Ultimately, I think this is healthier for the league. Perth were in the mix this season and will be again - they've got the money and professionalism to lure someone back from Europe or get decent imports. And if they don't, then someone else can have a turn in the playoffs.

It's useful for Brisbane to get wins on the board so the NBL can extricate themselves from ownership and so they can hopefully lift their crowds.

If Perth get Kay, they will have regained a Matt Knight-type and be fine. Hawks might get decimated and not even have enough fans or expectation to start a fan disappointment thread...

Worried-no
Frustrated-yes
Its becoming a groundhog day kind of thing in Perth, silent in free agency with local talent then hype a few highlight guys out of summer league, roll them out with the same 6 locals we've had for 5 years.
We are a very happy bunch here in the West when we are winning but is anyone looking at the post Damo, Hire, Wagstaff era?

Hoping for Nick Kay, if we don't manage to get him there aren't a lot of good Aussies left.
Froling and or one top level college returnee would be great we need youth on the roster.
Hoping DKD and Hire won't be back. Don't want Lucas Walker back either but have a gut feeling he will stay.

Need to get best imports possible, Cooke was a role player and Tokoto was slumping towards the end.

Ughh ... the Wildcats screw up yet again.
I don't know how much longer I can continue to be a fan of this team. All they ever do is disappoint.

Forgot about Corey Webster, he would be better than Gliddon anyway

It will all come to naught when the Wildcats sign Prather, Norton and Kay. ;)

The main failure for Perth was Steindl "replacing" Knight and now they are stuck with him for another year. So no need for another 3 & NoD, 28yo in Gliddon.
McCarron was target #1 and missing out on him is the disappointment.
The development/young players didn't show anything of value compared to Melb, Adel and NZ's kids...
With Hire injured all season, Kenny only coming alive at the end and Walker falling apart at the end it's critical to get the support roster spots filled by someone useful.
Why worry about signing old local players that aren't delivering or getting better (DJ, Gliddon, Steindl, Hire, Walker, Kenny, Vukona)

I have it on the good authority of anonymous posters here that DJ and Gliddon are Perth bound. Expect an announcement any second now.

This is my favourite thread of the year

Perth has some drawbacks when it comes to recruiting. Its not necessarily about the appeal of joining a club with a winning culture, professionalism or playing in a great venue in front of huge crowds.

Some free agents, apart from better money on offer, might bypass Perth because they want to go to a club that still wants to prove itself. A chance to create new success at a club that is desperate for it, rather than one just has just had a ton of success recently.

Then you factor in cost of living, the appeal of other cities rather than living in Perth, and the appeal of not having to fly too long distances during the season, and they could be considered more appealing than playing for the Wildcats from a free agents point of view.

This isn't like AFL, or even NBA. There is no draft and there are no real equalization measures, so you don't need to build a squad for years.
And you really can't. You can only sign 11 players plus DPs.

Plus for all those rubbishing Perth's core, this is the same core that made up a third of our CG team.

I think Gliddon could have fit in well at Perth, but at this point he probably wants a high-minute starting spot, not coming off the bench.

Perth has won 3 rings in 4 years, and still made the finals, and lets be honest a 3-peat would not have been good for the league.

It will be interesting to see how the squad shapes up for next season. They had a few guys not contributing, so will be watching to see if they all get axed.

Yeah agreed #684374, I guess I see the available "older" NBL players as complimentary players not players to build around. The younger developing ones (ie McCarron, Kay) you can build around.

Don't think anyone is rubbishing the core but when a drop has comes (be it health, age, skill) for that core it's been shown we don't have the bench to step up anymore.

It's also been a while since we've acquired a quality Aussie out of college either (Wags the last one?)

Greenwood.

LOL at this premature thread