love to be there (in 2027),” Watson revealed.
“Our squad is very competitive at the moment.
“It’s healthy competition.
“Whether I’m there or not, in the captaincy or not, I want to be there because I’m performing on court as best I can.
“I don’t want to be crawling there – I want to enjoy it and be playing well.
“I think international netball is the tightest it’s ever been.
“It’s going to be incredibly intense.
“Whenever I finish I don’t want to think back and have any what ifs, or I wish I did that or I wish I didn’t do that. I want to finish really happy, really content with my career and where I am.”
But what does that future look like post-netball for Watson?
“One day I will finish and one day I will move back home,” she said.
“Home will always been there.
“It’s such a big part of your life – you’ve put so much into (netball). It’s funny it could just end and you don’t think about netball ever again.
“I don’t know where it will take me – I’m excited for that chapter. It’s coming closer.”
Catch a replay of the full Off the Court interview with Liz Watson on Kayo.
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