No point having a population of 115000 as a selling point when only 4000 can attend. There would be minimal opportunity for commercial growth.

NO.

Not too dissimilar to Cairns populations, I like the idea.

Bendigo can barely support a WNBL team with about 7 people in attendance each home game. Are we sure the NBL will survive there? Townsville kills it with their WNBL team (big crowds) but they couldn't keep an NBL team afloat.

Their WNBL team is barely surviving.

Jack what are you doing in Bendigo?

Why not at their house?

Bendigo isn't the largest inland city in Australia.
Both Canberra and Toowoomba are both bigger.
Besides that, I don’t think Bendigo’s size is big enough to support an NBL side from a sponsorship point of view.
Plenty of bigger centres that are definitely in front of them purely based on population:
Ie Hobart, Canberra, Newcastle, Geelong, Gold Coast

Their WNBL team has had ups and downs but the SEABL team has always been a strong team with good backing. The braves always seem to get the highest quality imports and put together a competitive team.

Bendigo Bank is pretty loyal to both with support throughout the decades.

The new facilities at Bendigo Stadium are nice. $16.5 million on top of what was already a basketball mecca. If you get a chance check it out

Yeah, nah.
Harvey can coach but as already mentioned the WNBL team isn't that great.
Their mens seabl team draws not many, despite the dollars being spent and their recent success's has done nothing to draw any more people. It will be interesting to see how long the 4000 seat stadium is used for in a seabl season. The novelty will soon wear off I expect and the crowd numbers will go back to normal.
I don't think regional teams are the answer at all.
Why not Ballarat? Penrith? West Sydney? Kalgoorlie?
Hobart are already in discussion and should be the next team in. The NBL are planning games there next season already.

Ben Harvey is a money chasing sellout

Yeah right , would love to seem my team play Bendigo ... Not

Bring back the tigers!!!

The Tigers at local level have nothing SFA.
No home, no money and other than lots if kids playing for them, nothing.
Their Seabl entry is poor.
Gaze gone. Proving how bad he was.

Never a good star5 when yo7 have to start your sales pitch with 'hear me out' it’s a massive no from me. Large cities with large potential for growth only or leave the league as is.

If only the NBL had a second tier league like this:
1 WA team
1 SA team
1 Melb based team
1 Regional Vic team
Geelong
Sydney
Gold Coast
Townsville
Newcastle
Tasmanian team

10 teams, 18 games . Top 4 playoff
Play from June to late August
2 imports per team.

SA left the seabl. Brisbane too. NSW as well. Aint gonna happen.

What sort of fantasy discussion is this. Everyone knows Wagga Wagga is Australia's biggest inland town (measured by BMI).

Unless they've moved the border last time I looked mt gambier was in SA.

I meant to say Adel left the seabl. Apologies

Bendigo cannot sustain an NBL side. Melbourne has almost 5 million people, 100% the next Victorian team will be Melbourne based.

That said I think the inevitable 2nd Melbourne team should be in the ilk of the Victorian Titans or South Dragons and therefore appeal to the entire state of VIC. Play a couple home games Bendigo, have clinics in country VIC etc.

Harvey assisting with the Hawks as an Asst. I notice.

"In saying that, Cairns and Illawarra work well but big business needs to support a NBL franchise"
This exactly the opposite of what Kestleman wants for new franchises.
He wants small ownerships groups without having to rely on big business to see clubs through.
Grassroots basketball is equally important and all new franchises will have to address that issue as well.

Anon, you are on the money, so to speak. Geelong didn't work, yeah like South East Melbourne, Coburg, South Dragons and the list goes on didn't work.

How many of those franchises had a 4,000 seat show court to use like Bendigo have just built? In those days it was very different, so Nannaisalwayswrong!

Hobart is already in.