Rumour is Wellington want the next license. Would this affect the breakers at all?

Don't expand yet. I’d like another Melbourne team but doubt Larry would allow that.

A 10 team competition is the NBL's goal for the foreseeable future. The NBL are wresting with the idea of having an AFL affiliate team play in Melbourne and Perth.

A 2nd Melbourne/VIC team will happen within a couple years. Whilst i love AFL, I'm not convinced an AFL aligned team is a good idea. I'd like to support a 2nd Melbourne team, but if it was say, Collingwood, I wouldn't watch it, nor would anyone who wasn't a Collingwood supporter. I like the idea of a Victorian team, thus meaning they represent the state. Play at Margaret Court Arena (State Basketball Centre is too small) plus a couple home games in Bendigo or Geelong.

10th team I think should between Wellington and Perth. The crowds Perth are getting are too good to not at least consider a 2nd team. Considering Perth only has 2 AFL teams, perhaps an AFL affiliate (Fremantle Dockers) could work.

I can't see Hobart getting a team. Issue is they don't have a great basketball arena. If I'm not mistaken, it is the Derwent Entertainment Centre, which would be pretty shit for Basketball. An entire length of the court has no seating.

Hobart Devils

Wellington Orcas

I don't really want another NZ team in the league. Their courts and broadcasting looks really crappy, and I just don't like the idea of them becoming dominant in our league. One NZ team is enough, thanks.

I agree with ME about NZ court not looking good.
I have no problem with second NZ based side.

I think the affiliation with an AFL team is good as these Clubs are starting to see themselves as sporting clubs, not just AFL clubs. We have seen that with Collingwood and netball.

A Collingwood NBL team. OMG They would be more hated than Perth and can you imagine their teeth and tats, and that's just on the cheer squad girls.

Are Wellington still being considered? Last I heard (which was a while ago), their owner didn't want to pay a license fee to enter the NBL, or something along those lines?

Thinking that LK would have told Wellington that they've had their chance and now no longer a priority with Melbourne and Hobart more favoured.

I'm off the NZ expansion too. Agree with above posters re their ugly courts and broadcasting. Plus they annoyingly refer to the NBL as ANBL which I get, but I hate that.

They simply must put a team in regional Australia preferably Victoria. How about Ballarat? I would also accept Bendigo.

Otherwise kickball will become too dominant there.

I think we've covered it before, but an NBL team needs about $4M to 6M to function. There's only so much you can get through ticket sales, so sponsorship is necessary and the NBL needs a large sponsor with TV rights to get money into the league. Merch sales only go a certain way as well as the raffle girls.

I'm sure there's some break even numbers too on crowd levels. An NBL team probably needs 3,000 (min) as a paying crowd to survive. Look at how quickly things went pear shaped when Townsville crowds dropped.

The AFL pretty much has all the car companies stitched up with every AFL club getting sponsored by one club or another. Cars are the second biggest purchase after a house, so their marketing budget is pretty high. Need a family friendly FMCG that needs to spend a few $M on marketing. I read somewhere that successful FMCG companies spend 5 to 10% of their turnover on marketing, so probably need to find a company willing to invest in sponsorship of a team.

Have any of the above mentioned teams though been slated for a 2018 entry ?

Yes Bendigo is an excellent idea

Hobart need to sort their home arena if they want a team. For those who don't know what it looks like, link below.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5886ec5fe6f2e1097e90f6a0/58ae456ebebafb364664f887/5983afb7e4fcb5fed2bc661d/1501803264208/001+untitled-0902_1.jpg?format=1500w

If we go down the AFL route with an NBL expansion team then there is only one team we could have and that is Geelong, they have their own supporter base, they are already of the mindset of us against the world, Melbourne United still get Melbourne all to themselves but can set up a rivalry and derby games can be held at the big stadiums.

I really want to see Tasmania get a team that goes to Hobart, Launceston and maybe even Devonport and perhaps even have their home jersey in the colours of the region they are playing in front of (more jersey sales that way potentially too) and hopefully Bubbles returns home and becomes the face.

I'd love the Cannons to return even as an AIS type team like the WNBL had but not sure how imports would work with that but I'm sure they would help development playing against them in training each day.

Perth/Fremantle and Wellington and Gold Coast Asian team can wait.

A few years back Big Joe said he was trying to get an NBL team in Darwin, I think if the league is prosperous then that could be an interesting place to play some games if not have a team there too

I wouldn't mind actually seeing a "B" league with the level a little under the NBL standard and about SEABL, but still entertaining enough to be worth a night out. Salaries would be pretty low but maybe the league would be populated by development players and the old crusty player retired from the NBL

hoprfully canberra ,hobart ,goldcoast,south melbourne,townsville