Here is the link: http://linky.com.au/09amy

"ADELAIDE 36ers owner Mal Hemmerling yesterday informed staff at his NBL club to prepare to "close the doors" while Basketball Australia reaffirmed it will not budge on its $1 million bank criteria."

You might just about break even on owning the sixers, by playing 15 games at the dome.
That's if you didn't have to stake $1M on it, and it's depending on what BA are doing and availability of the dome.

Doesn't sound good. I think everyone wants to get on board, but uncertainty must be removed quickly to ensure the Sixers are playing in the NBL.


Adelaide 36ers Position Statement.

The Adelaide 36ers are seeking immediate clarification as to their position in a new National Basketball League. Due to financial impositions by the NBL that the 36ers consider inappropriate and unwarranted and overall uncertainty surrounding the League structure, the organization finds itself in an untenable position that must be resolved.

Team owner Mal Hemmerling believes that one of Australia's most storied professional basketball organizations now faces its greatest challenge.

"Despite drawing the League's most consistently large crowds, having a 27 year history in the highest competition and at various stages being a profitable business, there are now a financial impositions being required that is without precedent. We simply cannot move forward without certainty that we are part of a new League. This time of year is crucial in terms of season ticket pre-sales and sponsorship income being brought into the club. It is the lifeblood of any professional team. Again, gaining this income is currently impossible".

The collective financial position of teams from various codes has been severely eroded and daily newspaper coverage is testament to the plight of other teams in Adelaide struggling under the weight of the financial downturn. "This is the world we live in. It's a hard slog at any time - let alone at a time when you're not aware of your place within your own competition and League, and what the structure of that League will be. It leads to a state of suspended animation, and we cannot continue that" Hemmerling stated.

Legal clarification is being sought from Basketball Australia and the NBL as to the Adelaide 36ers position, including the requirement or otherwise for a one million dollar bank guarantee. Adelaide's position within any new League and indeed the composition of that League overall, still hasn't been declared, and the club does not believe the financial impositions to be appropriate.

"Over our history in this League, spanning nearly three decades, we've paid our dues. The Adelaide 36ers have done an enormous amount for the growth of the sport, and that's a tribute to Adelaide's basketball fans, corporate support, media and general interest. We feel like we've been a good corporate citizen in terms of our place in the League. In our opinion, the NBL should know what they are getting and feel comfortable with the Adelaide 36ers".

"However, in view of the uncertainty surrounding the League and the financial impositions being put forward, we are being as transparent as we possibly can be by declaring we won't be moving forward as a business unless things are sorted out promptly. We are working to a firm deadline of mid-May at which time, if there are no definitive answers from the League to our satisfaction, we will simply cease to be able to run an ongoing business" Hemmerling stated.

"We continue to work on getting answers and we are travelling down all possible avenues to get those answers and we need an urgent resolution. Over the next few weeks I will be interstate due to previous commitments, and as such I have engaged Jeff Van Groningen to assist me over the short term with advice, feedback and recommendations".

"We hope for a resolution but have released our position today in the interest of transparency. It all gets back to the League removing the current uncertainty and taking away the financial impositions which we believe are unwarranted", Hemmerling concluded.

He's failed again - told you so. Never has had any money or substance. Anyone who has dealt with him knows that. Whats the saying "its all about him". Pity for the team though and the staff who no longer will have jobs.

no money mal,
Did Mal sleep with your mum or something?

NMM obviously believes Mal has done something to him to hurt him, you don't usually have this much angst against someone!

Hope this uncertainty can resolve itself quickly as no Sixers will not be nice.

IMO, the whole new NBL saga appears to have been poorly managed. I look at how the netball transformed itself from the Commonwealth Bank Trophy to the Trans-Tasman Trophy. Yes, some clubs were told they would not be part of the mix, but it was handled quickly and without interuption. All other sports seem to be able to make structural changes to their competition quickly and concisely, why can't basketball?

No money mal - I dont think it is a case of failing. i think it is more a case of it no longer being financially viable. i know i certainly would get sick of proping up the club. It is a business and you need to make money or at least break even.

I know of a certain Richard Branson looking VIP person who from what I hear is interested in buying the Sixers, maybe Mal should continue to try and sell the club. With all the rumours around about certain businessmen wanting to buy the team, surely he could find someone to buy it!
We simply can not let this happen.

I can tell you now Mal has been asking for a very premium price on the 36ers, hence why they have not sold.
Not happy to break even on the buy in price Mal got them for, but asking for a nice little profit to boot.

So what about those who said yesterday (or maybe it was the day before) that the Dragons and some other team were exempt from the bank guarantee? Was that just bollocks?

I have no idea what's going on anymore.

I don't understand the point of this press release (written by JVG, AFAIK).

If the intention is to attract more bidders or a higher price, talking down the economy and the state of the league isn't the way to do it.

If the intention is to convince the league that you're good to go without a guarantee, talking about a significant challenge and cash flow problems (see Mal's comments to Boti in today's article) isn't the way to do it!

The release speaks as though it's a black and white issue but makes no mention of the option of a sale to someone that can cover the guarantee and keep the team going.

Adelaide 36ers owner, Mal Hemmerling, will speak with the media in a press conference today in response to the release that was sent out last night regarding the 36ers immediate future. The press conference will be held at the Distinctive Homes Dome at 3.15pm.

The new league and the Sixers franchise are both rapidly becoming a total cluster.

Very sad panda.

22638 - agree with you - plenty of people in Adelaide that could have got together before now to salvage this mess

Can anyone get into the press conference?

I suggested yesterday that supporters should have been told earlier so we could all chip in some money to save our club.

Some kind donations from some local celebs would be appreciated also.

What will happen to the 'Brett Maher Court' now?
What about the Brett Maher Statue?

Brett Maher is a South Australian icon. When you think of SA icons such as Frog Cakes, Fruchocs etc, Brett Maher features in there.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of the South Australian public would not mention Brett Maher in a list of SA icons. Probably not even in a top-50 list! I'm all for saving the Sixers, but let's not overstate our case...

I would rate Brett definately in the top 10 of s.a icons, olympian, champion, countless award winner and clean image, not like our afl boys beating their ladies or gambling on their own sport. He is respected hugely for staying with us and not chasing the money elsewhere

I know you would kman, and I would, and many posters here would. I'm just saying if you asked a statistically-significant sample of randomly-sampled South Australians, you wouldn't get many hits. I guess you might if you narrowed it down to sportspeople only.

I think the point of the press release was to poke BA.

Sixer's cash flow problem is directly linked to the procrastinations of BA. No early bird packages, no sponsorship etc until we get some clarity about ANYTHING.

Sixers can solve cash flow, just don't have a cool 1m in the bank (who does). I couldn't believe that South and Perth had guarantee waived... If South and Perth don't have to come up with 1m why should we?

In the space of two weeks everything has gone from buoyant optimism to total despair.

If my team disappears I'm going to go and get a membership at Norwood FC. I can't take any more ineptitude...

Number 44, you could give it a shot.

Champ, that might just prop it up before it needs more help again in x months.

Mal, how about sticking to the salary cap therefore you will have another $400K to go towards the bank guarantee

Hey guys I reckon no money mal has got a right to say I told you so . If other clubs with less income than us can go again why cant we. Mal should not been part of it all in the 1st place.
I want to see the end of this guy and his thieving mate. McPeake you cant be any worse. Fancy tarnishing something as good as Sixers. I know how Bullets fans feel now.
Owners like them no wonder the BA cant get it sorted even if they were totally organized.
what happened Mal you said bought Sixers because you loved the sport.

I think the point is, if BA are going to set the rules why is it that a major issue, such as a $1M bank guarantee, is still uncertain (according to the Sixers). Shouldn't have this been set in concrete? At least then owners would have no excuse - they would either meet said requirements, or bow out until next season, or sell up.

This uncertainty doesn't help anyone.

Bretts the man, I agree completely. As of right this minute (and things can change) Mal Hemmerling is the worst thing to ever happen to basketball in this state.

NML is a family member and he is pretty spot on the mark. Groves paid for the sixers. Not mal. NML is very wealthy in his own right, believe me. Pity he does'nt want to get involved. He could pay for the league and some. But it is simply not viable and he is no fool and hence no go. Some sucker will at some stage but not this year unfortunately. Mal knew before the end of last season this was going to happen.

Adelaide's cash flow problems pre-date all this recent stuff. When Groves as a source dried up a bit after the ABC stuff went down, there's the trouble. And that trouble is exactly why a team like Adelaide should be providing a guarantee if Wollongong and Cairns have to.

As I said, if you want to poke BA and get exemption from the surety, you don't talk about cash-flow problems and remind everyone that the economy and support of sports teams is struggling, and mention that you've spoken to 60 people and can't get anyone in to help share the load. That might be the truth, but it could have been left out.

This $1m guarantee is nothing new. I would hope that this lobbying has been in progress the entire time rather than at the last second.

Curious situation now that McPeake has resigned from the board over the issue of the supposed exceptions granted to the Dragons and Wildcats while negotiating a purchase with Groves/Hemmerling who are campaigning for an exception too!

As for BA treading water, as I've said before, there's not really an ideal way to handle it. If there is, I'd be interested to hear it if only for the purposes of discussion.

They can't guarantee anything without knowing the composition of the league, and some owners are reluctant to lock in their involvement without having guarantees - bingo, impasse, and no one wins.

We'll either have a compromise that gives us another year like the last (which could be damaging as they have one chance to get reform right), or the trauma will force BA to take a year off and we'll have coaches and players out of work.

Mal's pal - Who is NML?

thedoctor, it started when they accepted non-compliant EOIs and they may have been forced to do that to get more than a handful of teams to the table?

Can someone please clarify as to whether South and Perth have got an examption from the $1m guarantee? Because if they have, but don't let us in without a guarantee the new league is just as big a joke as the last one.

I agree with Bretts the Man as well. Pretty f'kin piss poor that Mal has let things get to this stage. He must have known that getting the $1m guarantee was going to be an issue ages ago. Why was the basketball community in SA not given a chance to get involved earlier to save the club? Cairns and Wollongong had massive campaigns with national media coverage to keep them alive FFS!

You just can't trust what anyone at the top's agenda is right now!
Isaac I agree that Mal could've left a lot out that wasn't entirely relevant to the point he needed to make.
As for JVG's involvement, I am really worried for Adelaide right now, knowing the fallout that occurred in Brisbane because of that man- to call him a snake would be a compliment.
I'm disgusted that any team is still trying to, or has become successful in avoiding payment of the bank guarantee- for the record, Perth aren't doing all that well financially, so how they get off on saying they shouldn't have to pay it boggles the mind!!!
I was starting to see some solid improvement in the League's vision to move forward (overall) in recent weeks- this just blows the whole thing to the shithouse!
And yes Brett, I am feeling some rather strong deja-vu feelings coming up from being a Brisbaneite.

Just got a press release (posted as a new topic) from BA that outlines that exception to the guarantee can be made to someone able to provide another assurance via "$50m in tangible assets".

First thought was, would this have got Groves through?

But then this is only to protect against mid-season collapses and that was not the scenario with the Bullets.

Isaac at that particular time, that would have been more than enough to get Groves through- Eddy's depth of problems wasn't revealed until a bit further on. (post June when the licence was taken away)
Even now they are still reading about specifics of what went on with him, and let's not forget the lavish $8 mil he spent to marry his long-term mistress some months ago- the man will find money when he has to- he clearly still has some and definately had enough to keep the Bullets afloat if not for his fight with Chuck when the Bullets (at the time) were the only club asked to pay a guarantee, and wasn't even criteria at the time..... hell, it still isn't even proper criteria now, and that's 10 months later!

Although not a popular choice with fans/players, maybe we needed a year off, get things right and come back with some fanfare. this process has been a debacle. What corporate sponsor would put their money with the NBL in this climate?

Shame, because the product is as good as ever, IMO.

Definately starting to agree it's too rushed and will be difficult if not impossible to wipe the slate clean again a year into reform if this isn't sorted properly.
The League are prepared to do that they have stated, but are hoping to not have to use it as an option if it can be avoided.

I understand it is a slow process, but requiring compliant EOI's six months earlier would have helped shake out these problems at a time when something could be done about it. FWIW, I think we had our season ticket renewal packages about this time last year. Not an ideal time to not even know if there will be clubs playing in the league!

Beantown-think this is showing you guys some disorganization within league and club. As you said why not yell out for help month or two ago to get this $1m. Disgrace and feels sorry for you 36ers guys

Unfortunately, no.
Chuck mentioned that because the DSEG review failed to investigate if the public (officially) wanted a summer or winter comp, they do not have the evidence to go to the Board and say, 'here's our evidence to change the season start date and also buy us some more time'.
It will either still go ahead or be delayed a season.

So was there a press confeence at the Dome at 3.15?

If so who was in attendance and what did they say. Did hey take questions or was it more smoke and mirrors BS?

i wish i could say something , bit what i want to say would probably get a letter from Mal's lawyers.

the way i see it is this is a great thing as we could finally get someone involved who has the best interests of the team at heart and knows that it is a state icon.

someone who realises that people aren't doing the job they say they are doing , that employs someone that actually looks after sponsors rather than upsets them to the point that they pull their support. despite what they tell you.

dont let the door hit you and the other person you will take with you too hard on that way out.

I love the fools that blame Mal, the guy that came in to help last time we needed it, and the guy that publicly came out and said "we are in the shit" in order to STOP the 36'ers ceasing to exist.
Its the same old fools as always on this website, claiming facts they cant back up and bitching about everyone involved. Instead of crying try thinking of what can be done NOW.

skud you do not understand what is happening. ask the right people and you will hear the truth.