POKE IN THE EYE
Rush on Huskies memberships, so cop that AFL
THE Southern Huskies gave the AFL a smack in the face yesterday when so many people tried to sign up on the opening day of foundation memberships the website crashed.
The membership frenzy turbo-charged the emerging basketball club’s hopes of securing an NBL licence next year for a tip-off in the 2019-20 season, and sent a blunt message to the AFL about Tasmania’s desire to support topshelf sport.
Close to 1200 people joined the kennel on the opening day and Huskies consortium mover and shaker David Bartlett had a message for the AFL.
“Beware of the Dog. That is my message to the AFL and all other sporting franchises,” Bartlett said.
“If you are a football supporter and frustrated with the way the AFL has treated Tasmania, the best thing you can do is get on our website and get a $10 Southern Huskies membership.”
Bartlett was beaming when memberships ticked past 1000 late yesterday.
“The Southern Huskies have captured the imagination of this community such that they managed to crash the server, showing how captured people are by this brand, this idea, and the journey we are on together to make the NBL franchise a reality,” he said.
The click frenzy would make other sports sit up and take notice, he said.
“I don’t want the other sporting franchises to be too wary, though, because I want the whole of Tasmania, and especially Hobart, to become a basketball-led community,” Bartlett said.
“We are engaging the kids from the grassroots up. We are engaging the community at all sorts of levels and this is the result you get from this work.”
Huskies memberships went on sale at noon and within the hour the website was crippled.
“We had well over 1000 people waiting to click ‘buy’, and that crashed the server,” Bartlett said.
“It was a bit slow getting back up.
“We’ve had our pack of faithful Huskies installing more memory on the server and we are hoping to have 1000 members on the first day.”
The Huskies hierarchy is negotiating with Glenorchy City Council to buy the Derwent Entertainment Centre, which the club’s owners plan to redevelop into a world-class sport and concert facility.
“The legislated publishing period ends on Friday and then negotiations will start in earnest,” Bartlett said.
“We want to bring not only basketball to the DEC, but world-class sport and entertainment, food and beverage opportunities, jobs and economic activity, and the ratepayers of Glenorchy will have the same access they have always enjoyed without having to subsidise the $1 million annual loss the venue makes now.”