Tasmanian NBL team’s first appointment couldn’t ignore chance to build club from start

Throwing his hat into the ring for the chief executive role at Tasmania’s NBL club wasn’t something Simon Brookhouse immediately jumped at — but it eventually grew on him

• First appointment for Tasmania’s NBL team revealed
• Nominations for Tasmanian NBL team name flowing

THE opportunity to walk into a sporting club with a blank canvas and put the first bricks in place was too good to pass up for inaugural Tasmanian NBL team CEO Simon Brookhouse.

Brookhouse, a former Hobart Chargers president who has also served as chairman of the former SEABL and has spent the past nine years with Golf Victoria and Golf Australia, is the first appointment for the state’s NBL franchise which will return to the top flight in 2021-22.

He beat out hundreds of initial applicants for the coveted role, including Tasmania’s all-time leading Sheffield Shield run scorer Jamie Cox, who interviewed for the position.

Brookhouse said he didn’t initially plan on throwing his hat into the ring for the job, but ultimately being able to build a club from the ground up was impossible to ignore.

“The time was just right. I had done nine years in golf and for me it is a really good challenge for the next phase with where I am at,” he told the Mercury.

“I love the idea of the start up, to be involved with something you can grow from the ground up, the NBL is thriving in terms of sporting leagues in Australia.

“I was knee deep in a lot of work with golf … then I started to think about the great opportunity it is and the upside of a journey starting from scratch, bringing Tasmanians on the journey with us to grow it to be the biggest show in town.

“It just grew on me, the more I got to look into it, talked to Larry [Kestelman], talked to people involved with the NBL, I couldn’t turn my back on the opportunity.

“You do your pros and cons, there weren’t many cons.”

The appointment is the first domino to fall in front office, with an additional four previously advertised roles soon to be filled.

Brookhouse declared he would have a major say in the remainder of his executive team.

“We have advertised for a commercial role, operations role, membership and community and also some marketing, I will sift through the candidates and we will make some appointments.

“Larry has been very clear that staffing and building the culture is the responsibility of the CEO.

“While he is there for support and to give help and advice, it is a team. The two of us will work closely together and we have to, there is a lot invested into this from the league.”

Brookhouse has a month left with Golf Australia before returning to his home state.

• Today is the last day for Tasmanians to register their suggestions for the moniker of the team.

Earlier this week the NBL registered five club names — Tasmania Tridents, Pride, Jack Jumpers, Mountaineers and Timbers — ahead of a likely announcement next month.

Nominations can be submitted at https://www.nbltas.com.au.

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