Netball NSW has hit out at Netball Australia for its “disappointing” approach to handing down more than $57,000 in fines for COVID-19 protocol breaches by the Giants and Swifts.

The state’s governing body was hit by the fines on Friday after an investigation found team managers had delayed reporting links to COVID-19 exposure sites.

Netball Australia found team managers failed to perform daily checks of new exposure sites announced by the Victorian government. As a result, the teams had travelled and trained with members of their party who had visited the sites. Upon realising the risk, it was immediately reported to Netball Australia.

Members of the Swifts’ travelling party were required to isolate for 14 days in Adelaide after being identified as close contacts of people who attended a tier one exposure site in Melbourne.

The Giants were delayed leaving Adelaide after the competition relocated to Queensland in July when it was discovered a number of players and staff had visited a tier one and tier two exposure site in Melbourne.

Netball NSW was fined $10,000 for the Swifts’ delay in reporting the exposure link, and $10,000, suspended for two years, for the Giants’ error. It was also ordered to pay $37,563 for the Giants’ additional flight costs to Queensland because of the delay.

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Although willing to pay the fines, Netball NSW said it was disappointed with how the decision was communicated.

Given both clubs moved up to five times across four states in 67 days, Netball NSW chief executive Tain Drinkwater said the mistake was due to human error at an exhausting time.