I've got nothing against the AEC move but they're trying to excite us about things we already had at Adelaide Arena. I mean, An LED cube and sidelines? We've had that. Wanna excite me? Tell me something new.

Isn't this becoming a taxpayer funded move to a government venue for a privately owned sporting team? How is that right? What if they spent that money upgrading the Arena completely and make it a spectacular purpose built basketball stadium? My kids played some of there games at the Arena last year and there was all sorts of construction happening, a government grant? to upgrade facilities, what happens to that, is that just wasted? spend some more or spread it around to all basketball venues!!

The thing I take from this article is that the AEC is committed to making this work for the Sixers. I think anon #723 above is correct in that the AVMC is looking at building a new multi-purpose venue in the city (next to the Convention Centre I heard) and they see a successful Sixers team as something that will help them lobby government to make it happen.

If the AVMC/ AEC is truly committed to this then I hope they listen to the long time fans and spend some money on customised portable stands. If they don't do this, most people are just going to have a terrible viewing experience and they won't come back. In my opinion getting a good view of the game is way more important than a new score cube or a better sound and lighting system.

Also, catering to the corporates and VIPs with sideline seats that significantly impact the viewing quality of members is not going to cut it. There simply aren't enough corporates and VIPs and they won't come week in, week out, year after year like the members do.

By all means have some VIP and corporate seats, but the layout I saw for the members day needs a rethink. Get rid of that giant gap behind the VIP seats and get stands that start only a few metres from courtside like at Adelaide Arena. Then you're starting to look more like a serious basketball venue!

The Adelaide Venue Management Company is a State Government entity (i.e., a government business enterprise). In 2017-18 its nett loss was $9.7 million. That was including $24.2m in income from SA Government as the 'fee' for property management services. i.e., looking after AEC, Coopers Stadium and ACC.

It's reasonable to interpret any expenditure by AVMC to prepare for the 36ers' move to AEC as effectively taxpayer funding as it increases the deficit funding needed from the Government for AVMC to continue to function.

Kind of ironic given the State Government pulled the plug on continuing to support the BSA's running of the then Powerhouse, now Arena, all those years ago. Such is life.

Thank you PeterJohn, was about to ask if state owned = government venue?
So to reiterate tax payers are paying for the 36ers (privately owned) to move to the Entertainment Centre (government owned) and taking awa y from a community not for profit venue they have already wasted thousands to upgrade facilities.
Is there some connection here I am missing?

Wow, so a tax payer funded move is helping the 36ers move to a venue away from a venue owned by a not for profit in Scouts. This Liberal govt sure is doing great for the state. Rumour is the owner of the 36ers girlfriend is the minister for child protection who is a sitting Liberal Party member. What a corrupt disgrace!

I think about how much of our money the government wastes.

I'm not going to lose sleep when some of that is spent benefiting the Sixers.

You obviously no children that play basketball in some of the substandard tin shed stadiums around Adelaide

Rumour is the owner of the 36ers girlfriend is the minister for child protection who is a sitting Liberal Party member. What a corrupt disgrace!

Koberulz sometimes it is just better to say nothing instead of making yourself look like an idiot bogan.

It's pretty common knowledge out there what tax payer said. Do your own research.

"Also, catering to the corporates and VIPs with sideline seats that significantly impact the viewing quality of members is not going to cut it. There simply aren't enough corporates and VIPs and they won't come week in, week out, year after year like the members do."

ROFL

I just can't get excited about the move, the team or the season.

Would be happy to be proven wrong.

Even Dad has dropped his 2x25 year memberships.

Cryptic comment D2.0... care to explain?