{"id":60686,"date":"2025-08-11T19:06:21","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T19:06:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/60686\/"},"modified":"2025-08-11T19:06:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T19:06:21","slug":"all-the-twists-and-turns-in-northern-tasmanias-basketball-saga-the-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/60686\/","title":{"rendered":"All the twists and turns in Northern Tasmania’s basketball saga | The Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Northern Tasmania’s NBL1 South basketball clubs are unusual, with the Launceston Tornadoes operating just a women’s team, and the North West Thunder running a men’s team.<\/p>\n

No other NBL1 South club operates like this.<\/p>\n

That has set off a series of twists and turns.<\/p>\n

August 2018\u00a0– Basketball Australia disbands the SEABL<\/p>\n

At the time, Tasmania’s three clubs, the Launceston Tornadoes, North West Thunder and Hobart Chargers were all united in believing that there needed to be a second-tier competition.<\/p>\n

October 2018 – Basketball Victoria launches\u00a0NBL1<\/p>\n

The demise of the SEABL led to the creation of the NBL1 model, which would be adopted by state leagues around the nation in the years to come.<\/p>\n

In collaboration with the NBL, this new league, which is now known as NBL1 South, would consist of Victoria’s and Tasmania’s former SEABL clubs, as well as four Big V clubs.<\/p>\n

Change was on the horizon, particularly for Northern Tasmania’s clubs.<\/p>\n

\"LauncestonLaunceston Tornadoes player Keely Froling in their last home game for 2025 against Mt Gambier. Picture by Craig George<\/p>\n

April 3, 2025 – Deadlines set<\/p>\n

The Examiner reported that there would only be one signatory on the Northern Tasmania NBL1 South licence for 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n

According to Basketball Tasmania, the move had been earmarked for “at least four to five years”.<\/p>\n

It meant that if both clubs wanted to continue their existence and to provide a pathway for the region’s brightest basketball talents, collaboration on a joint licence submission would be necessary.<\/p>\n

June 29, 2025 – Relations fall through<\/p>\n

Just a week after Basketball Tasmania released a statement outlining its expectations for a licence bid, somewhat unexpectedly, the Launceston Tornadoes released a statement<\/a> detailing how the joint submission process had gone and the club’s next steps going forward.<\/p>\n

“The Thunder have made it clear that they do not believe it is financially or operationally viable to run a dual program across both Launceston and the North West, despite not engaging in any material discussions with us,” the statement read.<\/p>\n

It meant that both organisations submitted independent bids to Basketball Victoria, causing great concern within the basketball community as to how the sport’s future in Northern Tasmania looked.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Launceston Tornadoes huddled at a time-out. Picture by Craig George<\/p>\n

July 18, 2025 – Original bids submitted<\/p>\n

This was the original day that licence bids had to be submitted by, with a decision set to be made on August 6.<\/p>\n

Little did we know that there was a lot of work being done behind closed doors to move these deadlines around so a joint submission could be formed and submitted.<\/p>\n

July 25, 2025 – Basketball Tasmania states its position<\/p>\n

In a media release, Basketball Tasmania announced that it would not be endorsing either bid<\/a>, leaving the decision entirely in the hands of Basketball Victoria as administrators of the league.<\/p>\n

“(The submissions) do not adequately meet the outlined requirements or reflect the expectations and needs of North and North-West Tasmanian basketball communities,” the statement read.<\/p>\n

August 1, 2025 – New deadlines and collaboration<\/p>\n

It looked as if, with the help of Basketball Tasmania, a joint bid would finally happen<\/a> and Basketball Victoria would accommodate it by allowing the submission to be made by August 29.<\/p>\n

A project manager was appointed by Basketball Tasmania to oversee the process.<\/p>\n

But there was yet another twist to the tale.<\/p>\n

\"MembersMembers of the 1995 national championship-winning Launceston Tornadoes Trudi Jordan, Mandy Gibson, coach Michael House, Liz Dixon and current head coach Zo\u00eb Mesman. Picture by Paul Scambler<\/p>\n

August 6, 2025 – Union unlikely again<\/p>\n

The Advocate spoke with Thunder chairperson James Leslie and it was clear that the Thunder would not be participating in the collective process set out by Basketball Tasmania.<\/p>\n

“We have advised [BTas] that we hold no interest in being pressured into a collective submission process facilitated by them after our efforts to appease their conditions to date without any justification for declining our original submission,” Leslie told The Advocate.<\/p>\n

The first meeting for this joint submission was August 7.<\/p>\n

August 8, 2025 – Torns plot their path forward<\/p>\n

The Tornadoes reiterated that they were committed to a model that split games and administration between the two regions and would work with Basketball Tasmania to achieve this.<\/p>\n

They also committed to making the submission process more public, so that local councils and stakeholders could understand what was being proposed.<\/p>\n

The final submission to Basketball Victoria will be made on August 29.<\/p>\n

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