Why Jackies were perilously close to abandoning Silverdome

Tasmania JackJumpers boss Christine Finnegan has revealed rival clubs had complained about the conditions of Launceston’s Silverdome which meant games at the venue were in even more danger of being abandoned. Why the future is now brighter.

Jackjumpers star Milton Doyle in action against South East Melbourne Phoenix at the Silverdome in November. (Photo by Simon Sturzaker/Getty Images)

JackJumpers boss Christine Finnegan says complaints from rival NBL clubs over the Silverdome’s substandard facilities only increased the need for immediate upgrades, or they’d have had no option but to abandon playing at Launceston in the short term.

Jackies fixtures in the state’s north were saved when the state government announced funding for Silverdome upgrades would increase from $8m to $12m, with work scheduled to be complete before the next NBL season.

Finnegan said for the league to claim it’s one of the world’s best, there needs to be standards set on what facilities are acceptable for games.

Asked how close they were to pulling the pin on the Silverdome, Finnegan said: “Very, very. And that’s not a JackJumpers call, that’s a league call.

“It’s also the call of the other teams to say we just refuse to play in an inferior facility.

“We do like to think of ourselves as one of the best leagues in the world.

But you then can’t call yourself that if you’re asking your players to play in facilities they don’t believe are up to standard.

The JackJumpers last played at the Silverdome in November against SE Melbourne. (Photo by Simon Sturzaker/Getty Images)

“It’s no different to any other sport, you’re only as good as your surroundings and we don’t offer inferior facilities for people to play AFL on or anything like that, we shouldn’t be doing that for any sport.

“The Silverdome over a number of years has been let go, this injection of funding is going to help not just us but other users of the facility.”

Finnegan said the upgrades, which includes increasing capacity from 3200 to 4000 and establishing long overdue corporate opportunities, would ensure northern stakeholders get the experience they deserve.

“All the key points (to fix) which have been pointed out by the NBL to us in recent years are going to be addressed with that funding,” Finnegan said.

“But most importantly it’s going to be a better spectator experience, and it’s also going to be able to provide a corporate experience. That’s key for people in the north to get the same experience those in the south do.

“The corporate market in the north hasn’t had the opportunity like the south has to entertain at games, and that’s been addressed in this.

The Silverdome is set for increased upgrades. Picture: Supplied

“When you think we’ve got 4000 people on our waiting list, that (increased capacity) is really exciting, we can actually start going to that list and give them the opportunity to attend games.

“We get some funding from government, but they also make it clear we have to stand on our own two feet. Sponsorship, corporate and membership and ticketing is the biggest part of that.”

Finnegan also applauded Basketball Tasmania’s aggressive public outcry for more courts to help address a critical shortage as the sport’s participation rate booms.

“We are part of the problem in terms of there’s more kids than ever wanting to play basketball.,” she said.

“As I understand it they are saying they’re 31 courts short at the moment, and it could blow out to 40. The infrastructure is so key in retaining these children in the game and to keep them playing.

“We’re very supportive of Basketball Tasmania and their push to have more infrastructure. But at the same time, we understand all the pressures on the state government in how they prioritise their funding.

“It’s speaking for themselves in the explosion of kids wanting to play basketball. One of the main reasons the JackJumpers are here and the government helps fund us is the mental and physical outcomes for the children.

“We need to be able to support that through infrastructure.”