G.W. Bush
Years ago

Brisbane Spartans NBL bid

Brisbane bid team are putting in an application for a licence. Headed by the chairman of the Spartans, if successful a 6,500 seat stadium to be built at Carina and will be offered to the logan thunder to become the home of SEQ basketball. Oh also they wont be known as the bullets but the Brisbane Spartans. Shane Heal has been approached as coach and Roger Smith to play a key role as well.

Topic #34470 | Report this topic


phillip  
Years ago

I support this bid but wish they can do better than sign the peroxide hair ego coach heal

Reply #474517 | Report this post


NBL Fan  
Years ago

Sorry but I'm not a fan of the Brisbane Spartans name. The 6,500 seat stadium sounds good though. Who will fund it? Government probably won't. But good to see their is work being done.

Reply #474519 | Report this post


NBL Fan  
Years ago

Also personally I wouldn't like to see the team based in Logan or Ipswitch which has been discussed recently.

Reply #474520 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

News report about this:
https://au.news.yahoo.com/qld/video/watch/23577184/basketball-returning-to-brisbane/

Reply #474521 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

From an ABC article:

"I think Shane is a really good choice to have in basketball and to bring to Brisbane," Spartans chairman Jarrod Sierocki said.

"Obviosuly he's been very successful in Brisbane before, I think its very, very imperative that we get someone of the calibre of Shane Heal, being an ex-NBA star and Olympian."

Reply #474523 | Report this post


KET  
Years ago

Bullets name is obviously preferable, but in the end, if they can get a team, called the Spartans who are in a quality stadium with reasonable funds, can compete and establish themselves for a long time and can market and attract solid crowds, then it doesn't matter whether they're called the Brisbane Spartans or Bullets.

Reply #474524 | Report this post


KET  
Years ago

Although it'd be great if Heal wasn't coaching them. Was he a good player? Yes, he was a great player. Is he a good coach? South Dragons/Gold Coast/Sydney shows he's really not terrific, he's not Marty Clarke bad, but he's not all that good either.

Reply #474525 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I'd like to see Pero Cameron (who I think lives in the Gold Coast while coaching in NZ) be given a chance coaching in the NBL.

As a guy who hasn't heard of the Spartans before today, could someone enlighten me as to their basic info (current league, stadium size, best players)?

Also, I was pretty pleased to see quite a few news outlets reporting this info. It shows that basketball is, step-by-step, returning to relevancy.

Reply #474533 | Report this post


HO  
Years ago

@533, it could also show its a quiet news day.

Reply #474534 | Report this post


phillip  
Years ago

Spartans currently play seabl so have an established club culture and member base. A good thing!

Reply #474537 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Heal is a dreadful coach more interested in himself than the team. If Brisbane wants him, good luck dealing with all the crap that comes with him.

Reply #474538 | Report this post


jimmy needles  
Years ago

A quick Google search reveals the club's chairman, Jarrod Sierocki, last year sued said search engine for defamation involving various comments about his business conducts. He owns a company that offers insolvency services. I'd make a comment along the lines of where there's smoke there's fire but I'd probably get sued too.

That aside, I'd much rather see the return of the Bullets to the NBL. It's a historic brand that people identify with. Playing out of Carina seems reprehensible to me.

However, Brisbane needs a team. We all know that. If this is the only way we can get a credible club back playing in the third biggest market in the country than so be it.

Reply #474539 | Report this post


Wilson Sting  
Years ago

I don't mind the name Spartans, not sure how they'd go filling a 6500 seat stadium regularly at Carina though.

Rather than Heal I think a better option would be to give someone like Mick Downer (current assistant with Cairns and local Brisbane product) a chance to build his own team and culture.

Either way, good to hear something positive about the Brisbane bid.

Reply #474546 | Report this post


NBL Fan  
Years ago

The Stadium at Carina will supposedly have a 4 story car park which makes it a much better option than the Tennis centre. Will the Spartans take any of the Bullets history?

Anyway I have leant not to get excited about these things because they hardly ever work out.

Reply #474550 | Report this post


Grinder  
Years ago

Why on earth would the Spartans want to be losing money in the NBL? Even if it is a separate entity than the Southern District Spartans, they have to be prepared to lose money. The CEO obviously knows nothing about basketball or due diligence in finding a coach - Heal? Seriously?

Reply #474551 | Report this post


PlaymakerMo  
Years ago

Well said, KET.

Exciting times for Brisbane. Hopefully they can secure the appropriate financial backing.

Reply #474552 | Report this post


HO  
Years ago

Haven't the Spartans been down this route before and it all turned to dust?

Reply #474553 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Absolutely, if someone tried something similar once and it didn't work it can never be tried again.

Reply #474555 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

Just what Brisbane needs: another stadium in the sticks that will go unused 90% of the year...

Reply #474557 | Report this post


Wildcat Fan  
Years ago

Regarding the Bullets name and history - I guess people living in Brisbane would have a better idea of how important the Bullets name is, and it certainly was big in the 90's, however this city has struggled to get a team up and going for years now. Maybe this is a case of starting fresh with a new identity would be for the best as any new form of the Bullets just couldn't seem to get it going in the past.

Besides, the last few years of the Bullets existence was pretty much dead anyway with terrible crowds, even though they won a title in 2007. So the Bullets didn't appear to be relevant for years even before they folded.

I like the enthusiasm shown with this latest development, including talk of a new stadium. Hope its not pie in the sky dreaming and that something is actually going to happen. The NBL desperately needs more teams being successful, for the league to be successful - especially in bigger markets if they hope to get another TV deal, and return some sort of presence in mainstream media.

Reply #474560 | Report this post


YOLO  
Years ago

Eddy Groves still owns the IP attached to the Bullets

Reply #474561 | Report this post


dave  
Years ago

Does anyone see irony between said chairman and potential coach.

Reply #474566 | Report this post


Upfront  
Years ago

This CEO hasn't bothered calling the Kings, Dragons, Owen Tomlinson (Ex-Blaze)on Heal. He certainly doesn't know of Heal's history while with the Bullets. They have a kindred spirit with insolvency. If this guy is serious about attracting talent to this franchise and looking for someone who has served Brisbane proudly and accomplished far more than Heal, why not tap Leroy Loggins on the shoulder.

Reply #474570 | Report this post


The TRuth  
Years ago

Upfront, you're 100% right about heal as a head coach. Nut it's commonly known around Brisbane that leeroy just doesn't have what it takes as a head coach. If they're going to be a community club they need a coach who will relate well to the grass roots & is willing to grind away for a few years, ala dennis in townsville. You're not going to attract talent to play in Brisbane with heal or loggins as head coach each for very different reasons! There really isn't anyone in Brisbane worthy of the position but someone like a muck downer or Ian stacker (strong links to lots of young Aussie talent) could be the answer....

This group tied to the Spartans has been trying to get this off the ground for a while & has failed numerous times already to come up with the business model to prove it is sustainable. Pretty sure they will try & play out of chandler until this pipe dream stadium is completed. Do they even own the land to build it on? Would be a couple of million worth of land in that part of town.

Time will tell.

Reply #474577 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

re: the name - I live in Brisbane and have supported the Bullets since I started playing basketball when I was 8. I would like the team to be known as the Bullets.

Even if Eddy Groves owns the IP attached to the Bullets' name, I don't see him standing in the way of someone else using the name (nor is he in the position to complain about it). Despite his business issues, he is a passionate basketball fan.

I am not one for "starting a fresh", especially in apparently the 3rd largest basketball market in Australia. The 30 years of Bullets history gets lost if we start all over again and you end up alienating most of the Brisbane basketball community. As an example, how would Wildcat or Hawk fans feel if Perth (most successful club) or Wollongong (longest running club) folded and when they came back, the name was different? They would be livid and so they should!

We aren't Melbourne's "2nd team", that folds and then reappears as a completely new franchise each time. I think it is actually disrespectful to all those involved in the Bullets' past.

The name isn't the hurdle stopping us from having a team back, so it should stay "Brisbane Bullets". Just like when Sydney came back, they were called the Kings. This helped them retain their history and loyal fanbase.

Reply #474579 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

NBL are handing out business plans to potential licence holders and Brisbane aren't one of them.

Reply #474580 | Report this post


Steven  
Years ago

It's hard to imagine them not being called the Bullets. Even though they've been out of the NBL a few years now most of us are familiar with their history.
I would like to think there are better coaching options than Shane Heal.

Reply #474592 | Report this post


NBL Fan  
Years ago

Originally I believe Joey Wright was the candidate for the Brisbane job and he was waiting for the team to get off the ground. He then grew inpatient and went to Adelaide. Possibly at the end of his contract he could return to Brisbane.

Reply #474594 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Who really cares about the name. Focus on a Brissie team getting back into the NBL surely.

Reply #474602 | Report this post


Maxymoo  
Years ago

Spartans, Bullets - would just love to have a team in Brisbane.

Reply #474605 | Report this post


NBL Fan  
Years ago

What is the capacity of Chandler Arena? I think its only around 2,700 and the location isn't great. Not sure if it's sustainable.

Reply #474625 | Report this post


Pauly B  
Years ago

I thought Logan Thunder handed back their WNBL license? Can't see them being a tenant of a new stadium after that.

Reply #474641 | Report this post


Matthew  
Years ago

Isnt the issue with Brisbane is that there just isnt any empty space in the Heart of Brisbane (Ie the CBD) to put such a Stadium. Its all been developed.

Id prefer to have a team in Brisbane than not at all. And there are far worse names than Spartans.

Reply #474777 | Report this post


Wildcat Fan  
Years ago

I certainly hope that if the team isn't called the Bullets, then so called fanatical supporters don't boycott or decide not to support the new team simply because the name isn't the Bullets. You would think Brisbane supporters would be glad just to have a team to support again.

To be honest, if the Wildcats folded and then came back 7 years later, it wouldn't bother me if they had a new name, though some acknowledgement to their past history would be appreciated.

Brisbane Bullets just aren't traditional enough in my opinion to care too much about the name. 25 years of history where the last decade of their history were not great isn't that much in the scheme of things.

Reply #474793 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

We need more teams in NBL and wnbl to make it more competitive and give more opportunities to Aussie players so any team is a bonus no natter what they call themselves.

Reply #474803 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

What people don't seem to understand, is that this isn't the Brisbane team we have all been waiting for, and it does matter what the name is. This is the Southern District Spartans...a club that already exists in the second tier. A district club that isn't interested in representing the city. If a new team came in to replace the Bullets I would consider supporting it. This is a totally different team that already exists, albeit in a different competition.

I will be boycotting it. Bring back the Brisbane Bullets.....tradition, history, instant recognition. Build new fans whilst bringing back the old ones.

Reply #474952 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Needs to be called Bullets. Groves won't be greedy like McPeake in regards to intellectual property you would think?

Also stadium in CBD, not out in the sticks. Use Convention Centre and bargain for better rent, don't use it as an excuse as the netball team manage to play out of there and they turnover way less.

Reply #475116 | Report this post


maxymoo  
Years ago

Go the Brisbane Tigers!

Reply #475118 | Report this post


Bear  
Years ago

Aaaahhhh @maxymoo, that is kind of ironic, funny, but ironic!

Reply #475131 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

The NBL say they've had no contact from any Brisbane Spartans group...

Neill said he found a recent television report and newspaper coverage of an NBL bid by Brisbane Spartans to be "bizarre".

“We have had no contact at all with any Brisbane Spartans group - none,” he said.

“It's quite bizarre.”

Reply #475538 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Don't tell me G.W.Bush has been exposed as a liar, again?

Reply #475539 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

needs to be Bullets

Reply #475721 | Report this post


MC  
Years ago

The team must be called Bullets. Why start from scratch? It will be hard enough to keep the team viable so why alienate long time Bullets fans? Speaking of alienation...whilst not as spiteful as the Tigers association accepting the Spartans will be doing the exact same thing. People who don't like the Spartans won't support them in the NBL.

Reply #476839 | Report this post




You need to be a registered user to post from this location. Register here.



Close ads
Serio: Tourism photography and videography
Little Streaks - The fun and interactive good-habits app designed especially for kids.

Advertise on Hoops to a very focused, local and sports-keen audience. Email for rates and options.

Recent Posts



.


An Australian basketball forum covering NBL, WNBL, ABL, Juniors plus NBA, WNBA, NZ, Europe, etc | Forum time is: 10:18 pm, Tue 19 Mar 2024 | Posts: 968,026 | Last 7 days: 754