Unlike ski ballet, solo synchronised swimming (yes, solo), and breakdancing, netball has never been an Olympic sport.

A bid to get one of Australia’s most popular women’s sports into the Brisbane Games hopes to change to that.

The campaign is backed by legend of game Liz Ellis, who feels the 2032 home Olympics provides the sport’s best shot for inclusion.

“The sport is flying, so now is the time to bid,” she told Ten News Plus.

Olympic host cities have the opportunity proposes new sports to be added to the program, for the International Olympic Committee to consider.

The IOC makes a decision after assessing the sport against certain criteria.

In the past, sports were judged on the cost and complexity they would impose the host city, including whether they could be played in existing venues.

They had to be well-regulated, anti-doping compliant and have global appeal, meaning played in at least 75 countries by men, 40 by women and across three continents.

The requirement for aspiring sports to promote gender equality might prove to be a hurdle for netball, which is traditionally a female sport, according to critics.

However, Ellis said netball could do “the heavy lifting” for gender equality across the games – bringing up the number of female athletes and officials.

English Rose and Sydney Swift MVP Helen Housby shut down suggestions the sport should be excluded for its lack of men.

“I’m not sure we’ve ever said that about a male sport and questioned whether enough women play a sport for it to be included or for it to be relevant globally,” she said.

The Brisbane Olympics is expected to announce which sports will be in its program, with existing sports potentially facing the axe under an IOC review.