Wildcats Legend Backs Expansion

By Dan Woods - NBL Media

Six-time NBL champion Damian Martin says the NBL is in a strong position to consider potential expansion bids.

In recent days, the Gold Coast Rollers have expressed interest in applying for a license in 2024, while the league is testing the appetite for a potential Darwin bid during next month's Hungry Jack's NBL Blitz. 

“The NBL is the best I believe it ever has [been],” Martin said on SEN.

“What Larry Kestelman has done since he took over the ownership, the obstacles you have to get over just to be granted a licence, they (the league) want stability.

“They don’t want to be talking about another team added to the list [of defunct clubs] … however they are open to expansion and we saw it done successfully with the Tasmania JackJumpers.”

Cities around the country are ascertaining whether they have the support and drive to enter the country's premier basketball competition.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">? marks the spot ?<br><br>As the league continues to grow, which location would get your vote for future expansion? <a href="https://t.co/fJKlwpk8Uh">pic.twitter.com/fJKlwpk8Uh</a></p>&mdash; The NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1561590301457649664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“Darwin has put huge money into their basketball, their NBL1 team. Fremantle ... is Perth ready for a second team? Geelong ... Victoria basketball is incredibly strong – 60 per cent of registered basketballers come from Victoria; they would be ready for another team. Canberra, West Sydney, Newcastle, Gold Coast and Townsville,” Martin said.

“They’re (the NBL) certainly open to the idea of expansion, but they’re not going to do it if it risks another team added to that long list of defunct teams.”