Gold Coast Blaze: Why NBL side fell apart and closed in 2012

The Gold Coast did the impossible and resurrected its NBL franchise and started to see success. But something went wrong and its owner revealed how it all came undone.

THE Gold Coast is set to make a return to the NBL, with talks underway to create a new franchise.

Mayor Tom Tate in March held a courtside meeting at the NBL finals in Sydney with billionaire competition boss Larry Kestelman about the prospect of relaunching a basketball franchise on the Gold Coast.

Mr Kestelman also visited the city and met at a Broadbeach cafe with a consortium led by entertainment boss Billy Cross.

The Gold Coast has previously been home to two failed NBL franchises.

The Gold Coast Cougars, later renamed the Gold Coast Rollers, entered the competition in 1990 but financially struggled through its six years and never placed higher than eighth.

The Gold Coast Rollers in 1996.

The Rollers, along with the Hobart Devils and Geelong Supercats, had their licences pulled in 1996 when the NBL board voted to streamline the competition.

League chairman Malcolm Speed said at the time the team’s owners “recognised that their teams were drowning under a sea of red ink, and that there was no lifeboat in sight”.

David Claxton, who coached the Rollers, admitted he was devastated.

“At the end of the day I’ll step back and have at look at things, who knows I may even be a pizza delivery man,’’ he said at the time.

“The last three years especially have been difficult. It’s been emotion draining and I think I’ll need time to recharge before I decide what to do.”

The Blaze in action in 2012.

By 2007, the NBL was expanding again and the Gold Coast got a new team - The Blaze.

Lasting five seasons, it gained a small but dedicated fanbase and showed promise, making the finals several times.

Co-owner Owen Tomlinson said in 2020: “It was always the kids in the crowd. There was so much passion in the community, I thought game days were fabulous. I still get a smile when I see someone walking around with a Blaze jersey.”

Gold Coast Blaze owner Owen Tomlinson.

But the long-term impact of the global financial crisis and the high cost of renting space at the Gold Coast Convention Centre left the club in a financial squeeze which it was never able to escape.

It too folded in 2012.

Mr Tomlinson later said: “The convention centre tried to do what they could for us. However even if we had 4500 in the crowd, we still had to pay them. Council had talked about the potential of the stadiums for the Commonwealth Games but it was a long way away. Unfortunately, it was a financial decision.”

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