Local priority for Chargers
THE Chargers will strip back the number of national and international players coming into the program in 2018 and instead pour money into developing local talent.
After the successful SEABL season off the court this year, which saw the club produce an operating profit and wipe 90 per cent of its debt, Hobart is laying the foundations for long-term success. Between $10,000 and $20,000 will be invested into support for Tasmanians in both squads.
It will mean one fewer addition from outside — this year the men’s program had American imports Rob Heyer and Chris Whitehead as well as Australians Mathiang Muo, Lewis Thomas and Tom Garlepp — with president David Bartlett declaring the move the starting point for providing a clear pathway for talented locals to move into the NBL and WNBL ranks.
The investment will give homegrown stars greater access to services such as massage, physio and nutrition.
“One of the key things the board really wants to focus on next year is making sure we get as many locals and give them the opportunity for as many minutes on court as possible,” Bartlett said.
“Our expectation is rather than hiring an extra import, we are going to spend about that amount of money on investing in our local players to give them the very best shot of being fit enough and at the level we want them to get as many minutes on court as possible. We are putting our money where our mouth is to invest in that.
“Everybody wants to come along to the basketball and see the really high-end flashy players we can import. We are not going to stop doing that, and in Tre Nichols for our men’s team, he is someone who is going to light up the DEC in 2018. But as a community club we have a responsibility to create real pathways for this extraordinary explosion in participation we are seeing.”
Tryouts for the women’s program start next Monday at 6.30pm at Elizabeth College.
Coach Dwain Davie praised the investment into locals to future proof the club.
“I think it is a really exciting time for the club that we are able to extend that investment into our local players,” Davie said. “If we are realistic about having some long-term sustainable success for this club, that investment has to happen.”