No word on cotton...

Have all the NBA guys committed to play?

Cotton has been ruled out due to not getting his citizenship in time.

It's because of covid travel restrictions really. He was meant to be out of the country to get his visa approved but because he never left Perth it didn't get processed until the ministerial intervention a few months ago.

There was also some hold ups with the IOC I believe. Not sure of the specifics but apparently they were difficult to deal with.

If you don't love it ME, leave!

Dont be shocked if he doesnt get Citizenship for atleast another 6-12 months

One of the more recent NBL examples

Kevin Lisch, arrived in 2009, got Citizenship in 2016

Cotton arrived in Jan 2017, so been here a shorter space of time than it took Lisch

Sure plenty of factors and timings involved, but they are both going through similar cicrumstances of playing NBL basketball, Aussie partner, aussie children, so not unrealistic to expect it to take a similar amount of time.

Sure, even if Cotton gets through the process 2 years quicker as a result, it still took Lisch 5 years of playing in Australia (not all consecutive), and being married to an Australian prior to becoming a Citizen

Hence why I said Similar not exactly the same.

Cotton has been In Australia for now 4 years ish, not all consecutive as he has headed back to the USA at times in the off seasons and had an offseason stint in Europe in 2018 too

Even at 5 years you are looking at Jan 2022 ish for Cotton, so I wont be shocked if it takes 6-12 months or more to happen

Also, everything is slower at the moment with COVID etc

Immigration rules changed a lot since lisch got naturalised, they should have rang the afl boss, he can get people into the country on a phone call.

Yes the immigration rules did recently change but Cotton applied under the old system which means he should have been out of the country when it was assessed. The Dept said they wouldn't automatically process applications under the new rules, meaning Cotton would either have to start again or get the minister to intervene which is what eventually happened.

I'm pretty sure when you apply as a Special Talent or whatever it's called, the timeframes are different.

The over arching point is it seems to take around 5+ years in Australia to get citizenship, which is similar time it took Lisch, and even if Cotton was given it tomorrow he has been here 4.4 years so a similar amount of time, so dont be shocked if it takes a little longer after this NBL season and even another 6-12 months for him to get it, ie 5+ years.

I always said similar not the same, and the point was less about Lisch, more I wouldnt be expecting Cotton to get it much within 5 years since arriving.

I personally expect Cotton to be classed as an import at the start of next season, could be wrong, but dont be shocked if this is the case.

Given the rules that changed in 2017 its almost impossible to get it much quicker than 5 years, some basic criteria is

Applicants for citizenship by conferral would generally need to show that they meet the "General Residence" requirement.
This would mean showing that they have been present in Australia for at least:

The last 4 years, on any temporary, permanent or bridging visa, with a maximum of 12 months overseas; and
The last 12 months, on a permanent visa, with a maximum of 3 months overseas
Previously, it was possible to count time spent in Australia on a temporary visa or bridging visa towards the 4-year requirement in (1) above.
The announced changes would require that applicants hold a permanent visa for 4 years before applying. This would potentially require applicants to wait a further 3 years before applying for Australian citizenship.

Of course some pro athletes may be able to get things pushed through a little quicker at times, but I am personally not expecting this to be the case with Cotton.

This also lines up with the 5 plus years it took people I know from USA, China, Phillipenes, Sudan to get citizenship from when they arrived in Australia, obviously all applying etc at varying times etc, many of these friends applied at the earliest possible point too, which Cotton may not of.


Personally if I was placing a bet on it, id be betting on Jan 2022 being around the time frame.

Yes that's right. He applied for his visa under the old system, he should have been out of the country after last season but due to covid he couldn't leave. The govt didn't process his application because he didn't/couldn't follow the process, and that's why it was severely delayed.

If there was no covid he would have likely had his visa approved in the off season and then the citizenship process would have started.

Cram is correct, and those rules have been in place since April 2017, which is just after Cotton arrived, so he wouldn't have qualified under any old systems.

I think the Wildcats stuffed up and were unrealistic in their expectation, which has proven to be the case. I hope they are now planning to start next season with Cotton as an import, I wouldn't assume differently until the day he actually becomes a citizen, which is hard to see happening prior to the new year.

Forget the estimated timeframes. Cotton was all but ready to get his visa approved last off season but he couldn't complete the process because of the covid travel restrictions. If he had been able to get that sorted it would have been likely he'd be an Aussie citizen midway through the season.

I would imagine at the time they were in a bit of a no win situation. They either start the process again which would have taken longer, or they needed to pressure the government for intervention which is what eventually happened.

Between the rules changing and plenty of things being delayed by covid, I don't think they had much of a choice except to be optimistic.

And the previous immigration minister was a Dutton protege so he would have been more focused on keeping brown people out of the country.

Anyone know when the Boomers squad will be getting their COVID vaccinations? Given the recent kerfuffle about the swimmers'concerns with Pfizer second dose knocking them about, physically, for the Australian Championships, I’m wondering if there’s any concerns from NBL teams headed for playoffs, who have Boomers’ squad members?

Playoffs start in ~3 weeks and should take ~3 weeks. Then Boomers’ prep in USA would be 1-2 weeks after the playoffs end. Olympic tournament would start 1-2 weeks after that. Not sure where in that timetable they’ll fit in two shots with 3-4 weeks between them and a week to recover after the seocond shot, without risk of affecting either playoffs or Olympic preparation. Probable best to time the second shot at the end of June, first week of July, which would put first shot just before or in the first week of NBL playoffs?

As if the Olympics are going ahead...

Who's confirmed for America?

Eric Trump, Don Jr, Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Reath has played a total of 10 minutes in three game in the GF series in the aba. He's basically warmed the bench all season. How do some of these players make the team. The aba is nowhere as tough as it was as the money in these countries are struggling.

With cotton out, cuts and poor performers, list is now 19


Mills - lock
Dellavedova - lock
Goulding - lock
Sobey
Exum
Thybulle - lock
Green
Creek
Broekhoff
Ingles - lock
Giddey
Cooks
Kay
Simmons - lock
Motum
Landale - lock
Baynes - lock
Maker
Humphries


Onky 4 spots open imo. 2 of which must be post players.

Goorj said he's taking Giddey and green. You would think Kay has to be in, Humphries injured, Maker not playing and no good. Motum has had a great season in Turkey and now in France. Cooks could be a chance now.

Cooks has zero chance

Giddey too early imo, defense and shooting is needed. It's the now not oh let’s take one for future BS.

Cooks should be zero chance but the bodies are thin on the ground.

Cooks is versatile and athletic, would not suprise me if he beats out kay.

#017 it's too early to be drinking straight from the cask

My Latest Boomers team

Baynes/Humphries
Landale/Motum
Ingles/Thybulle
Mills/Goulding/Green
Simmons/Delly/Giddey

Nick Kay as next in line and could take the spot of Humphries or Motum without me being too concerned

With goorj,

S5
Simmons - guards the 4 on d
Mills - guards the 1 on d
Ingles - guards the 3 on d
Thybulle - guards the 2 on d
Baynes - guards the 5 on d

Bogut says cooks is a must.

It's nice to have friends, Bogut. The kings last season performed a lot better with Moller in the team than Cooks, not saying he should be picked. Most kings supporters on games I’ve been to also think this.

He has played 4 games for the kings and the only reason he suited up was to be eligible for finals. The Boomers are not taking someone who probably wont even be back to match fitness by the time Tokyo rolls around.