Facilities needed to pursue WNBL dream, warn Jackies

The JackJumpers will strongly chase a WNBL license, but club heavy hitters have warned improvement to facilities must come first if the dream is to be realised.

Tasmania players Chloe Broomhall, Andie Smith and Paige Nowland before last year’s Australian Junior Country Basketball Cup. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

JackJumpers heavy hitters have thrown their support behind the club’s pursuit of a WNBL team, but warned the cart can’t be put ahead of the horse with better facilities needed to drive the campaign.

More courts, and the upgrade of existing facilities which have been left dormant for years, remains a major priority for Basketball Tasmania. They have been aggressive publicly in calling for more funding, and work to begin as soon as possible to accommodate the sport’s popularity boom since the JackJumpers’ admission into the NBL.

The club wasted no time making their intention to bid for a WNBL license clear after the NBL announced plans to acquire a majority interest in the country’s elite women’s league.

Jackies chief operating officer Darren Smith’s daughter, Alanna, has been chosen for a second Olympics with the Opals, while younger daughter Andie is part of the state’s representative set up.

He believes the ceiling the sport can reach in Tasmania is very high if facilities can be provided to accommodate the increase in participation.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for women’s sport, and basketball in particular in Tassie. We’re all for it,” Smith said.

“Girls in the game here who are coming up through the system, like our daughter, to know there’s an opportunity there right in front of you that you can see and get involved with (would be huge).

“It just makes it seem so much more attainable for young athletes, otherwise it might feel like a world away and we don’t want to create that barrier.

“If you look at the elite players that have come out of this state the last ten years or so, or even longer, even with the lack of facilities, elite coaching and whatever, it’s unbelievable.

“The Tassie basketball community punches above its weight unbelievably well, so if we can create an easier and simpler path where there’s a lot more resourcing, the sky’s the limit.

“And why wouldn’t it be, there’s clearly a passion for the sport here and the kids are ready to play, we just have to help them there.”

Jackies championship-winning coach Scott Roth has also been a passionate advocate for work to begin on improving facilities across the state.

Premier Jeremy Rockliff confirmed in May a high performance centre for the JackJumpers would be built at Kingston as well as a community courts complex connected to the Indoor Multi-Sport Facility at Wilkinsons Point.

Roth also declared last month Tasmania can be the “mecca” of Australian basketball if facilities are improved.

“(A WNBL team) would be inspiring for our young women to grow their basketball and have a chance to play in Tasmania, it can’t be anything but great for our organisation and our state,” Roth said.

“It will be very exciting and inspiring for young ladies to be part of that process, but we need the facilities and infrastructure to support it.

“The sooner we get that going (the better). The growth has been off the charts the last three years and we’ll continue to push as much as we can to get things done.

“The youth deserve to have those facilities up and running, hopefully we’ll see that happen and start to see some movement.”