Hoop Dreamers Take Shot For Salvation

Newcastle Herald

Saturday November 8, 2008

BRETT KEEBLE

AUSTRALIAN basketball at the elite level has reached a crossroads after a steady decline in crowds, sponsors, television coverage and overall profile in recent years. Foundation club Brisbane and perennial powerhouse Sydney, who between them have won four of the past six National Basketball League championships, joined a growing scrap heap of extinct clubs last off-season, leaving just 10 teams competing for the 2008-09 title. The NBL and Basketball Australia are in the middle of a thorough review process and hope to launch a revamped, rebadged league next summer. Is there a place in the new-look league for Newcastle, the birthplace of the NBL? Herald sports reporter BRETT KEEBLE posed that question to NBL chief executive officer Chuck Harmison in the following one-on-one interview.

Newcastle Herald: Where are the NBL and Basketball Australia up to regarding the review into the future and format of a new elite men's national league?

Chuck Harmison: Stage Two of the review was delivered recently and outlined a comprehensive vision for the commercial restructure of Australian basketball. It is currently with the stakeholders (NBL teams and state bodies) for consideration and comment. It will be sent to a vote on November 8, when we believe the recommendations contained in the independent report will be embraced.

Herald: Are there any specific recommendations for an NBL competition reduced to eight teams, following the successful model of soccer's A-League?

Harmison: The report doesn't set a specific number of teams for the future but does recommend a minimum of eight teams in 2009-10. That means there could be more if there are potential licence holders that can satisfy the criteria to obtain a licence.

Herald: What are the specific criteria for potential franchise holders? There has been speculation potential licence or franchise holders will require a minimum of $1 million.

Harmison: There are some draft criteria being circulated with the teams currently, but these are still being discussed. Certainly there will be a requirement for any teams that will take part in the New NBL (that's not what it will actually be called) to show that they are financially sound and bank guarantees is obviously one way to do this. New teams will also need to pay a substantial licence fee.

Herald: Will preference be given to capital cities or existing NBL teams?

Harmison: Clearly, having a presence in Australia's largest markets is attractive, but ultimately the success or otherwise of licence applications for the New NBL will be judged against the final criteria established and as to whether the inclusion of a team from that city or region is in the best interests of the sport.

Herald: What are Newcastle's chances of inclusion in a new-look men's national league?

Harmison: At this stage it is impossible to say, however, there will be a level playing field and all licence applications will be judged on their own merits and against the published criteria.

Herald: Given Newcastle's historical links with the NBL, would the NBL or BA or the game's new governing body especially want a Newcastle team included in the new league?

Harmison: What the NBL and BA want is a league that has clubs who are financially stable to allow us to ensure that the showcase for domestic basketball in Australia can focus on achieving long-term strategic goals, rather than the current uncertainty that has surrounded us for the past few years.

Herald: Has there been any formal or informal contact from Newcastle or a Newcastle-based consortium inquiring about entry criteria for the new competition?

Harmison: None that I am aware of, but we won't be calling for licence application expressions of interest in joining the New NBL until later in the year.

Herald: The NBL has been through some well documented tough times, culminating in the demise of long-serving clubs such as the Sydney Kings, Brisbane Bullets and the near demise of the Wollongong Hawks; loss of free-to-air and a reduction of pay-TV coverage; drop in profile etc. Through all of that, the standard is as high as it has ever been, the NBL continues to produce emerging talent (eg: Brad Newley, Nathan Jawai), and the Boomers recorded some of their best-ever wins at the recent Beijing Olympic Games despite a poor start to the tournament. Do you think the new competition structure will give Australia's one-time "boom" sport the shot in the arm it needs?

Harmison: We believe it will remove some of the structural hindrances our current competition operates under and allow us to be far more competitive with the other major sporting codes. Basketball has participation numbers that are the envy of most other sports, so we hope to be able to finally leverage that potential fan base by reconnecting with the grass roots whilst also adopting a commercial model that will allow us to aggressively market ourselves, which is another area where we have not done so well over the past few years.

Australia continues to be ranked No.2 in the world by FIBA which is a great reflection on the level of basketball in Australia.

NEWCASTLE NBL TIME LINE

1979: NBL founded in Newcastle by Dr

John Raschke. One of 10 foundation

clubs in the invitational competition,

Falcons finish sixth with

8-10 win-loss record.

1983: Under coach Denis

Kibble, Falcons reach playoffs

for first time.

1984-85: Former

Falcons American

import Dave Ankeney

takes coaching reins

and keeps Falcons in

play-offs, progressing as

far as semi-finals in 1985.

1988: Controversial former

championship-winning

Adelaide coach Ken

Cole guides Falcons

back to play-offs

after three-year

absence.

1991: Cole sacked mid-season,

replaced by Tom Wisman. Falcons finish

last with 5-21 record.

1993: Under Wisman, Falcons

return to play-offs.

June 1998: Falcons celebrate

20th anniversary by naming

10 best players in All-Time

All-Star team: Butch Hays, Ian

Robilliard, Derek Rucker, Dave

Ankeney, Michael Johnson,

Ian Davies, Ben Melmeth,

Terry Dozier, George Morrow

and Reggie Smith.

August 1998: Falcons go

into voluntary administration

due to ongoing financial difficulty;

team finishes last with 9-21 record.

May 1999: NBL terminates

Falcons playing licence, ending

Newcastles involvement after 21

seasons.

March 2003: After four-year absence,

NBL poised for return to the Hunter as

Jeff Blandon and consortium secures

Canberra Cannons licence and transfers

it to Newcastle.

June 2003: Hunter Pirates launched as

Newcastles new NBL flagship.

October 2003: Pirates lose 105-77 to

Melbourne in NBL debut.

November 2003: Inaugural coach

Bruce Palmer sacked

after one win in 11

games.

December 2003:

Former Falcons and

championship-winning

Melbourne Tigers

enforcer David Simmons

appointed coach.

February 2004: Pirates

finish first year with a 2-

31 win-loss record, setting

new NBL record

for most losses in a

season.

March 2004: Former

Australian Boomers

mentor Dr Adrian

Hurley appointed

Pirates head coach.

February 2005:

Pirates make play-offs

with 15-17

record; import

Brian Wethers

wins NBL

MVP award.

March 2005:

SportsVision sells

Pirates franchise to

consortium of Hunter

businesspeople.

January 2006: New

ownership group

admits club could fold due

to lack of sponsorship and

crowd support.

February 2006: After reaching

play-offs for second straight

season, Pirates beaten 88-80

by Cairns in their last game;

Pirates fold due to debts of

almost $1million.

March 2006: NBL

announce transfer of

Pirates NBL licence to

Singapore.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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