Kestelman’s faith in Tassie sports scene
NBL boss Larry Kestelman has boldly offered the AFL a meeting to discuss expansion in the wake of the Tasmania JackJumpers’ historic surge to a grand final series, cheekily saying: “We would even consider sharing the JackJumpers’ name.”
The JackJumpers’ remarkable success has prompted AFL officials to closely monitor the franchise’s set-up, and they have even attended games.
Mr Kestelman has close relationships with key AFL figures and has happily shared information when contacted.
Now with the AFL looking to expand into Tasmania, basketball’s boss is willing to discuss how his team managed to succeed in the Apple Isle.
“The AFL should come and approach us and see if they want to call their team the Jack- Jumpers as well,” he said.
“We would definitely think about it. I’ve exchanged messages with people I know on the AFL task force and they have been very complimentary.
“In reverse, I’m very supportive of the AFL coming to Tasmania.
“I have no problem with it. We’ve got a five-year headstart, but if the AFL announce a team there, I’ll be very happy for the state of Tasmania.
“The state will have a team for the summer and the winter.”
Tasmania has long been a tough sell for professional sport in Australia, but Mr Kestelman was always confident the NBL could succeed there.
He took the time to meet at least 60 Tasmanian businesspeople, all desperate to have a team on the national stage.
“You have to play to your strengths, so I had to play on basketball’s advantage compared to other sports,” he said.
“An AFL budget for a team is $50m and a venue would be close to $700m to build. That is a big challenge.
“I saw an opportunity for basketball, given our budget to set up a team is $10m. It is hard for other sports like the AFL to set up a Tassie team and have immediate success, but it is possible in basketball.
“We can also give Tasmania exposure globally, so the NBL ticks a lot of boxes for them.”
The NBL first indicated that Tasmania was on its expansion radar in February 2019. Mr Kestelman planted his first serious seeds in November that year when he met former premier Will Hodgman.
Mr Hodgman made it clear he didn’t want to be taken for a ride.
“Will felt like he was absolutely being mucked around by other sports,” Mr Kestelman said.
“So, he posed a question to me in a half cynical way saying: ‘What will this take? How long will this process take? Just be honest if you are going to tell me it is possible and then a year later say it isn’t possible.’
“I was upfront and said, ‘you just have to say that you want the club, that you can help deliver a venue upgrade and the government will tip in a reasonable amount to support the team’.
“I then said, ‘if you agree to those terms, I’ll reply and agree via email while I’m sitting here in your office’.
“That blew Will away, but I reminded him the NBL’s unfair advantage over the other codes is that there is one owner and a decision-maker who can make decisions without going to a committee.”