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The Mobil Superleague, originally known as the Esso Superleague, was the top level national Australian netball league between 1985 and 1996. The league was Australia's first national netball league. It was organized by the All Australia Netball Association and featured the state league champions from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia plus a team from the Australian Institute of Sport. Between 1990 and 1996, the winners of the league were also awarded the Prime Minister's Cup and this is sometimes used as an alternative name for the competition. Its main sponsors were Esso and Mobil. In 1997 it was replaced by the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.

History

Format

The league initially featured the state league champions from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia plus an Australian Institute of Sport team. However on several occasions composite teams, including Sydney Tigers and Melbourne City were entered. Teams were permitted to "import" up to two players for the duration of the tournaments. This saw Shelley O'Donnell and Vicki Wilson play for Adelaide Contax and Simone McKinnis play for Adelaide Garville. During the history of the league, several formats were used. The 1985 and 1986 tournaments featured eight teams, divided into two groups or zones. Two teams from each group then qualified for semi-finals. The 1989 and 1990 seasons both featured six teams playing a single round of matches. The top two then qualified for the final. The 1991 and 1992 seasons each featured two divisions with three teams, both playing two rounds of matches. The three teams from Division 1 and the winners from Division 2 qualified for the semi-finals. By 1993 the competition had evolved into an eight team league with the top four qualifying for the semi-finals. This format remained in place for the final three seasons.

Esso Superleague

The Esso Superleague was formed in 1985 as a partnership between the All Australia Netball Association and the Australian Institute of Sport. The league was Australia's first national netball league. With a team coached by Wilma Shakespear and featuring Shelley Oates-Wilding and Vicki Wilson, AIS subsequently won the first two tournaments in 1985 and 1986. AIS also played in the 1987 and 1989 finals, losing to Melbourne Blues and Sydney Tigers respectively. Other AIS players from this era included Natalie Avellino, Sharon Finnan and Shelley O'Donnell.

Contax Garville rivalry

During the early 1990s, two of the most prominent teams in the league were Adelaide Contax and Adelaide Garville. Between 1986 and 1996, Contax and Garville contested every South Australia state league grand final. The rivalry saw the two clubs compete in nine consecutive state league grand finals, plus one controversial Mobil Super League grand final. With teams that included Kathryn Harby, Michelle Fielke and Julie Nykiel, a former Australia women's basketball international, Contax played in three successive grand finals between 1990 and 1992. In 1990 they lost to 52–42 to Melbourne City. Contax then lost out to Sydney Pulsars in both 1991 and 1992. Then in 1993 Garville, in their debut season, with a team coached by Patricia Mickan and featuring Natalie Avellino, Jenny Borlase and Michelle Fielke defeated Sydney Electricity 56–49 in the grand final and finished as champions.

In 1994 the two South Australia rivals met in the Mobil Super League grand final, with Contax winning the title after defeating Garville in controversial circumstances. A Contax team captained by Kathryn Harby and featuring Vicki Wilson and Tania Obst, took on a Garville team that again featured Avellino, Borlase and Fielke. Wilson was the top scorer and the closely fought match finish 47–47 at full time. However, Garville claimed they had actually won the match 48–46. It was alleged that during the third quarter, the official scorer accidentally gave one of Garville's goals to Contax. Despite protests from Garville, extra time was played and resulted in a 61–58 win for Contax.

Sydney dominance

Teams from Sydney and New South Wales won four titles. With a team coached by Anne Sargeant and featuring five Australia internationals – Nicole Cusack, Keeley Devery, Sue Kenny, Catriona Wagg and Lisa Wilson – Sydney Tigers won the 1989 title after defeating the Australian Institute of Sport 57–36 in the grand final. The final was attended by Bob Hawke, the Prime Minister of Australia. Tigers subsequently played the 1990 season as Sydney Panthers and finished in third place. During the 1991 and 1992 seasons they played as Sydney Pulsars and finished as champions after defeating Adelaide Contax in two successive grand finals. The 1993 season featured two Sydney teams, Sydney Pulsars and Sydney Electricity. With a team featuring Nicole Cusack, Keeley Devery, Sharon Finnan and Sue Kenny, Sydney Electricity finished as minor premiers and grand finalists. The 1994 season again saw two Sydney teams, this time Sydney Electricity and Sydney Cenovis Ku-ring-gai. The latter team featured a young Liz Ellis and were coached by Julie Fitzgerald. They later evolved into Sydney Swifts. With a team featuring Sharon Finnan and Joanne Morgan, Sydney Electricity were 1995 champions, defeating Melbourne Pumas 53–37 in the grand final. For the 1996 season Sydney Electricity became Sydney Energy and finished as minor premiers and grand finalists.

Melbourne

After Sydney, Melbourne were the league's most successful city, producing three winners. In 1987 Melbourne Blues won the title after defeating Australian Institute of Sport in the final. In 1990 Melbourne City, a composite team coached by Norma Plummer and featuring Roselee Jencke, Simone McKinnis and Shelley O'Donnell defeated Adelaide Contax 52–42 in the grand final. Melbourne City were also the first winners to receive the Prime Minister's Cup. Melbourne Pumas played in the final two grand finals, losing the first to Sydney Electricity and winning the second against Sydney Energy. In both finals, their starting seven included McKinnis, Janine Ilitch, Eloise Southby and Ingrid Dick.

1996 teams

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Grand finals

Esso Superleague

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Mobil Superleague

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Minor premierships

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Premiership winning coaches

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Main sponsors

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Notes

• ^1 Australian Institute of Sport played in the New South Wales State League.
• ^2 Melbourne Pumas also known as Melbourne Waverley Pumas.
• ^3 Queensland Mac-Attacks played the 1994 and 1995 seasons as Brisbane Downey Park.
• ^4 Sydney Energy played the 1993, 1994 and 1995 seasons as Sydney Electricity.

References

1. ^ "Esso/Mobil Superleague 1985-1996 (page 1)". netballscoop.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
2. ^ "Esso/Mobil Superleague 1985-1996 (page 2)". netballscoop.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
3. ^ "Esso/Mobil Superleague 1985-1996 (page 3)". netballscoop.com. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
4. "A History of Netball – Part 2 of 4". www.wispsports.com. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
5. ^ "Institute wins as a team". The Canberra Times. Vol. 59, no. 18, 172. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 1 July 1985. p. 28. Retrieved 29 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
6. ^ "1985 AIS Netball Program". Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
7. ^ "1986 AIS Netball Program". Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
8. ^ "1987 AIS Netball Program". Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
9. ^ "1989 Netball ESSO League Grand Final - SYD TIGERS vs AIS". www.youtube.com. 14 April 1989. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
10. ^ "1989 AIS Netball Program". Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2020.
11. ^ "1991 Netball Mobil Superleague Grand Final SYD PULSARS v ADEL CONTAX". www.youtube.com. 3 October 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
12. ^ "Club History". www.contax.net.au. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
13. ^ "60 Years of "Netball at its best!"" (PDF). www.contax.net.au. 5 August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 November 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
14. ^ "1993 Mobil Netball League Grand Final SYD Elecricity v ADEL Garville". www.youtube.com. 10 November 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
15. ^ "1994 Mobil Superleague Grand Final – Contax v Garville". netballscoop.com. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
16. ^ "1994 Mobil Netball Grand Final ADEL Contax v ADEL Garville". www.youtube.com. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
17. "2008 Annual Report - Netball Australia" (PDF). netball.com.au. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
18. "NSW Swifts: an unhappy history and a fresh start". www.theguardian.com. 20 February 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
19. "A true giant: Julie Fitzgerald set to coach 300th game". www.smh.com.au. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
20. ^ "Netball 1995 Mobil Superleague Grand Final SYD Energy vs MEL Pumas". www.youtube.com. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
21. ^ "Netball 1996 Mobil Superleague - Semi Final & Grand Final". www.youtube.com. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
22. "The Prime Minister's Cup awarded to the Mobil Super League Champions, 1991-96". Australian Sports Museum. australiansportsmuseum.org.au. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
23. "The case for commercial investment in women's sport" (PDF). www.womeninsport.org. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
24. "1996 AIS Netball Program". Clearinghouse for Sport. Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2020.

• Esso/Mobil Superleague
• Defunct netball leagues in Australia
• 1985 establishments in Australia
• 1996 disestablishments in Australia
• Sports leagues established in 1985
• Sports leagues disestablished in 1996