Adelaide United's Sasa Ognenovski (centre) celebrates with team mates after their 1-0 win against Queensland Roar after the A league Preliminary Final match in Adelaide between Adelaide United and Queensland Roar, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009. AAP Image/Rob Hutchison
What a week of contrasts for some of Adelaide’s leading sporting franchises across the codes. As 41,558 saw Port Power defeat the Adelaide Crows in the showdown after much discussion about crowd figures, the running of Adelaide United was handed over to the FFA and the 36ers appear to be on their deathbed.
Despite a successful recent on field history, Adelaide United has been a club dominated by back room politics and speculation over the ownership of the club.
It is now in the hands of the FFA as it searches for new owners.
The FFA’s head of major projects Michelle Phillips will likely play a large role in helping the United backroom staff through the transitional phase and finding new ownership avenues, a similar role he did successfully at Perth Glory.
While much of the talk regarding the A-League is focused on field matters and the impact that has on the much discussed crowd figures and community interaction, the ability of the clubs to turn a profit for their investors is vital. This is especially so in such difficult economic conditions and is going to be critical in this next phase of the league’s development. The flow on from the 2010 World Cup, the next media rights deal and hopefully the success of expansion will all come into play.
The forecast is looking much better for United when compared to the Adelaide 36ers.
The fact the 36ers are struggling so badly is a shocking indicator of just how basketball and the attempted revitalisation of the NBL is faring.
The 36ers not only have a successful on and off court pedigree with a rich 27-year history, they are also an established brand name in a state with a large and passionate basketball supporter base.
Yet they are struggling to find the necessary investors to cover the $1 million bank guarantee and additional $500,000 for working capital, namely due to the confusion and uncertainties of what comes next in the NBL revamp and the lack of any real concrete plans.
Unlike the football revolution that produced the A-League, the model which many recommend the NBL follows falls short as basketball simply doesn’t have the supporter base, or commercial potential. Hence why they are struggling through this process.
The failings of Australian basketball are many any varied, including some self inflicted wounds, but the timing of the downfall, coinciding as it did with the global financial crisis was a devastating blow and the struggle of the 36ers highlights this.
It is a terrible shame. Basketball is deserving of this second chance and it has the potential to flourish just as the netball ANZ Championship has done.
In this economic climate it’s not the time to be so reliant on private ownership and investment.
Former Adelaide 36ers coach Phil Smyth made an interesting observation in the Adelaide press when he claimed privately owned sporting franchises will always struggle to engage with the community compared with state owned associations as there is not the link to the grassroots of the game.
Certainly when you look at the fortunes of Adelaide United and the 36ers, especially when compared with the other sporting franchises in Adelaide, with the exception of Port Power and their unique dilemma, Smyth’s argument holds some weight.
The true impact of the global financial crisis may be finally hitting and thus franchises and codes that don’t have their house in order are going to pay the price.
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