BASKETBALL Australia chief executive officer Anthony Moore wants his game to have more respect nationally, so he is starting with the basics – transparency.
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Moore spoke directly to key Ballarat basketball stakeholders in a small, special presentation at Sovereign Hill on Thursday night.
The gathering continues his meetings, largely informal, with the game’s state bodies, recruiters, coaches and players in town for the Australian under 18 and wheelchair basketball championships.
He wants to share his view and vision on the game with the people on the front lines.
“This is a chance to tell our story,” Moore told The Courier. “Amazing future talent will come out of these championships, there is so much depth ... As an organisation, we need to promote that more.”
Moore spoke on strengthening pathways, including the key role the South East Australian Basketball League – which features Ballarat’s marquee teams – can play in developing talent for national domestic competition and Australian international teams.
He gave details on organisational restructure for basketball’s national governing body and key areas to improve both the men’s
and women’s national
leagues.
Both points were reinforced from a national coaching perspective in fellow guest speaker Brendan Joyce, the Australian Opals coach whose first coaching job was leading the Ballarat Miners.
Moore and Basketball Vic-
toria chief Nick Honey said it was also important in their visit to show their aligned support for the game and stadium development in Ballarat, a city where the game is booming and facilities are bursting.
“Ballarat is an important regional position for basketball. In the WNBL, Bendigo and Townsville played off for the title, both regional teams, and Ballarat is a significant piece of that regional puzzle in opening the game and pathways in Victoria,” Moore said.
“Basketball’s in great shape here, it’s a facility issue, and we need to find ways to ensure we are never turning people away from the game.”
Honey has been delighted with the progress of the under- 18 championships in Ballarat on a logistical, professional and crowd support level.
Ballarat, he said, was chosen as host on confidence in what this city would deliver.
The championships’ semi-finals will be play on Friday ahead of Saturday’s medal deciders.
MEN
Quarter-finals Thursday
NSW Country 70 d WA Metro 67
Vic Metro 77 d Vic Country 46
NSW Metro 72 d SA Metro 70
Queensland North 89 d ACT 59
Semi-finals, Friday
1pm: WA Metro v Vic Country (Minerdome 2)
3pm: Vic Metro v NSW Country (Minerdome 1)
5pm: SA Metro v ACT (WSEC 1)
7pm: Queensland North v NSW Metro (Minerdome 1)
Pool AA
9am: SA Country v Northern Territory (Minerdome 1)
11am: Queensland South v Tasmania (WSEC 1)
5pm: WA Country v SA Country (WSEC 1)
WOMEN
Quarter-finals Thursday
SA Country 77 d NSW Country 59
NSW Metro 77 d Vic Country 70
SA Metro 78 d Queensland South 47
Vic Metro 73 d WA Metro 38
Semi-finals, Friday
1pm: NSW Metro v SA Country (Minerdome 1)
1pm: NSW Country v Vic Country (WSEC 1)
3pm: Queensland Soputh v WA Metro (Minerdome 2)
5pm: Vic Metro v SA Metro (Minerdome 1)
Pool AA
9am: Queensland North v ACT (Minerdome 2)
11am: NT v Tasmania (Minerdome 2)
7pm: WA Country v Queensland North (WSEC 1)
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au