I've got nothing to contribute, other than the OP's screen name is fantastic.

How do there teams go in VJBL?

can you give me one example of a development player who has improved playing big v and then been recruited to a nbl squad. the best emerging players need to play in the best development league. hence the reason why CoE is in the seabl. no disrespect to the big v and what it serves for associations at that level, but it is not a development league for nbl talent. also consider that it is a good thing that the tigers nbl team are not associated with a junior development club. in some ways it helps to break down the disconnect with the melbourne basketball public who won't support the tigers.

Dallas Jeffries.

You'll find most development players or younger NBL guys are told to play SEABL in the off season....i can't see much development from the tigers younger players in the Big V.....that is not having a go at the Big V as it serves a purpose but rather just stating what is a better devellopment pathway in terms of level of play and the road trips/extra offseason games etc.

Many Associations suffer at the Big V level as their best talent is better served elsewhere (College, AIS, SEABL, Euro, Asia) however at the same time they applaud those players who achieve at the elite level.

So what you might miss out on the swing you gain at the round-a-bout.

Maybe Melbourne is one of the leaders in this and results may fluctuate because of it, but you will always see them promoting the fact that their players make up state teams and national teams in the juniors then go on to play overseas etc... As they should!

It's not the worst scenario for any Association really, so I don't subscribe to the decline theory myself, more that it is just an adjustment or a period of rebuilding that any successful Association goes through now and again.

Also, it gives others an opportunity to fill the places of those who go on to bigger aspirations, never know what talent you can unearth along the way...

Dallas Jeffries played SEABL after he joined NBL which was after he played for Diamond Valley in BigV.

Jason Eversteyn.

David Barlow

Rebuilding I can understand. But a lot of the other Associations at the Champ level lose their talent to College, SEABL etc and still manage to stay competitive. I suppose the original question was how can Melbourne not remain at least competitive at the top of the respective levels (Seniors & Juniors) despite having and immense talent pool to draw from with their Junior Rep program ? Or do all of their good juniors who play State etc, graduate from U18's and disappear from the Tigers program forever ?

I am on Facebook with my mates trying to recall all the dudes that went from BigV to NBL. Its drying up fast. The guy that pulled out Jason Eversteyn's name is getting a slab.

To add a more serious contribution, I think one of the issues across the BigV generally is that the guys now coaching the BigV sides have little or no NBL credibility, so getting the NBL players to come back and play with them is harder.

Back when Tigers started in BigV I think Warwick Giddey was coaching, and you had Crivalli at Sandringham. Both those guys (I cannot recall any others) had the credentials to recruit NBL bench players back into their BigV groups. With respect, the guys coaching at BigV now don't have that.

Even with a high profile coach in Big V you still need some $$$ to splash around on recruiting.Unfortunately most half descent players are looking for some type of renumeration.

I didn't think Drew was coaching that side.

Gaze and Copeland are both coaching in Big V

Thanks JMc. I should clarify, i thought Drew was coaching the YL side?

The problem is that Melbourne Tigers NBL need to distance themselves from the junior program to a degree. The marketing issues for the Tigers in the NBL are that basketball people grow up loathing the Tigers as hey come up against them in juniors and are always so good. Then you are trying to turn that loathing around to make these people support you at a senior level. That is why the Melbourne community need an alternative NBL team to support as we are being forced to barrack for Collingwood!!

The structure of basketball just doesn't lend itself well to the top level working at the moment.

Getting back to the Big V team. When Giddey, D-Mac, etc were involved and you had the guys like Greer, Corletto, Daniel Johnson, etc playing, it worked well but eventually they had to allow Corletto and Greer to seek out other options where they could earn decent money rather than playing for squat with the Big V Tigers.

In the end it comes down to hacing cash for a couple of imports or getting the best locals not wanting to play SEABL.

With more teams now in SCM and those who have entered willing to spend $$$ it will make it even harder for teams in that div whom don't want to spend anymoney.

A high profile coach doesn't get guys to your team unless they bring some cash with them....why would i stop getting paid $5K as a uni student to play for free in the hope Gaze might put a word in for me with the Tigers......ain't gonna happen!

But how does the relationship between NBL & Champ Mens, translate into poor performances the last few years with the Champ Womens ?
And the Youth Women this year clearly struggling...

i still don't understand why clubs at big v level bother paying imports. what a waste of money. invest those $ in some coach development.

If anybody saw Grantley Bernard coach you'd know why the womens team finished last. Too reactive and focused on opposition coach's moves instead of his own. Stick to inaccurate media coverage mate!

If it wasn't for the "Tigers" brand they wouldn't play in the Champ division...they won a combined 5 games this year between both teams...that is very poor!

They have little prospects of this improving at all as the mens has been a basketcase since the NBL bench players deal fell over and the womens since 2013 have struggled to win.

Surely this needs to be looked at moving forward....they are not viable in the division as the best youth players head off to college and go back to there old junior clubs to play champ/seabl.

TW could they be competitive at D1 level?

In D1 they'd be ok depending on which kids play...part of what hurts them is the chops/changes to th line up, one week they are ok (beaten by 15pt) then the next game they struggle to field a team and get flogged.

It is almost like they are running it like a YL program with guys picking up a few games before college or filling in for a few games before State juniors or other commitments etc.

Pretty sure YL is for this desgined for that type of player program development and not the flagship division of the league which is senior ball and all about winning.