Isaac
Years ago

NBL looking at games in Canberra

Interim NBL chief executive Scott Dunn, who is also one of the owners of the Sydney Kings, wants to see Canberra host a regular-season game as early as the 2014-15 season.
''One of the objectives we'd love to get is to get some games into Canberra, that'd be a starting point we'd be looking at,'' Dunn said. ''I've mooted the idea the last couple of years, especially with availability of venues and back-to-back games.
''We need to take the product on the road and get it out there.''

Full article

Play more games instead of trainings. Fans in home towns won't necessarily pay more, but players will play more games without needing more pay - they're paid for a duration, not per game. So, select games could be played in regional areas. Kings could play their extra games in Canberra. Saves taking games away from existing fans.

Optionally, play these games as a separate championship enabling things like experimental rules, variations on players permitted to play (e.g., development players suit instead of imports, though regional fans might be keen to see visiting imports), etc. Or within the main series, but the games are weighted less on the ladder to compensate for the varied rules.

As long as the payment from the regional tourism authority and ticket revenue covers the cost of transport and accommodation, it could be worth it.

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Dr6
Years ago

Great idea - I think places like Darwin are untapped for NBL fans. Crocs should consider it as a regional option.

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Proud
Years ago

It sounds like they are floating an idea to have like the English Premier league has the FA Cup, the NBL can have a separate cup to play for and maybe name it after another Hall of Fame legend.

But I do hope that Sydney go to Canberra, Wollongong to Newcastle, Melbourne to Geelong/ Bendigo, New Zealand to Wellington, Adelaide to Hobart/Launceston, Townsville to Darwin, Cairns to Gold Coast/Brisbane and Perth to Port Hedland/Broome.

If that is the case then the NBL with enough advertising could get a scope on how much desire there is to have teams in those regions.

However it plays out and no matter what they are playing for, I'm already a tremendous supporter of this and hopefully it results in beloved former clubs being given a new chance to shine (especially a Tasmanian club)

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HO
Years ago

The article talks about regular season games being relocated.

Been tried, basically didn't work very well and unlikely to pull the government support, in a place like Canberra, unless you can guarantee tv coverage - which the NBl can't. There may be one or two locations you can get TV to, but again, with the league so regionalised already (cairns, townsville, wollongong) it means the big market clubs have to give up home games to make this work.

Not much hope for a bright new start for the league in my opinion. Old formulas being rehashed.

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FM
Years ago

Darwin had a great deal with the wildcats. Although going back to traditional roots, adelaide's second home would be better.

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Anonymous
Years ago

Could they stay as regular season games, add 4 games (2 home, 2 away) per team to the season, so fans dont lose any home games they currently would get to see, and those 2 home games are played at the clubs 'sister' city, eg. Sydney play the 2 games in Canberra.

Could this work, given player contracts are for the season not per game, wouldnt have to pay the players anymore, so would just need to cover additional venue/travel costs to make it work, maybe the league contacts all potential 'sister' cities and see if they can get some sponsorship/government support, and if not, well dont play the game there.

Even if it only works for 1 or 2 of the teams, the other clubs could just have a couple of extra home games at there usual venue if they cant find appropriate/cost effective 'sister' cities.

Have heard in the media many times quotes to the effect of players rather play than train so adding a couple of extra games to the season without adding any more weeks, ie a slight increase of games per week, shouldnt upset too many.

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Wildcat Fan
Years ago

HO is correct here - with the NBL already too regionalised, taking games away from Sydney to small market centres isn't helping the league grow. Does anyone in Canberra actually care about the Kings? Things like this are a nice add on for already successful leagues like the AFL who can take a few games to Tasmania and Canberra without missing a beat.

Get Sydney and Melbourne humming again, a packed out Adelaide and continued growth in Perth and NZ are areas that the NBL needs to see happen this season and the league is looking good again ahead of Brisbane's return.

And also why bother when there's no chance of a team coming in to Canberra in the near future? If they want to test the market and "get it out there", play a game in Brisbane or Wellington instead.

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HO
Years ago

#434579

I'll make the same point I made before, by asking you a question.

Where are Cairns, Townsville and Wollongong going to play their regional games if you add two home games to each?

If you read Dunn's thinking, he is going to head to Canberra with his two games, and ask the ACT government for a cash deal to play games there. this only works if he can guarantee the ACT a few things, including TV coverage.

So where are the regionals going to go? And get Government support, and get TV?

Answer is nowhere - they will not get the support they need so the games will revert to their centres, or be loss makers in some pissy little stadium that makes the league look really poor. No club has a genuine shot at selling 16 home games .... except maybe Perth

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Hoops

NBL looking at games in Canberra

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