Andrew Gaze to lead Melbourne Tigers in SEABL next season

MELBOURNE Tigers and Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze will lead his former club in the South East Australian Basketball League next season.

The Melbourne Tigers are back, entering the league just below the NBL next season. Press conference to announce new coach, Andrew Gaze. Picture: Kylie Else

FIRST the SEABL, and one day perhaps the NBL.

That is the Melbourne Tigers’ bold vision after their return to national competition through the South East Australian Basketball League next season was rubber-stamped on Tuesday.

Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze will coach the side, which will play out of Melbourne Sport and Aquatic Centre.

“I am indebted for the rest of my life to the Melbourne Tigers and this is a way I can contribute back to the club and I am more than happy to do it,” Gaze said.

While Melbourne United controversially ditched the Melbourne Tigers name and colours in May of last year, the Tigers junior club, a separate club, has remained one of the strongest in Victorian junior basketball.

It also had senior teams in the Big V state league and youth league competitions.

At the same time, a team have worked feverishly to revive the Tigers in the SEABL.

“We believe we have one of the premier junior development competitions in Australia and our pathway was very good in the Big V competition, but we always aspired to play at the highest level,” Gaze said.

Gaze, who stressed the club is not anti-Melbourne United, said he love to see the Tigers back in the NBL one day.

“The terms for entry are a challenge, but in the foreseeable future I doubt very much we’ll have the resources to compete at that level,” he said.

“But it is certainly something we aspire to and we are one of many.”

Tigers general manager Nigel Purchase said the organisation has high long-term ambitions.

“We were all shocked and a little bit taken aback when the name change happened and that is no secret,” he said.

“My dream is quite clearly we have a program and a club that is good enough and well backed to put in a bid for the NBL one day.

“But there is an onus on the Melbourne Tigers organisation to actually do things right and to be professional and meet the standards that the NBL is now demanding, which is fair enough.”

Originally published as Andrew Gaze to lead Melbourne Tigers in SEABL next season