Picture: Trevor Jackson
A MEETING on Wednesday night with Basketball Victoria and Victorian clubs competing in the South East Australian Basketball League has thrown little light on the future of the Mount Gambier Pioneers.
The Pioneers appear to be on the wrong side of a push to close the SEABL competition and may be left with no viable competition to play in.
Pioneers president Tom Kosch said Basketball Australia appeared not to understand the importance of the Pioneers’ programs in Mount Gambier.
“At this point in time we are struggling to get the message across as to how much the existence of the Pioneers means,” he said.
“They do not really have a very good grasp of what it is.”
Mr Kosch said the club does have allies in other Victorian clubs, who consider Mount Gambier would be an asset to a new league, but will simply have to wait now for further information.
Basketball Australia announced in August it will not sanction the SEABL competition after the 2019 season, but since then it has appeared many Victorian clubs have no desire to continue next year.
The Pioneers is pushing to be involved in a new Victorian league which may be formed – should SEABL fall over next year – but at this stage has no positive feedback from Basketball Victoria or Basketball Australia on its future.
Wednesday night’s meeting changed little, with Mr Kosch still unsure of his club’s future, or that of the SEABL competition.
“It is not looking very good,” he said.
“It is becoming more and more likely SEABL will not be happening next year.
“At this point in time there is no confirmation Mount Gambier will get an opportunity to be part of the Victorian competition.
“We are going to be proactive in the sense we need to put our case forward to be part of that competition so they take us seriously.
“We will try the best we can and do whatever it takes to be part of that.”
Mr Kosch said Wednesday night’s meeting only produced positive opportunities for the Victorian-based clubs.
The situation also impacts on the Tasmanian clubs, which were previously thought to have an option to play in a new Victorian competition.
But little will be known until Basketball Australia meets with all parties over the coming weeks.
“At this point in time it will be a couple of weeks before we get a real understanding what a new league will look like,” Mr Kosch said.
“It has been mentioned there is not much of an appetite to travel not only to Mount Gambier, but there are still a few complexities with travelling to Tasmania, which have not been resolved.
“The information is fairly brief about what the make-up of the competition is going to be.”
If all else fails, the SEABL competition does not go ahead next season and Mount Gambier is not invited into a new league, Mr Kosch said the club was considering other options.
“It has not been confirmed and we have not been notified, but it is looking more evident each day SEABL is unlikely to happen next year,” he said.
“We are considering our legal options, because we feel there may be no other case.
“We understand we have to maintain our relationships if we want to exist, but if there is no other option, we may need to go further.”
