Anon
Years ago
After seeing that Jenni Screen and Jess Foley are retiring at the end of the season, if anyone does intend to take over the Lightning after Marino, they will find it hard to attract players!
Doubt Angela Marino will stay.
Maybe a fresh start, Marino on that team hurts more then she helps, take ill advised shots/etc.
They've shown this year if they can put 40mins together that they can challenge.
They need someone to step up with the $$$$ before you worry about if Marino is taking ill advised shots!
I expect a bunch of previously disgruntled players may now return. Especially point guards.
As long as they are able to stay alive, I think they could put together a really good team that is selected on merit and plays together in future.
Foley and Screen are retiring.
Hodges, Landford, Bunton, Mijovic, Sheer, Harrington will all want to play elsewhere for money cause the lightning under BSA wont pay.
Who are you going to get that will be competitive that will play for free?
Jack Toft
Years ago
I think the first thing is for someone to work out a business plan. I know that crowds will probably never match the NBL crowds, but I can't seem to find actual numbers. I hear anecdotal evidence that crowds have plummeted and you look at the crowds they do seem very low. How do they compare against other teams?
I think if you can't make the brand attractive then the crowd should follow, but firstly there needs to be a calculation on what the breakeven crowd number is.
The next step is sponsors. The Lightning seem to have very few.
For the Lightning to continue, someone needs to prepare a solid business plan that makes the team viable for 9/10 seasons, not 0/10 seasons, because the romantic thought of a rich millionaire pouring money into a black hole is not going to happen.
Break even for game night running cost is 1000 paying people.
The 36ers are struggling for sponsors, why would you sponsor the lightnnig with no TV and on crowd.
It is all chicken or the egg.
No success = no corwd = no sponsors.
No money = no players = no success.
It is fast becoming a league where few players are actually paid - either you do it because you love it and want to play at the top level here, but aren't good enough/don't want to play professionally overseas. With the occassional "marquee" type who gets paid. It's the only way it is viable for 1/3 of the teams - its pretty obvious when money spent is so much greater than money generated.
Anonymous
Years ago
Think a lot of the wnbl get paid to play it's more the amount in question.
Anonymous
Years ago
Sponsors are starting to some in for the Sixers now so not concerned at the moment. Just need that big stadium in the city now and they'll flourish. Keep saying they need to get in to bed with the Casino and turf out Tennis and take over Memorial Drive space. Bring in the Chinese and join forces with a Super Asianic league. Hotels, gambling for the Asian wealthy owning a sorting team is huge for them.
Nix 79
Years ago
Heard a rumour that the NAB has taken on the Lightning.....anyone heard anything about that?
Lightning need to get to out to all the metro clubs(not just Norwood, Sturt) and promote themselves.
Each of the Lightning players should be allocated to a club to attend junior girls training sessions on a regular basis. Or even play for the same club.
This would create visibility for the Lightning players and create awareness of the brand.
Look at the crowds at the Lightning games very few juniors.
If you asked most of the U10, U12 U 14 girls who plays for the Lightning most would not know anyone.
Why would they play for a district club when they can get paid more than the entire premier league cap playing seabl or qbl?
Peter
Years ago
Adelaide Lighting will not play in the 2015/16 WNBL season as no one will take over the club.
Anonymous
Years ago
Why doesn't BA do what the AFL have done and put a percentage of every person playing competitive basketbal into the finances of BA , even a dollar a year per person would be helpful., I know afl is way bigger than basketball but it's a start, and better promotion of the sport publicly
They do that. Every player has to be registered and that registration is split between the State Body and Basketball Australia.
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An Australian basketball forum covering NBL, WNBL, ABL, Juniors plus NBA, WNBA, NZ, Europe, etc | Forum time is: 3:03 am, Sat 20 Apr 2024 | Posts: 968,026 | Last 7 days: 754
