Norwood, West Adelaide and Central Districts basketball clubs react to NBL1 season cancellation
SA basketball clubs will “batten down the hatches” but are confident they can survive a year without basketball as the NBL1 season went from suspended to cancelled entirely.
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SA basketball clubs say they are fit to fight through the financial battles which lay ahead after the entire NBL1 season was cancelled on Tuesday.
The Federal Government’s decision to close indoor sports centres indefinitely from Monday, because of COVID-19, forced the NBL to pull the pin on all three conferences – Central, North and South.
The competition had already been suspended until May due to coronavirus concerns.
The decision was made in conjunction with Basketball South Australia alongside its Victorian and Queensland counterparts.
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While an NBL1 season is off the cards, there will be an option for the clubs to return to a SA-only state league for a shortened campaign, if and when it is safe to do so.
Norwood president Chris Webber was confident the club would be able to get through the year financially without basketball.
“We’re looking at a long time without basketball so it’s going to be really difficult for all the clubs,” Webber said.
“We’re not the only ones who will be in this position ... from here we need to cover the costs from money we’ve spent preparing for the season.
“We know we’ll be able to survive but it’s just really tough at the moment like it is for everyone.”
West Adelaide president Geoff Dodd said the decision to cancel was the only sensible one that could be made.
“We’ve been preparing for this outcome for sometime and thankfully we’re in a reasonable position financially for a district basketball club,” Dodd said.
“We’ll batten down the hatches like everyone else – but we’re okay – and when basketball is ready to go again we can hit the ground running.”
Central Districts president Kevin Fischer said the club was likely to take a financial hit in the coming months, especially as it aimed to help its US imports return home.
But he said the board would come up with strategies to help minimise the financial blow and hoped to apply for government funding.
“That (sending imports home) is an expensive exercise and it’s still an ongoing one for us as I’ve just been told (their) flights were cancelled today,” Fischer said.
“I know there has been some mention of a grant or government funds you could apply for and we would be looking at that.”
NBL chief operating officer Andy Crook said the decision to cancel the NBL1 season was unfortunate but appropriate under the current circumstances.
“The health and safety of players, staff and officials as well as the wider community comes first,” Crook said.
“We also want to allow the clubs to focus on re-establishing grassroots basketball as a matter of priority when the time is right.”
Crook said the NBL would work with the state organisations to monitor the situation and works towards resuming local basketball at the appropriate time.