There have been some amazing crowds this season for abl, and it seems that as interest seems to be increasing in abl things seem to occur to halt its progress such as short season (18 games) and the salary cap....

Agreed splinter... lets make is a 27 game season and forget the salary cap. If clubs can put big names on the floor at this level, i say bring it on! I'll pay my $5 to go watch thats for damn sure.

The fact that everyone is hanging for a 27 game season is exactly why it should be 18 games. Get all the volunteers and crowds excited about a short season by not trying to have too many games and let the players have a break!

Do the players want a break? I know that some read and post here and they're welcome to respond anonymously.

For the majority, I'd guess that it's hardly a proposition that earns them money. It's for personal development and the love of the game. Is 18 games enough love, or would they want 27?

Surely 27 weeks is too long? I thought 18 weeks was just perfect this year. 27 games is a good idea, 9 double-headers?

Nine mid-week games? I like watching the games but Saturday night games clash with functions more often than not. There could be Wednesday night games here and there?

Libertine, it could be argued that 27 games is too long. I kind of agree. Remember though, i think the reserves season is 28 games! NOW THAT IS FAR TOO LONG, but it is reserves after all.

I hope the 27 game season comes into it. I know we started pre-season in November, and now that we are in nationals, we would be going for 10 months of training and playing, which does take it's toll on players mentally and physically. There are some players who view the silly season as just that, and choose not to play in it and only play ABL. If I remember correctly South didn't have 1 ABL player in their silly season team (Could be argued this is why they were so low on the table this year?). Another thing we have to consider is if we want the Sixers to play in our league, some thought has to go into the amount of time they have off. We can't have them playing for 12 months each year without rest.

If it was going to be 27 games, then we might be able to have some mid week games (during school holidays maybe?) and more double headers, and keep the season the same length in terms of months. That way pre-season might start in December or January, the season start in March like normal, and finishes in August / September. Only having 2 months off will take it's toll if players are forced to play in the silly season, and before you know it, the young guns are retiring because they have been burned out. I don't think any player in the ABL would prefer training over a game... There is a post on here about ABL players over 25, and it is right, there aren't many of us left.

So maybe still keep the season as long as it is, but add in some double headers, mid week games etc. If I remember on the previous forum there was an idea of having 2 games on the same court, for example:

Sunday afternoon, at Wayville, Sturt vs Southern and then North vs Forestville. Just like the way state league used to be played. That would have to pack out a stadium surely?

Mid week games would interrupt senior compettion (both district and social) too much. Considering things like social leagues are BASA's bread and butter (big income, little outlay), they wouldnt want to incovenience them too much more.

I know when I was reffing at The Dome on a Wednesday night, the program was continually interrupted by NBL and other functions.

Also, remember that the NBL season is only 33 games. The players in ABL get paid CONSIDERABLY less than NBL players, and we are asking them to train and play twice as long, whilsyt placing salary cap restrictions on what they can be paid?

Hands up if you would work twice as hard to be told your income will not increase, and quite possibly decrease?

To splinter and Black sheep, I cannot agree with your idea that the growth in interest in ABL has occurred in spite things occurring such as short season ans salary cap which "halt it's progress".

I say that the short season alone had the effect of heightening interest.

For one, the clubs - who rely on vulunteer labour to run an ABL game ere happy. The burden was not too high, and they put on a good show as a result.

For those that havent worked it out, basketball is also a numbers game. Simply, an 18 round competition will always be closer than an 27 round competition. For one the small gaps between clubs do not magnify as much as more and more games are played. also clubs with limited benches are not hit by fatigue and injury as much in a shorter season. It all works toward a closer season.

As far as the salary cap is concerned, I wholeheartedly support it - as long as there is a draft system in place. You only have to remembers back to that great final last year, to see the effect of evening out teams. As you will recall, this was not planned - but just a result of injury and players being withdrawn because of 6ers training requirements. Imagine what could be achieved if there was a system for all teams to access their fair share of talented players - an which limited the ability of one team to dominate. You only need to look at football to understand the benefit of this.

ABL is well placed to go ahead in leaps and bounds over the next few years, providing people get over the pettiness of club politics and get on with making decisions that benefit the competition as a whole.

Finally, crowds desert competitions that are lop-sided - fast - even if they support the stongest club. Who would be interested in a 10 club competition, dominated by 3 teams who win avery year. Not I, and,I suspect not most of those people who attended ABL this year and saw many fine contests and got value for their money.

Not twice as long: 9 extra games in the proposed ABL season. I think it could establish the ABL league a little more. Double-headers would be great for the crowds.

Hands up if you'd take Yogee's harder job since he doesn't want it? ;) There's an argument against reducing the talent in the competition, but I'm sure there's no shortage of up and coming players who'd relish some or more ABL minutes.

I have no concrete feeling either way on the issue and I'd consult with players if I were organising the league, but I'm sure players would rather play an extra game than train.

Players/Coaching staff can manage their injuries if they train midweek instead of play. IE in 02 a program I was in had a player that hardly trained midweek because he had a shoddy knee recon. a couple yrs before. He was an older, proven player and it was in everyones interest to give him the midweek off training as long as he did light running or something like that. Fact is if we were playing midweek as a paid player he would have had to play.

No one has posted the upside of having 27 or 36 games, I and just about every other poster can only see the downside. If people love basketball watching basketball that much maybe they should go and watch some resies or Div 1 juniors in the ABL off season.

instead with the shorter season u have cases where a player gets injured and miss the majority of the season because its over before they can heal properly.

Not denying that this would happen sometimes splinter... but the longer a season goes, the more injury management issues there are.

On balance, I still think an 18 round season is best for the fans, players, volunteers.

18 worked a charm this year, What I was saying that if it were moved to 27, then every team plays 9 double-headed weekends and 9 single-headed weekends.

Although I know the player incognito is talking about, and fair enough for some it would take some toll on the body. Perhaps then squad development and the money saved by enforcing the salary cap goes into developing juniors to fill these situations?

I think that 27 is far too long. I know from experience that even after an 18 game season players are ready for a break. Like someone said the support staff make a big commitment as it is now I think that it would be asking way too much of them if we extended the season. Our club started preseason in October and we are still going now. It is a huge tax on your time to play every weekend and your busy almost every night of the week training or working on your game. When you have silly season, preseason scratch matches and those of us lucky enough to make the finals the total of games gets to be around 40 for the year. That isn't including the people that play reserves as well as div 1. Keep it at 18 I say.

Heman. .

I agree Heman. I didn't say this in my above post but I meant to add that by having a 27 game season, we scrap the silly season. Another crazy thing is the 4-6 week break we have in between silly season grand final and ABL first game. Yes there are lots of volunteers that go into putting on a game. If we are having a salary cap then why not give the volunteers some money to help out? I dunno how much that would be but if you look at it now, in essence we play 27 games a year already (silly season included), so why not have the season 27 games and give everyone a bigger break at the end?