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VICTORIA Giants are exploring the possibility of playing some home games in Tasmania, while the NBL is also looking to expand its schedule into Darwin. The Giants are eyeing Launceston and Hobart as possible host venues and are trying to rustle up corporate support to help bankroll the venture and make it a viable proposition.
"There's interest from Basketball Tasmania, but the government has spent all its money on football," Giants general manager Rod Hind said yesterday. "It's certainly not out of the question, but we'll need corporate help."
The NBL has lacked a presence in Tasmania since 1996, when the Hobart Tassie Devils handed in their licence, and the Giants see the island state as a chance to expand their supporter base.
The Giants played two games in Geelong last season and viewed that former NBL city as somewhere to develop their fan base, and are looking at other country venues as well as Tasmania.
Certainly, the Giants' willingness to look at alternative venues away from their new home, the Jayco Court at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, has the support of new NBL commissioner Rick Burton.
Burton is eager to get a game played in Darwin this season, with the Perth Wildcats and Brisbane Bullets as the two likely teams, and would back the Giants playing in Tasmania while consolidating in Melbourne.
"The Tigers and Giants have moved to smaller arenas and that might be appropriate for the NBL in Melbourne right now," Burton said. "We need to rebuild in Melbourne. We need to get back to sold-out arenas to show it is a going concern and to make these tickets hard to get and for people to wish they could get them."