Chargers pull pin on 2019 as brawl with Basketball Tasmania turns ugly

UPDATED: One of the nastiest scraps in Tasmanian sporting history has claimed the Hobart Chargers just four months after winning the SEABL men’s championship.

The Hobart Chargers celebrate as 2018 SEABL Champions. Picture: SEABL

UPDATED: ONE of the nastiest scraps in Tasmanian sporting history has claimed the Hobart Chargers just four months after winning the SEABL men’s championship.

A bitter feud between the Chargers and Basketball Tasmania has resulted in Hobart’s men’s and women’s teams going into voluntary recession for at least 12 months.

However, the Chargers’ temporary demise could open the door for the Southern Huskies to step in and fill the void.

Chargers president David Bartlett did not miss BT, saying the sport’s governing body has blood on its hands.

Hobart Chargers president David Bartlett has withdrawn the club from the 2019 season. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

“I say to the mums and dads who bring their kids to the basketball every week — and I will get upset — when the kids ask this Christmas who killed [Chargers mascot] Rex the Rhino tell them it was the BT Grinch that killed Rex the Rhino,” Mr Bartlett said.

“Because it is over, it is dead and it is buried, all down to the peak body of the bloody sport we are trying to inspire kids to play.”

BT chief executive Chris McCoy hit back at Mr Bartlett, saying the rise of the Huskies, who will play in the New Zealand NBL next season with aims to join the Australian NBL in the future, had been a huge blow to the Chargers president’s ego.

“This has been brought in on the walls closing in on the plans to build his own empire and unfortunately with the Huskies coming in and [former Chargers coach] Anthony Stewart moving over to the Huskies then he’s taken a swipe at us, which is disappointing,” Mr McCoy said.

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With the demise of the SEABL, Basketball Victoria will run an elite men’s and women’s competition for next season, originally intended to include the former Victorian SEABL teams plus the three Tasmanian teams, the Chargers, Launceston Tornadoes and the North-West Thunder.

But to do so, the Tasmanian clubs needed to sign a memorandum of understanding with BT, which Mr Bartlett said would only be granted with a number of requirements that would kill off the Chargers financially.

Tornadoes president Janie Finlay said her club would also not be signing the MOU “in its current form” but was willing to continue to work with BT.

David Bartlett was all smiles four months ago after coach Anthony Stewart guided the team to the SEABL title. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

Mr Bartlett likened the situation to Cricket Tasmania killing off the Hurricanes and said negotiations with BT had been met with “lies, obfuscation, it has been delays, it has been misinformation”.

“Essentially the MOU asks that the directors of the Hobart Chargers board breach their duties as directors,” he said.

“If we as directors were to sign this MOU, we would be breaching our fiduciary responsibilities and breaching our responsibilities under the act to serve in good faith and proper purpose.”

He said there was no guarantee the club would return post 2019.

“My greatest fear frankly is the 25,000 kids who have been through our programs and inspired by our players, our coaches, Rex the Rhino, game night, to play this great sport, where do they go?” he said. “It is not brinkmanship, it is done.

BT chief executive Chris McCoy. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“BT have been trashing and bullying the community in the south of the state for years. It is time someone stood up to this bully and time someone said enough is enough, let’s get on and grow the game and inspire kids to play.”

Mr McCoy said BT had been open to negotiations and were working within Basketball Australia guidelines.

He said there needed to be a balance between success and providing a pathway, which the Chargers had failed to do.

“Winning and winning titles is not everything,” Mr McCoy said.

“It is a balance between providing a pathway and winning and doing the right thing by the sport.

“They are some of the aspects the Chargers have let themselves down.

“They certainly won the title which everyone loved and we enjoyed, however is winning the title and not doing the right thing by the sport better than say the Thunder, who did the right thing by the sport, were financially responsible and played one import, played the locals and finished eighth and that was a terrific result.”