State Basketball Centre, Wantirna South, could be home to second NBL team under grand plan

A BASKETBALL stadium in Wantirna South would be used as the home base for a second Melbourne NBL team under an ambitious $250 million council plan to make the venue “unequalled in Australia”.

The stadium is already home to the Melbourne Boomers WNBL team, with players including Liz Cambage. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

KNOX could have its own NBL team under an ambitious council plan to give the State Basketball Centre a $250 million overhaul.

The Wantirna South venue would be transformed into “a basketball facility unequalled in Australia” and be used as the home base for Melbourne’s second NBL men’s team, according to a masterplan proposed by Knox Council.

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The plans were detailed at last month’s council meeting and came just weeks after an earlier council report recommended a more modest $30 million extension to the centre, which would add 10 extra courts “to meet future demand and cover the loss of six courts at Boronia Basketball Stadium”.

The latest council plans said the “vision” for the State Basketball Centre was to have an 8000-seat show court/stadium to cater for an NBL side.

The venue would be Victoria’s third-biggest indoor sports facility of its kind.

It would include a centre of excellence, elite training centre, NBL office area, media area, player lounge and corporate viewing areas, the report said.

The $250 million proposal would include a $70 million multistorey carpark to cater for increased traffic.

The grand plan was one of four options put forward “for consideration”, with two designs including scope for an NBL team, while two cheaper options would redesign the centre with extra basketball courts, soccer and hockey pitches and space for squash and gymnastics.

The NBL says it has considered the idea of a second team to play alongside Melbourne United but has yet to make a commitment. Tai Wesley in action against the Sydney Kings last week. Picture: Brett Hemmings

The State Basketball Centre is the home of the WNBL Melbourne Boomers team.

The council report said eastern Melbourne was the “strongest area in Australia in regard to basketball participation and numbers” and was seen as “the natural location” for a national basketball headquarters.

The report said: “it is expected that Melbourne will get a second NBL side in the next one to two years”.

NBL chief executive Jeremy Loeliger said in a statement: “The NBL has canvassed the idea of a second team in Melbourne but so far there has been no commitment to a particular time frame or location”.

Knox Mayor John Mortimore told the Leader it was too early to discuss timings of the proposed stadium upgrade or how much funding they would need from state and federal governments to make it happen.

He said councillors had requested more details and a business case for the masterplan.

Basketball Australia chief executive Anthony Moore said “very early discussions” had started and the organisation “looks forward to working with Knox Council in the development of the facility”.

Meanwhile a decision is yet to be made over the future of Boronia’s Knox Basketball Stadium.

An online petition with 4600 signatures has called on the council to save it from demolition however Cr Mortimore said the Boronia venue had “reached the end of its life”.

He said a decision would be made “sometime this year”, but added it would not affect basketball games there for the next three to five years.