Hoops

AIS player Ben Richmond lost to AFL

It's a shame that as players and parents the only place to vent our frustrations is on a site from another state. Probably looks like whinging to everyone else out there, but it is devistating to see our kids being dumped in the shit after years of hard work and committment.
There has been absolutely no consultation from the self opinionated tools that call themselves Basketball Tasmania, and nothing to suggest there is anything remotely like a plan being put into place for the future.
Have always appreciated the comittment of people who volunteered for these positions (such as the board of B Tas) as I have never been inclined to do so and probably never will, but I always thought that the underlying reasons would be to put something back into the sport and community. Not to persue a personal vendetta against someone you don't like, at the expense of the kids you claim to be representing.

HO, maybe you should read what I write more closely.

I said "In this era, international representation (World Champs, Olympics etc) is the pinnacle of Sport. "

Did you notice the word 'etc'?

Golf tournaments such as the US Open, Tennis Tournaments like the Australian Open, The Tour De France are all INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION

Rory McIlroy represents Northern Ireland, Nadal for Spain, and Cadel represents Australia in the TDF.

Obviously AFL is a very popular sport nonetheless.

My point was more centered around its lack of international recognition.

I live in NZ, and its safe to say you don't hear anything, no one cares about it. People wouldn't know what AFL stands for.
Same would go for any other country, with the exception of maybe Ireland.

I do admit that AFL is a very successful venture in Australia.
However unlike Basketball, its not common/known on every continent in the World (except Antartica of course).

It seems to me that Melbournians seem to think AFL is the 'be all and end all' of the sporting world.

Would be nice to give them a reality check.


"Plenty of NBA players don't want to play world champs or Olympics."

Couldn't be more wrong IMHO.
If you followed the likes of Kobe, Lebron, Westbrook, Durant etc. on social media sites you would have seen just how much of an experience the Olympics were for them.

It wouldn't be at all cheeky then for the lad's “grassroots“ basketball club to seek funding from the AFL for his development. Local football teams can dip into the fund if one of their players gets to AFL level, why not a basketball club :-)

This just shows that Basketball requires more skill.

It will only ever go one way. An adolescent will never be able to pick up Basketball and become an NBL player after having never played the game.

Whereas, anyone with height and a bit of athleticism can become an AFL player very quickly.

To be honest, stories like this just discredit the AFL. It just makes the league look like a joke to be honest.

I always love reminding AFL supporters of how little people care about AFL outside of Victoria, let alone Australia!

In this era, international representation (World Champs, Olympics etc) is the pinnacle of Sport.
AFL doesn't have that, and they may not have it for a few hundred years, if ever.