Hobart Chargers to focus on providing a platform for Tasmania’s aspiring NBL and WNBL players.

After succeeding in their quest to be ‘NBL ready’, the Hobart Chargers are turning their attention to the next task should they return to the basketball landscape.

Chargers president David Bartlett and Basketball Tasmania chief executive Chris McCoy. Picture: Zak Simmonds

HAVING played an integral role in getting Tasmania to the brink of a return to the national competition, the Hobart Chargers will focus on providing a platform for the state’s aspiring NBL and WNBL players.

As revealed in the Mercury yesterday, the Chargers and Basketball Tasmania are in negotiations for the club to re-join the NBL1 following the demise of the Southern Huskies, which fielded two teams under the Hobart Huskies banner this year.

The bitter feud between Chargers president David Bartlett and BTas chief Chris McCoy is in the past, and the two parties are working towards a model which could underpin a potential Tasmanian side in the NBL.

Basketball. Hobart Chargers 2018 SEABL Champions. Picture: SEABL

While on-court success will still be a driving factor — the Chargers men claimed the last SEABL championship in 2018 — Bartlett said a new “10 and 10 in 10” vision would be the main purpose of the club in the country’s second tier league.

“It’s changing from that NBL ready in three years to what I’m calling 10 and 10 in 10, which is we want to be able to produce 10 NBL players and 10 WNBL players in the next 10 years,” Bartlett said.

Jack Stanwix is one local player who would eye off a spot in a potential Tasmanian NBL team

“That becomes the core purpose of the Hobart Chargers going forward, and that aligns with what Basketball Tasmania’s goals are.

“To do that there needs to be some change in our structures and the way we deal with grassroots basketball, and that’s what we are working through with BTas at the moment.

“But it looks like we are both on the same page at the moment with how that should happen.”

In the immediate aftermath of the Huskies’ sudden decision to walk away from both the NBL1 and the NZNBL, Bartlett said the Chargers would only consider filling the void if they were wanted by fans, sponsors and volunteers.

The past fortnight has only reaffirmed to Bartlett how strong the Chargers brand is.

“When this news broke I had dozens of emails from volunteers and supporters saying they were on board, all of our volunteer army have put their hands up again and I’m certain more will.

“I have never been more optimistic about basketball. I was at the junior finals on Saturday and there would have been 500 people turning through there all day.

“Everyone I talked to was really upbeat about the Chargers coming back and the prospect of NBL.

“Now that NBL1 has bedded down and has shown it is going to be a good product, everyone is excited about that as well.”