Dee Dee says she thought “someone was having a joke” when she was told Victorian taxpayers will be filling a $15 million black hole in Netball Australia’s budget.

Netball Australia found itself in a budget crisis after Hancock Prospecting backed out of its sponsorship deal after the players’ association backed Indigenous player Donnell Wallam who flagged issues with the company’s record on Indigenous matters dating back to offensive comments made by Lang Hancock 40 years ago.

With the state expected to record a $9.7 billion deficit in the 2022-23 financial year, Dee Dee says “we cannot afford this” new five-year state partnership with Netball Australia.

Press PLAY below to hear Dee Dee’s view on the sponsorship

“Suddenly, magically, Daniel Andrews pulls out of his pocket $15 million to promote Visit Victoria on the netballers uniforms,” the 3AW Afternoons host said.

“I would like to know where this money magically appeared from. Think of all the things we could be spending that money on, where it would be better spent – recruiting more police officers, improving our ambulance service, improving our hospitals.”

Under the deal, next year’s Super Netball Grand Final will be played in Victoria, the Diamonds will wear Visit Victoria logos on their uniforms, and they’ll play five test matches and hold their training camps in Victoria for three years.

Image (inset): Mark Evans/Getty Images