Kurt has been quiet since he did "Tango and Cash" with Stallone.

From what i've heard Kurt will be moving back in December I think it is and yes he has re signed. Dan from what I know has not moved down there 'yet' and I know if he did decide to the Pioneers would love to have him play there!

Rumour is that they are spending big to buy a team to make an immediate impact. A heap of dollars apparently to splash around and earmarked $40k plus of sponsor dollars to getting two imports is the word. Probably is the way to keep sponsors on board, as rebuilding takes time, patience and work.

Hate to be sceptical but after last season are we just going to see more players who breeze into town, clock up some stats and leave at the end of the season?

Let's hope that the promises of developing local players is not just talk.

Kurt back in town and he is on the pioneers want list apparently.

Penguins? I know it would be great to live an imaginary world were great players are just falling at your feet, but let's get real...they don't! Name some of the local players who you have earmarked as potential players for next season who could contribute in the SEABL??? Once you've sat there for a couple of hours without putting pen to paper you will realise that recruiting from out of town is unfortunately a MUST! And unfortunately players who come from out of town, normally end up going back home sooner than later. The most you will generally get is two or three years before they decide to move on, unless exceptional circumstances occur. Being the town located smack bang in between Melbourne and Adelaide this will always occur unless BIG dollars are paid, and that is not sustainable.
Every Haley's comet there may be an influx of good local players, but with the standard of competition around interstate, they aren't always going to be able to compete. The other side is that local players who are any good, normally end up heading to Adelaide as a junior to play at a decent level.
I think recruiting from Adelaide or Melbourne is the only way to go. Other than that, look at players who are playing or are from Regional centres so that when they get to the Mount they know what the country life is all about.

Last I heard Kurt was in town for a week and noone from Pioneers even bothered to speak to him.
Must have him banked as a certainty if that's the case.
There is the possibility of developing players but unfortunately a few locals believe too much of their own hype.
They all want to save themselves for the elusive US College scholarship, when they should be getting serious minutes in SEABL and hopefully moving on to NBL and getting noticed that way.
That requires years of hard work which I have my doubts as to whether too many locals are prepared for.
The Town has a lot to offer interstate players and apart from what you read here is a generally friendly place.
Compared to other SEABL teams except Canberra the turnover isn't that great.

Panther no argument from me,I agree completely with what you are saying.

But I question the value of spending big on an import or two who are talked into coming to the Mount on a promise of a season to pad their stats and the opportunity to try out for the NBL. This is the disaster that was last season. Pioneers need players that are going to at least be around for 2 plus seasons.

OK in imaginary land - could the money not be better utilised promoting Aussie talent that will want to stay in the community, which is a great community?

OK spend a dollar and get a quality NBL player as a drawcard, pay them the extra dollars to run one on one sessions with all players to improve their weaknesses, build on their strengths and even the most seasoned player has these needs!
Players will respect this effort and club commitment and team gel will follow.

As for local borns in the SE talent pool that have the potential, there are some but with the ability to step up and play big minutes in season one, probably noone. But for a place off the bench, with good training/ development there are probably 3 - 4 players and then in season 2 or 3 could be big contributors if they want to learn and have the hours put in by the coach to teach them.
But college and bright lights beckon and why not, they are young, could have the experience of a lifetime and then be attracted back to the Mount if they don't hit the big time.

Bottom line, IMO it is all about looking after the players you recruit, working with them to make them better players and by giving to them, they will give back in return. Imports at big dollars are not the only way to build a team.

Lots money to splash around?? It was only 2 years ago that the club admitted to owing 40K. Does anyone really think that in two years the club - who finished bottom both years - has been able to clear itself of those debts?? Are we really confident that ALL of last years sponsors, and new ones are signing on??

At this point what does the club have to offer sponsors? A coach with no coaching experience, and not a player's signature in sight!

If the club tells us that Kurt 'is as good as signed' that can only be interpreted as he hasn't signed at all!

Penguins it's way too late to sign an Aussie restricted at this stage, they are all signed up before the NBL season starts normally.
You are right that aussies are a lot cheaper than imports, even if you pay them the same per game, the associated expenses of international flights, immigration and accommodation issues make the restricteds attractive. But you have to get in early.
In the past teams (in other parts of the league)have left sponsorship money surplus to recruit players pre the next season. The Pioneers debt situation was brought on by using next years sponsorship to pay last years debts which meant recruiting was from a shallow pool.
Hopefully the board has learned to budget better, maybe sponsors could be approached earlier as well.

From what I know they have got some great sponsors on board this year already, who will help the club financially. This is only going to help Ray's chances of recruiting and maybe with the help of the board and the former coach they will give recruiting a better crack than last season.
The town is fantastic and I have spoken to numerous players recommending they go down there and give it a shot. I think any player who is on the brink or feels they should be sitting on an NBL bench but can't crack the sixers should go down to the mount and get a bit more exposure in the eastern states and play agaisnt some really good quality opposition.
It's a great lifestyle and an experience I would also suggest players try. The team and the organisation are a lot more professional than a lot of the clubs in SA and gives you a better insight as to what you have to do to achieve at a higher level.

Oh and on Kurt, Kurt has bought a house in the Mount with his partner who is a local girl and knowing Kurt, he will definitely be playing for the Pioneers next season, you can take my word on that!

I have no doubt that Kurt will be wearing a Pioneers singlet in season 08, however according to members of the board, he has been 'a done deal' before he was even issued with a contract!!

It's like the coaching appointments, the assistant coach (yet to be officially named) was telling all that he was the assistant coach before the Head Coach was interviewed!!

Loose lips ....... sinks ships!!

Tuck,
You are pathetic.

Also, my comments previously are uninformed.
I would like to apologise for making ridiculous statements that are not true and wish Ray all the best for next season.
Thankyou
Dog 93

Heard the Pioneers have offered Kym Hammond the Assistant Coach's position as well as a Development Coach position.
He has knocked them back.
Seems like a bit of a kick in the guts for someone that has been the Assistant Coach for 6 years and coached for many more to now be an assistant to someone with a lot less experience!
Also how can someone with NO coaching experience run an ABA program?
Just very interesting.
Other than that good luck to Ray. He is good guy.

Sorry, I was not sure on the details about Kym Hammond.
I probably shouldn't speak on behalf of Kym.
Also, lets all give the Pioneers a go before judgement is made.
Please accept my apology for making negative comments.
Go Pioneers !!!!!!

Heard a rumour that Rick Castle was one of the applicants? If there is any truth in it, you hope that the board are 200% confident with their decision to appoint an inexperienced coach.

Ray is too good a person to be thrown to the wolves. You have to ask how much pulling power Scotty had in offering his sponsorship based on who was coaching, I'd like to think none but.

But they now have the dollars to allow Ray to buy in a team and for the community I hope it is successful long term.

The senseless recruiting continues with the latest news being that coach Ray has told Chris Mason he doesn't want him as part of his team. What is he thinking?? I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't want a player who is willing to give everything everytime he hits the floor not to be a member of your team.

Mason is a big reason the crowd continued to turn up to games even when the team was losing.

Has the club thought of the supporters and sponsors that will be bitterly disapointed to hear that Mason is not wanted? If the club loses sponsors, the club loses money, wouldn't have thought they would want that!

Can confirm that yesterday Mason informed the U16 girls town team that he coaches that he has had to pull out of his coaching commitments because he has to leave the Mount if he wants to play SEABL again.

That is down to 1 local left on the squad out of last years 7.

I hope all that asked for the fans to give this guy a chance take a serious look at themselves now.

I know of two sponsors and possibly a 3rd 1 of which is a significant contributor who will be reveiwing their sponsorship now, in light of the way this group is treating locals.
As for the 4 that have signed good luck guys you'll need every bit of it.

Former Fan, how can you say that Mason is a local? He has been down there for two or so years now but is not from the area and was living and playing in the Eastern part of Mt Barker. Sedlock is more of a local than Mason! I wouldn't go jumping to any conclusions either, you don't know why this decision has come about. Maybe Mason was offered less court time or less money and both parties couldn't come to an agreement, you just don't know. I think Mason was playing probably playing more minutes than expected anyway, so would realistically have only been offered a leeser role due to potential recruits.

Panther, surely someone who choses to live and work in a town is a local,particularly if they this is the town that they intend to settle down in, and after 3 seasons, I would think Mason would be as local as anyone else.

Sorry but the local thing is of another era and everyone needs to get over it cause people are moving all over the country for different reasons and once you land somewhere, start work, live there etc you are a local.
Do agree that Mason was probably playing more minutes than would have been expected. Wish him luck as he finds a new SEABL team that can offer him more court time, sometimes a different environment can create positives.

Former Fan, seems to me that they have re-signed 3 locals from last year, DJ, JS, CS.
IMO it seems that the club is not interested in being the good guys, could it be that they are mandated by their major sponsor to get a team that will win at all costs. Loyalty counts for zip if you don't have the championship game to offer, no development here, and maybe in a business that is how it is. So to all those juniors who have aspirations to play for the Pioneers, forget it and head to Adelaide now.

Regardless if they are locals or not, Mount Gambier had three players of SEABL quality living here and Ray doesn't want any of them. Mason, Wilson & Teske all valuable bench players for the club won't be wearing a Pioneers singlet in 08.

Who is going to move to MG to sit on the bench for the Pioneers?

Does anyone know who are the members of the 'Pioneers Youth Academy'?

No offence to the players mentioned Tuck, but I wouldn't be wanting to go into battle in the SEABL with that bench. The years that I was down there we had myself, Fotu, Import, Mobs, Kinger and Cram on the bench in the first year and myself, Duggan, Joynes, Bear and Sean Irvine. Now those are the types of benches you need to go in with and even then we got knocked out in the Semi's!

I agree Panther, but with Tuck's point, who else are they going to get? What the club has probably overlooked is when you bring new people in, you generally have to pay a higher wage than a local, try and find them work, relocation costs, rent, utilities etc etc. When you have blokes already living here in town that will cost less than a player brought in from out of town. That is by no means taking local based players for granted, it is just a fact of life.

If the Pioneers can get some quality players for reasonable quid - well done by them and I will give them credit, but I am doubtfull they can. Don't want to be negative, but I fear there is going to be some god-awfull hidings handed out to the Pioneers this year.

Panther, don't worry about the bench, they haven't even secured an acceptable starting five to win a championship yet.

No disrespect to the players already signed but I would have Wilson and Mason on my bench earning minutes before two of the bench players they have signed. These two played some good minutes and held their own against some of the big starting five names when given the chance to play. But as you alluded a bench needs to be five deep to provide backup in all five positions and you can't be happy being on a bench combination that can't even win a semi. **TIC**

All players, including bench players will always look better when they have a genuine team of players to play in because you'd know Panther that it doesn't matter how good three or four of you are, it requires the hard work of all five on the court and sadly this has not been the case with the poor recruiting of imports and interstate players in the past few seasons. An incohesive team will drag anyone with potential down.

Sedlock and Jeffries are the only ones signed to date who could match it with the starting five of a top quality SEABL team.

So who picks up the loose ball?
You won't see an import getting on the floor like Mason did.
You won't see anyone do as many school clinics barbecues ball signings or anything like that from your blow ins either!

Are you saying that sedlock doesn't dive for balls anymore??? He was one of the most tenacious players I have seen hit the court...besides myself! ;)

Panther, Jake is all heart and his desire for the ball is beyond question.
From what I have seen he now concentrates on the boards and rightly so that's his position. Mason has always dived on the loose ball and picked up the steals from every square inch of the court.

I don't want to compare bench players from days gone by, I have too much respect for players like Kinger, Sammy and Crammy to get into what might have been.
As it stands none of those guys including yourself are available anymore.
The team needs a starting 5 and a bench, at this stage it doesn't have a starting 5 and they way they are going they won't have a bench either.

The team has to start somewhere and with something, this isn't the way to do it.