Basketball On The Internet.

REST assured Brisbane basketball junkies. You will have an elite national league team next season. Hell. Maybe even two.

If the NBL ever lets us in on its little “Who is running the Brisbane Bullets proposed franchise?” we could feel a bit more confident that it has legs.

On the WNBL front, south-east Queensland has not one but TWO bids for teams in the 2015-16 season.

Jason Chainey, formerly with Logan Thunder, is the identifiable face behind the South East Queensland Sting bid, while Shane Heal is behind the other bid to return elite women’s basketball to the south-east of the state4.

One of those two bids already is so confident, it has approached Opals FIBA World Championship playmaker, dual-WNBA champion and WNBL champion Erin Phillips (pictured() to quarterback its new team.

(Leave you to figure out which bid would have the audacity to do that without Basketball Australia yet formalising bid approval.)

Talking with BA chief executive officer Anthony Moore, he confirms both bids are good and one will definitely be playing WNBL next season.

"It's two different bids and, in terms of initial feedback, there's credibility with both," Moore said.

That means basketball fans in the south-east of the state can confidently tick one box.

As for a return of the Bullets?

Hearing a few conflicting stories – a hummingbird tells me Leroy Loggins is driving a bid and I also hear a Melbourne-based millionaire has completed a fait accompli – but, like most people and corporates actually in Brisbane, the news is very light on the ground.

Whatever game the NBL is playing with this, it simply cannot afford to have it blow up in its face. But, aware new TV deals involve having a Brisbane-based team, still expect this to happen.

Like the good folk of Brisbane have repeatedly been saying though, it would be nice to see something concrete. This is February, after all.

For Brisbane and south-east Queensland basketball fans, a feast should be following this famine.


IT will be sad to see two champion players – and people - in Jessica Foley and Jennifer Screen play their final WNBL games tonight at Adelaide Arena.

Both Lightning stars have announced their retirements, effective at season’s end, and with Adelaide’s last game next week in Whyalla, tonight is the last chance for the club’s Adelaide-based fans to say farewell.

They deserve a huge send-off against Sydney Uni Flames.

Foley, a starter on Adelaide’s last WNBL Champion in 2008 also played in a Grand Final series with Townsville.

A terrific shooter, she has been invaluable across 251 games with her all-round game and competitiveness.

Screen wrote the book on competitiveness, suffering more facial and head injuries than any player in WNBL history due to her fearless approach and reckless courage.

Having spent several years playing in Europe, Screen has 176 WNBL games in her back pocket, along with a cluster of medals with Opals teams, including the 2006 World Championship Gold and 2012 London Olympics Bronze.

Both have been a huge part of the fabric of the league this century and not only will sorely be missed as players and characters but unique and irreplaceable.

On behalf of the basketball community, I wish them only the very best in their future endeavours and thank them for the many great moments and memories they have given us.


ADELAIDE has completed an NBL hat-trick clean sweep for January and the first week of February.

Power forward Brock Motum is the league’s Player of the Month for January, Joey Wright is Coach of the Month and import Jamar Wilson the Player of the Week.

Can’t recall that happening too often and well done to all.


THE Batgirl, Suzy Batkovic, is enjoying 2015, awarded Townsville’s Athlete of the Year accolade on Australia Day.

Against Canberra and her old friends Abby Bishop, Carrie Graf, Carly Wilson and Co, Suzy will run out for her milestone 250th game.

Wishing her all the very best too.


(So, what do you think. How’s my New Year’s Resolution to be fair and generous in "Fabruary" working out so far?)



WNBL Player of the Week

CANNOT help feeling the WNBL had the right team but maybe the wrong player when it named Gabe Richards its Player of the Week after her 21 points (at 77 per cent), 13 rebounds and three assists in the win over Sydney.

She backed that with 10 points and six rebounds in the win over Townsville.

Hmm. OK.

On our measure here at the architecturally-designed B.O.T.I. offices, hair-weaving and pickle-packaging plant, we remain very content with our pick of Bendigo import and Gabe’s teammate Kelsey Griffin for her 15 points and 10 rebounds against Sydney, and additional 18 points at 67 per cent with nine rebounds in the win over Townsville.

Well done to Gabe regardless and congratulations to the NBL for correctly identifying Jamar Wilson as its PotW.



NBL Rankings

This Wk-Prev (Record)

8 (7) KINGS 9-14 – With no help allowed, it’s a tough road to the finish line.

7 (5) UNITED 11-12 – Just not showing any heart or anything convincing.

6 (8) HAWKS 4-20 – Belted Melbourne and narrowly lost in Cairns. Flying now.

5 (6) CROCODILES 8-16 – Currently the best side out of the four, for what that’s worth.

4 (4) WILDCATS 14-10 – Trying to gather some momentum again. Look out if they do.

3 (3) BREAKERS 18-6 – Need to string a few together now to make their run at top.

2 (2) 36ERS 13-11 – Form team at present with six straight wins and rolling.

1 (1) TAIPANS 18-6 – Have answered road challenges before and this is a good one.



WNBL Rankings

This Wk-Prev (Record)

8 (7) WAVES 4-16 – Key players went missing last week in Adelaide. Disappointing.

7 (8) LIGHTNING 5-15 – Surprised last round with 2-0 return and ready for the hat-trick.

6 (6) BOOMERS 9-10 – Another tough weekend which will determine the season.

5 (3) CAPITALS 10-10 – LJ gone, lost at home to Lightning, now Fire away. Ouch.

4 (5) FLAMES 9-10 – Fate back in own hands but losing Mikaela Ruef is a bad blow.

3 (4) SPIRIT 14-6 – Great return last round and should deflate the Boomers.

2 (1) FIRE 15-4 – Couldn’t get the sweep but still travelling relatively comfortably.

1 (2) RANGERS 12-7 – Can put Boomers out of the equation and maintain top-two pressure.



This Week's Tips

DEPLETED but undefeated in spirit, Sydney will give as good an account of itself as it can against the surging Sixers at Adelaide Arena. Tom Garlepp will continue to show the 36ers what they wasted while he was anchored to their bench a few years ago, as will former development player Ben Madgen. Jason Cadee also will want to light up. That 36ers frontline though looks way too ominous.

CAIRNS can clinch homecourt for the semi finals if it wins at Perth Arena at a time when the Wildcats are just again starting to get their game back together. Or for “game”, maybe read “team” back together. Matty Knight and Greg Hire have another week under their belts now and the home crowd will be huge. If the Taipans are title threats, this is a must win. They’ll get it too.

WOLLONGONG ambushed Melbourne as predicted last week and it’s time for United to repay the favour. With so much at stake now for Melbourne, if the group can’t get its act together then the simple hard truth is they just aren’t good enough. Having seen Melbourne at both ends of its playing spectrum, it is hard to believe it will let its season go but that’s what this game amounts to. United to get up.

NEW Zealand has had a chance to heal and recover for its final push for top spot and it starts here in Townsville. The Crocodiles’ best is more than good enough and again it comes down to which team needs this bad enough – the one playing for pride or the one playing for first place? The frontcourt match-ups are gems – Conklin-Vukona, Gladness-Ibekwe/Pledger – as is Blanchfield versus Abercrombie. Cedric wins it.

REGARDLESS of what occurred in Perth, Cairns cannot afford any sort of let up on the way home through Sydney. Last week it took until the last quarter and some Scottie Wilbekin magic to get the Taipans across the line against Wollongong, and the Kings present a similar sort of problem. Sydney is a team on a mission but with top spot hanging in the balance, the Taipans will make no mistake.

THE WNBL Adelaide Arena farewells of Lightning stalwarts Jess Foley and Jenni Screen, aligned with Adelaide’s two wins last round over Canberra and West Coast, definitely turn this into a danger game for Sydney. The Flames have the edge for fourth place and a return to the playoffs in Shannon Seebohm’s coaching debut but this has emotion-driven upset written all over it.

DEFLATED by the loss for the rest of the season of superstar Lauren Jackson, Canberra rolls into a soldout Townsville RSL Stadium where the locals will be celebrating The Batgirl’s 250th game. It seems the Fire have had something to celebrate most weeks and getting back into the winners’ circle will be another good reason. Abby Bishop versus Suzy – the artists formerly known as the “Queens Bs” in battle – should be fun to watch.

THIS weekend will define Melbourne’s season, if it hasn’t already been defined. First the Boomers host Dandenong, then it’s off to Bendigo. At potentially 9-12, their season would be over. Buoyed by Bec Allen’s WNBA elevation and Tess Madgen’s imminent shot at it, Melbourne can surprise Dandenong and an upset here would not surprise. That said, Penny and Cappie already ARE WNBA stars….

THE danger for Sydney would be to stumble in Perth at the hands of the West Coast. Louella Tomlinson still looked a little proppy last week against Adelaide but with a further week under her belt, makes the Waves again look much more intimidating. Lindsey Moore and Toni Edmondson did not register DNPs in Adelaide but they were certainly MIA. Sydney at its best wins this. But West Coast is capable of the upset. (By the way, no truth that Sydney's Ruef has shingles.)

COMING off a win over arch rival Townsville, Bendigo went some way toward restoring faith it is very much in the Championship hunt after recent slips suggested it was playing on memory. Taking out Melbourne with the Boomers having to back up after the Rangers, should sit comfortably with the Spirit. “Taking care of business” has been Bendigo’s mantra during its ascension and that won’t change here.



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WHY did the chicken cross the road?

To congratulate Jess and Jenni for outstanding careers and lives as role models.