The new franchise will be based in Melbourne’s south-east,with its name and colours yet to be revealed.
SEN already owns four sports teams – all in basketball. They are the NBL’s Perth Wildcats,WNBL club Bendigo Spirit,the Otago Nuggets in the NZNBL and the Southern Hoiho in the NZWNBL,having had a quarter stake in the NBL’s Melbourne United,from 2018-21.
In a statement,Hutchison said:“We see an opportunity here to step up and ensure the Victorian netball community gets the second team it deserves.
“We believe firmly in the direction of the Netball Australia Board,its chief executive Kelly Ryan and the leadership team. ”
Netball Victoria had also submitted a bid for a second franchise,this to have been a hybrid club splitting time between Melbourne and regional areas,notably Ballarat and Bendigo. However,Super Netball’s broadcast deal with Foxtel stipulates the second Melbourne club must be based in the metropolitan area.
“However,we understood that a second metropolitan Melbourne team was preferred given the current broadcast terms,” NV said in a statement.