A Tasmanian WNBL team will be based in Launceston — or potentially Devonport on the north-west coast — if a bold plan by the Tasmania JackJumpers to expand into the state’s two major basketball heartlands comes to fruition.
As part of a proposal being prepared for the state government, the JackJumpers would split its professional men’s and women’s programs and establish a fully staffed northern base for a WNBL team.
JackJumpers chief executive officer Christine Finnegan told the ABC the organisation was exploring an “enormous opportunity” to install a professional women’s team in either Launceston or Devonport.
Devonport has recently emerged as a more-than-viable contender after the coastal city’s council this week approved the development application for its new $60 million indoor and multi-sport precinct.
Devonport City Council recently approved a development application for a new $60 million sports precinct, complete with show court for basketball. (Supplied: Devonport City Council)
“Certainly, what Devonport are putting forward looks really appealing,” Ms Finnegan said.
“It’s a tailored centre for basketball, it’s got the great training facilities, it’s got the change room facilities, so it becomes a facility where you can both play and it also becomes a high-performance centre as well.
“And of course, we know the north-west has been a great growth corridor for many years for basketball, so to be able to reward them with a team would be amazing.”
The Tasmania JackJumpers say they want the WNBL JackJumpers team to grow and succeed like the men’s team has. (Getty Images: Kelly Defina)
How it would work
Under the plan, the JackJumpers would “reverse engineer” its men’s program and then base the new women’s team in the north of the state.
The bulk of the WNBL fixtures would be played out of Launceston, as well as Devonport’s new indoor stadium, which will feature a 2,000-seat show court.
Higher drawing fixtures against bigger opponents would be played at MyState Bank Arena in Hobart.
It would establish a northern operations hub for the team, where an executive lead, operations team and off-court staff would be permanently housed.
Christine Finnegan says Devonport’s location, between Launceston and Burnie, is advantageous. (ABC News: ABC News)
“We have to approach this holistically. It has to be where they train, where they live and where they play,” Ms Finnegan said.
“I don’t see a reason why the men and women need to be housed together, and I don’t see a reason why the south need to have all the content either.”
“There might be a case of us ‘tiering’ our games depending on which opponent, and if we need the bigger arena, but our home would truly be in the north and the north-west,” she said.
‘The north deserves it,’ JackJumpers owner says
NBL owner Larry Kestelman says it would be “only fair” to base a Tasmanian women’s team in the north of the state. (AAP: James Ross)
Larry Kestelman, who owns the NBL and the JackJumpers, and is also in the process of acquiring a controlling stake in the WNBL, told the ABC that the prospect is a “very real possibility”.
“The north deserves it, and the balance would be amazing,” he said.
“If there was to be a WNBL team, I think it’s only fair it would be based in the north with some in the south. Almost reverse the formula to play some in the south, but more in the north”.
Launceston Silverdome has ‘worst’ locker rooms in Australia ‘by far’
There was a solid attendance at the JackJumpers match at Silverdome stadium on October 18. (Facebook: Silverdome Launceston)
Devonport, with its new facility that is due to be built by 2026, has emerged as a viable home for a professional women’s team amidst continued frustration from the league over the condition of the Launceston Silverdome.
The Tasmanian government, which would likely need to increase its $2 million per year funding for the JackJumpers to support a women’s team, has pledged $8 million towards upgrading the arena.
Mr Kestelman said the Silverdome was still some way from being up to scratch for continued NBL and future WNBL fixtures.
“The locker rooms are the original tiny locker rooms — they’re the worst in Australia by far.
“There’s no pre-game, there’s no media rooms, there’s not good enough AV, there’s no LED screens, the seating is not enough, the corporate is not there.
“It’s just not fit for purpose.”
JackJumpers and NBL owner Larry Kestelman said current Silverdome facilities still have a way to go before they are up to standard. (Twitter: Tasmania JackJumpers)
Regardless of which northern city the team will be based, the granting of a licence will hinge at least partially on the Silverdome being brought up to standard.
“Venue is everything. It’s the same story as with the men, until we knew a facility was up to standard, we couldn’t issue a licence. It’s the same story here,” Mr Kestelman said.
North-west coast rich in basketball talent
Basketball has a rich history in the north and north-west of Tasmania, with the two regions producing the cream of the state’s on- and off-court talent for decades.
Women’s basketball is particularly strong on the north-west coast, evidenced by the announcement of the recent Under-20 women’s state team.
Of the 10 players named in the squad, seven hailed from the coast, with a further player coming from Launceston.
Not since the Islanders, who won the WNBL championship in 1991, before folding in 1996, has a professional women’s team called Tasmania home — but a JackJumpers women’s outfit could take to the court in the next two to three seasons.
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Tasmanian basketballer Alanna Smith was part of the Olympic bronze medal-winning Opals team, and played in the recent WNBA finals for the Minnesota Lynx.
She said a professional team would enhance junior pathways and lead to junior players “sticking” with basketball.
“Just building that pathway, helping girls stick with basketball and develop and then go on to play professionally,” she said.
“When you have a professional team in the community and they’re being exposed to it and seeing what it takes to be a professional player, it can only help those girls.
“It’s invaluable to have something like that, and those role models in your community.”
Devonport dream of ‘sporting mecca’
An artist’s impression of the Devonport Stadium show court, which has approval from Devonport City Council. (Devonport City Council)
Devonport mayor Alison Jarman said a professional basketball team based at the facility would be “marvellous”.
“We certainly want further dialogue with them, and with any sporting club. We want this to be a sporting mecca,” Cr Jarman said.
Mayor Alison Jarman with the concept designs for the multisport facility the council plans to build on James Street, Devonport. (ABC News: Sandy Powell)
“It’s something we absolutely want to achieve, and the whole point of us doing our ‘living city’ and doing this new sports facility. It’s something we’ve never had before.
“We have a huge catchment of people, we have good access with the Spirits [of Tasmania ferries] and the airport, we’ve got enough accommodation.
“All we need to do is find some elite sport that wants to base itself up here and not have it in Hobart or Launceston, as usual.”
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