NBL's not ready for anything like that. Most likely next move would be another melbourne team maybe next year

The only city in Australia that should have a second team is Melbourne, purely because of the Tigers junior association, and the dislike (was gonna go with hate) that this breeds in a lot of junior basketballers and their families toward their NBL team.

Melb is the easy choice...but not sure in the current enviroment it will happen as Victoria is pretty much in a recession so people putting cash into a bball team is a tough ask at the moment.

At least WA could probably find a few rich owners to stub up the cash for another team.

"No. Most Wildcat fans aren't basketball or NBL fans, they are strictly Perth Wildcats fans."

Please provide a link to the survey which supports your comments.

Most wildcats fans aren't basketball fans explain what you mean anon

Also considered Fremantle a good idea.
Imagine the rivalry.

"No. Most Wildcat fans aren't basketball or NBL fans, they are strictly Perth Wildcats fans."

To a degree I agree with this.

Same goes for the Hawks fans. You'll find most of them aren't NBL fans, they're Hawks fans. Ask them about who's where on the ladder or how other teams are going, other players etc. Most of them wouldn't be able to tell you.

In saying that, most Hawks fans are BASKETBALL fans but just on the "lower" level. They go to Hawks games, have been for years. Know the rules & love their local team but don't follow any other league's (NBA etc). Only the Hawks. My mother fits into the category.

Then you have fans that are Hawks ONLY fans. Know little to nothing about basketball but just enjoy the night out from time to time, and that's OK too.

I find that a lot of Wildcats fans I interact with don't watch a NBL game unless it's the Wildcats. If you want proof I can give you a bunch of TV ratings stats that show that Perth rate really low in TV ratings when a non Wildcats team is playing on TV. Where ass other cities, Melbourne, Adelaide & even Sydney, still pull the same # of viewers (give or take).

(pressed enter too early!)

The other cities pull the same # of viewers no matter who's playing.

Also on ATF, users from Perth are on the lower end of non Wildcat's stories. Where as if it's a Wildcats story, most of the hits come from WA.

While it depends on how you define "basketball or NBL fans", I think anon/Nat are onto something. I'm not sure about Australian professional sports, but this is certainly the case for some major league sports in the US.

"not sure in the current enviroment it will happen as Victoria is pretty much in a recession" - except it isn't (point taken though).

The Perth Wildcats are my favourite team in the world and I love almost all sports and I'm extremely loving of the NBL, even if it is a basket case... And I read Nat's site and this every day, but I'm a minority!

When I go to Wildcats games and interact with supporters around me and tell them things from other games, they sound interested in what I have to say but didn't know the issue themself (ie... They don't watch games other than the Wildcats on NBL.tv or don't have NBL.tv.

I'm not saying that a second team wouldn't work here but the Wildcats have been on their knees several times and fighting for more sponsors sounds risky but the rivalry would be immense and intense like West Coast and Fremantle... The only reason Freo are around is because West Coast were/are successful and they wanted to dilute the playing stocks... Not sure that is the case with homegrown Wildcats players but I wouldn't take the risk and it seems like Perth Arena would be the only ones happy with a second Perth team and the revenue it brings in

LOL I got told!!

I don't see why a second team couldn't fill, or come close to filling Challenge Stadium every week. It doesn't have to play games at the Arena.

Yep, I can't wait to support the North East South West Melbourne Magic Giant Dragons! It has quite a ring to it don't you think?

If you did it, now would be the time with the change of coach and loss of Lisch. But it would be expensive and tough going for some time.

I personally think that Giant Magic Dragons is really catchy