MOUNT Gambier Pioneers Basketball Club coach Richard Hill has warned the community cannot allow the city’s iconic sporting team to “slip through its fingers”.
With emotions running high ahead of today’s announcement by Basketball Australia on whether the Pioneers would be accepted into an elite Victorian league, Mr Hill said it was crunch time for the club’s future.
“There has been no stone left unturned – it is a sensational proposal done professionally and with a great deal of thought. Our management is first class,” the popular coach said at Monday night’s public meeting.
Mr Hill revealed the club had been fighting an “invisible enemy”.
“You do not know what your competing against. We know what we are competing for … we still at this moment do not know if the invitation is lip service,” he told the supportive crowd in Mount Gambier.
“Our proposal is up to speed and we will do whatever it takes and I have unbelievable confidence in our local community, our leadership, passion and our willingness to go the extra yard.”
He said the Pioneers’ success went well beyond the court and called on the community to rally behind the club.
“We have not been successful because someone put a ball in the hoop … we have depth, character and passion,” the passionate club leader said.
He described the opportunity to have a women’s team as an exciting new chapter and praised the opportunities opening up as part of the proposed recreational centre in the heart of the city.
While there were not “ready made” SEABL women’s basketball players in our community, he said the city had “tremendously” talented young girls playing locally.
“In the modern world, we should have a women’s team representing Mount Gambier,” he said.
He revealed the Pioneers would need to bring in around five to six players, including the possibility of some from America and Adelaide.
“We will need financial and emotional support and the men’s program may have to take a little bit of a step back.”
Stirring emotions across the packed room, Mr Hill conceded the situation had taken its toll.
“It has been a pretty emotional period of time for the Mount Gambier Pioneers people over the last couple of months,” Mr Hill said.
Not wanting to “sugar coat” the situation, the coach said Basketball Australia had thrown the club into chaos.
“Little did we know Basketball Australia and Basketball Victoria were getting together to propose something that was probably going to exclude the Pioneers,” Mr Hill revealed.
“It was not a nice scenario to find out – it has been a very tough and difficult time for a lot of people.”
Mr Hill lashed out at the national basketball regulator for the lack of communication and praised the Pioneers board for getting the club to the negotiating table.
Expressing his hope the Pioneers would be accepted into a revamped Victorian-based league, he praised the support flowing from the community.
“I just like to thank the press, The Border Watch which has been sensational for us and the electronic media has also been tremendous,” Mr Hill said.
“The only problem is that we are small … we are forgotten. We can have all the press locally, but people in Melbourne do not understand that.
“They do not understand there are 1000 people who turn up to our play-off games, sold out in something like half an hour and we have more supporters than Sandringham.
“They do not understand what the Pioneers mean to the local community.”
Mr Hill said he was waking in the middle of the night thinking about the future of the club and the players who now faced uncertainty.
“People have moved here specifically to play for the Pioneers – they are part of the community and the family,” he said.
“Yes, we win some basketball games, that’s important, but it is not the only thing. It is not near the only thing – there is so much going on,” Mr Hill said.
Praising the Pioneers board of management, he paid tribute to individuals “who put their necks on the line when things got tough”.
“They put their neck on the line both financially and emotionally. You think about all of those things when you lie there stewing and you know nobody outside of Mount Gambier is thinking about those things,” Mr Hill added.
“In 12 month’s time if we are not part of the competition, nobody will recognise that … and you would not expect the other teams to care as long as they have a game.”
He called on people and businesses to consider sponsoring the club.
