This reads like its just for Domestic and maybe VJBL only. Wonder how it effects Big V & NBL1?

This has been a long time coming; fantastic news for the region, for everyone involved in sport in the Greater Geelong area (not just basketball) and will also impact positively on those Associations in the surrounding regions as well. The clubs (and there are many of them) are all in favour of this merger, which will provide a catalyst for more productive cooperation between the new united Geelong & Corio Bay Basketball Association, local government and council as well as BV and BVC. I am certain opportunities will follow that will boost the sport at all levels and place Geelong near the top of the basketball map in many ways.

It is certain the Supercats will remain as our NBL1 entity and I am sure will have the scope to launch into NBL down the track with this merger allowing the opportunity to expand with a suitable venue to be built surely now on the agenda. If Bendigo & Ballarat can do it, Geelong should be next...

Big V teams will still exist, under one banner so senior and youth league will just be combined under one united brand, allowing Bellarine, Surf Coast or Colac to also continue in the Big V or build towards it independently.

VJBL will be stronger, with teams likely to compete in VC across all age groups and opportunity for our domestic clubs to compete against each other across several stadiums at the moment will also provide opportunity to improve in many areas.

Officials, databases, merging fees, professionalism and creating a streamlined pathway and many many more benefits are to come from this. There are essentially no negatives, just things that need to be worked out so the transition is achieved for the start of next summer season, so I for one (and my club) am 1,000% behind this merger and can't wait to see it all develop!

Congratulations to our CEO and Association Presidents for working together to make this happen, well done!

So the clubs are actually merging and not just launching a partnership?

How will it work with the Big V and NBL1 side? Didn't Geelong have to drop the Big V side (which brought on the Bellarine team) as you weren't allowed both? Or am I getting stories crossed here.

maybe some teams down the peninsula way should do the same - westernport, mornington, Chelsea, sth penn they could grab hold of maybe a keysie group and become a bit stronger, more resources etc?

@Greggo,

It is a new Association, so the NBL1 team will be a separate entity on it's own, still under the Supercats banner but the Big V teams will be under the new united banner.

That's how I see it, so there will be senior Big V teams and youth league from Geelong, also in the winter the Supercats NBL1, but still wearing their red colours and staying as Supercats.

The Big V and VJBL teams will become something new, a combination of the two Associations, representing the united brand of the new Association and wearing new colours.

That way everyone is happy and the pathway stays, does that make sense?

Great news!

Yep, cheers for the response.

amazing news

well done Geelong

Its a hard to park egos with any sort of merger and people wanting things to be as they always were, pooling of resources to make things stronger is optimal but not always possible

WP/Mornington would be a great move, especially with that new facility down there

Not a problem anon^ if the power to be don't make it one. If a player plays YL under an Association not the same as the the BNL1 team he can essentially move I guess, but the teams will be stronger and I don't see any need for the NBL1 bench being filled with YL players to be honest.

Regardless, that is such an insignificant issue compared with the bigger picture here that no one will worry about it, I am certain about that...

Bear, thanks for your comments.

A couple of questions. Will they have sufficient population (400k?), community and business support to look to an NBL team? I think you mentioned NBL. Or are they staying with nbl1? Or looking to the NZNBL?

Currently, outside of imports, I believe they pay very little to their nbl1 players? Do you see any change of policy in regard to this?

I'm guessing that the merger makes them a fairly significant member of the basketball community?

@Team Mate, as mentioned correctly by the anon^ post above this is all new and there will obviously be many transitional considerations and adjustments to be made before next season, when the new Association is proposed to take effect.

NBL1, I expect will remain the focus until all of those potential sponsorship, financial, stadium issues etc... are sorted out over the next years or so. I expect Geelong will be in a position of strength one day, but I would not put a date on it just yet, much to work on to get the merger up and running first.

One thing is for certain, the population in the Greater Geelong catchment area is not slowing down!

Yes anon^, I also expect CBL to continue in the summer, why wouldn't it........?

"Colac are entering Big V next season..."

They've come a long way from the 90s when only a handful of us played basketball and even fewer in winter. Good to see.

I think its a good and bad thing, a united strong team in all areas is what Geelong elite basketball needs but variety is the spice of life and not every kid needs to be in the same leagues etc as the next.

Well done to Geelong United would have been a huge task with a lot of friendship lines that are sometimes hard to break.