Salties central: Flinn reveals he wants to ‘bring championship to Darwin’ after re-signing to the end of 2025

Fresh after signing on with the club, coach Matt Flinn has laid out a ‘vision’ with some extraordinary targets in mind.

Newly reappointed Darwin Salties coach Matt Flinn says he would like to bring a championship to Darwin and steer the club to an NBL licence.

On Tuesday, the Salties men’s coach was reappointed for a further two years alongside women’s coach Rod Tremlett following a review of their performance in the first two seasons.

A rapt Flinn, who joined the club from NBL outfit Illawarra Hawks, said he “always came to Darwin with a vision to grow the team, franchise and the sport in the Territory”.

“I’d be lying to say that when I first came here, it wasn’t with the vision to get back into the NBL and do it with a new franchise in Darwin,” Flinn said.

“That was probably one of the motivators that led me to come up here.

“That’s certainly something that I’m keen to explore and keep building but that can’t happen without a successful NBL1 team and a successful program underneath it.

Matt Flinn held roles as Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Community Programs Development Manager and Basketball Operations Manager at Illawarra Hawks for 13 years. Picture: AAP Image / Dean Lewins

“When I first came here, I spoke about a linear pathway for the kids here and that hasn’t changed.

“That’s the goal now, the kids that are young teenagers now, in five years time, they could be Salties.

“They can be playing and don’t have to leave anywhere, they can do it here in the Territory.”

Flinn said the ultimate success in NBL1 was front of mind, even this season where they are going to have to come from the middle of the pack if they qualify in the playoffs.

“I really want to bring a championship to Darwin,” he said.

“That’s my goal and we are still focused on doing that this year.

“It looks like we are going to have do it from between that fifth and eighth spot if we make it.

“And there’s short term goals in that, I want to bring a home playoff game to Darwin, I think that would go off.

Darwin Salties men’s coach Matt Flinn talking to his players.

“I just want to continue to do the Territory proud.

“It’s a real blue collar town here, it’s very similar to Wollongong in term of the attitudes of the people.

“I just really want to have success and long term success and I think it’s a really good step in the right direction to bring in a general manager so the Salties can sort of operate now independently from both Basketball NT and the DBA.

“Although we are always going to be together and grow the sport together, I think the next step is to have this franchise humming along somewhat independently.”

Basketball CEO John Mitchell and Darwin Basketball Association CEO Kerri Savage will step away from the co-general manager roles at the Salties to focus more time into their existing positions.

“Kerri and John have done an amazing job to build this thing, created so much hope for the junior pathway in the Northern Territory for Basketball,” Flinn said.

“The great thing is they will now get to spend more time growing the grassroots - it’s a good time for basketball in the NT.”

Darwin Salties chairman Craig Rowston.

Salties chairman Craig Rowston said: “Hiring our first full-time GM is part of our growth as a club and is exciting.”

“Running the NT’s only semi-professional club is a big job and we need a full-time resource to build on all the work our current co-GM’s have done setting the club up.

Rowston also said the club is well placed to gain an NBL and WNBL licence with Flinn and Tremlett leading the charge as coaches.

“The Darwin Salties have shown we can and should have an NBL team and that Territorians would support it,” Rowston said.

“We think the Salties should be the Territory’s NBL and WNBL club if we win licences.

“It would be amazing for NT basketball - and the Territory as a whole - to have full-time professional basketball teams playing on the National stage.

“We have shown faith in our men’s and women’s coaches and backed them in.

“Everyone at our club is focused on winning an NBL1 championship and we think we can do it with these two coaches.”

Matt Flinn, Rod Tremlett reappointed as coaches for further two years

The Darwin Salties men’s and women’s sides have secured their future with the reappointment of both teams’ inaugural coaches for a further two seasons.

Men’s coach Matt Flinn and women’s coach Rod Tremlett will continue in the top jobs until the end of the 2025 NBL1 season after each agreeing to two-year deals.

It comes at an exciting time for the club who are also looking to appoint a full-time general manager as they strive for an NBL license in the coming years.

The Salties joined the NBL1 competition in 2022 and took the league by storm, winning an NT sports team of the year award for healthy crowds, strong community engagement and a playoff-finishing campaign for the men.

This year the teams have taken it to another level with the Salties beginning the women’s season with eight straight wins while the men have constantly occupied the top half of the ladder.

Darwin Salties coach Matt Flinn. Picture: Ben Thompson / Darwin Salties

Darwin Salties women’s coach Rod Tremlett.

Salties co-general manager and Basketball NT chief executive John Mitchell said the reappointment was exciting news ahead of the final home games of the season this Saturday during First Nations Round.

“This two-year deal will give both coaches confidence to plan for the next few NBL1 seasons,” Mitchell said.

“We think it’s a good strategic move and also a strong show of support.

“We’ve seen improvement across many areas in both the men’s and women’s teams which gave us confidence to offer new coaching deals.

“We want both teams to win the NBL1 competition and believe these coaches can do that.”

The pair’s reappointment is set to bring a flurry of player signings over the next month.

The Salties women’s side are currently in sixth position with a 11-7 record and the men are in eighth position with a 9-9 record.

Both sides, particularly the men, require a win in their final home and away game of the season this Saturday at the Croc Pot to keep their playoff chances alive.

Results in other games in the final round of the campaign the following week will then determine the playoff teams.

Originally published as Salties central: Flinn reveals he wants to ‘bring championship to Darwin’ after re-signing to the end of 2025