Tassie gun backs WNBL team to use novelty, ‘country’ lifestyle to attract stars

It’s an ideology that’s been floated by the AFL’s Devils, who believe they can follow the Cats’ lead by selling Tasmania’s quieter, more ‘country’ lifestyle.

After a short stint at Adelaide Lightning, the 26-year-old will play her second campaign with Geelong this summer after they were inducted into the league last season.

The forward described this week’s announcement Tasmania will return to the league after a 30-year absence from 2026-27 as “huge”.

“It’s the best thing to happen to women’s basketball in Tasmania for a long time,” Mole said.

“It’s huge for the pathways coming through and the kids. Having something to look up to like a professional basketball team, it doesn’t get much better than that. It’s super exciting for the state.

“I think it’s the right time for the WNBL, the game is growing and there’s more players trying to get on rosters. If you add Tassie and a couple more teams in the future, it will make the league even stronger and give more people in Tasmania a chance to play in their home state.”

Mole said the chance to be a part of a new club was a huge factor in signing with Geelong, and believes it will wield similar bargaining power for Tasmania.

“The fact it’s a new club is always exciting,” Mole said.

“Having signed with Geelong last year for their first season, a lot of people wanted to be a part of a foundation club. That was something that drew a few of us to Geelong I know, so I think that will be helpful.

“Everyone who plays in NBL1 South can’t wait to go on the Tassie road trip and it’s something different. It’s a bit rural so that could actually help attract people who don’t want to live in the city.”

Mole backed the plan for the team to play games all over the state, including Launceston and Devonport.

Although the team will have a different name, it will be governed by the JackJumpers. Jackies boss Christine Finnegan has made no secret they plan to give the WNBL the same game day ‘bells and whistles’ and resources as the men.

“That’s the most important thing,” Mole said.

“It’s one thing to get the club up and going for next year, but being able to maintain it and have success, having fans come for the experience as well with the dancers and what not, it’s all very important.

“It should be the same as the NBL and I think it’s growing towards that, but it will still take some time.

“For the women it’s best to play all over the state and not just where they’re based. Those games across the state will allow more kids to see what Tassie will showcase to the WNBL, plus opposing teams will see more parts of Tasmania so that’s always an added bonus.”

Mole’s WNBL time was limited last season through a back injury, but returned for the back half of Geelong’s NBL1 South campaign.

Comment: Why Tassie WNBL team is a no-brainer

For far too long the WNBL has been left to idle, in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint to meet its potential.

With new ownership and fresh eyes, it’s got a fighting chance and expanding into Tasmania is a perfect start.

I covered the Canberra Capitals for two seasons and the Townsville Fire for two, and those regionally-based teams have established themselves as valued staples of their sports community.

But far too often you talk to players and coaches lamenting the lack of publicity, funding and resources thrown at the product it needs to thrive.

Expanding into Tasmania from 2026-27, with a tenth franchise to follow, is a proactive first move which shows the new ownership isn’t messing around in its quest to help the league make up lost ground as quickly as possible.

After the NBL and Wollemi Capital Group Syndicate confirmed plans to take control of the WNBL, the Jackies wasted zero time flagging their interest in securing a license.

“The JackJumpers congratulate all involved with this historic deal and look forward to working with the NBL to ensure the success and growth of this competition,” JackJumpers boss Christine Finnegan said.

“When details of the operations of the new competition structure are finalised, the JackJumpers will certainly indicate their strong interest in a WNBL team located in Tasmania. “It is an exciting time for the NBL and basketball pathways for both men and women.”

All indications are the powers-that-be, understandably, needed little convincing that Tasmania was the ideal spot for expansion.

The Jackies have emphatically proven their ability to start a wildly successful franchise from scratch - crucially off court as much as on, winning a championship within three years and sold out home games are a fait accompli.

You can only assume starting a WNBL team would be even more seamless, given they would have learned from any issues or teething problems from the NBL experience.

A SLEEPING GIANT

To put it bluntly, basketball has missed the boat on the women’s sport boom because the leadership was asleep at the wheel.

The Opals are regular medallists at big tournaments, including bronze at last year’s Olympics, but that simply hasn’t translated to bums on seats and exposure to one of the best quality women’s leagues in the world.

NBL boss Larry Kestelman has taken over the running of the league from Basketball Australia. Judging by how much the popularity of the men’s competition has boomed under his guidance, it promises to be the change the WNBL badly needed.

It hasn’t had the resources and manpower thrown behind it to grab its slice of the ever-growing marketplace pie, but that seems to have changed.

It was great to hear Jackies boss Christine Finnegan tell me last month they would pour as much resources in the women’s program as the men’s.

For too long the WNBL experience has been about the game only, just throw the ball up and get on with it.

To compete with other sports who have turned their product into an entertainment product, there needs to be more to the game day package.

And no one does that better than the Jackies.

“The actual on court product is great, but it doesn’t have the bells and whistles around it the men have had,” Finnegan said.

“One of the thing people love about a JJ’s game is they love the music and the dancing. We’re going to make sure the women’s product is as good in terms of entertainment as the men, because we know the on court product is great.

“You should see that groundswell of support once people have experienced a game as well. I don’t want it to look exactly like a men’s game, but there will be that element of excitement and family engagement.

“We’re making sure we have dedicated resources, and expand our resource base, to make sure it’s not considered a bolt on, and everything we do is giving it the same love and care we give our men’s team.”

ELITE SPORT MARKET THERE FOR THE TAKING

You could drive a semi trailer through the ever growing lack of elite sport in the state’s north, especially through summer.

Hobart has the JackJumpers and Hurricanes to look forward to through the warmer months. The Jackies play two games a season at Launceston, but the Canes won’t play any home games outside of Hobart for the second straight campaign this summer.

It therefore makes complete sense for the women’s team to play the majority of games at Launceston’s soon to be upgraded Silverdome and a new indoor facility at Devonport, giving basketball fans who are unable to travel to Hobart a regular chance to watch the sport at the top level.

Officials have flagged there will be a mix of stand alone games and double headers with the JackJumpers, but that the majority of games would be played in the north and north-west.

“We play as many games as we can here (Launceston) with the JackJumpers, but our thoughts are if we can reverse the situation and have the current women’s team based here in the north and maybe even the north-west, and also play some games in the south is a great opportunity,” Kestelman said in November.

“It’s early days, but it’s been received positively by my partners in the WNBL consortium as well as the government.”

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

The decision not to adopt the JackJumpers moniker and rebrand with a fresh name and logo has generated much debate.

Plenty believe the team should capitalise on the already strong Jackies brand, but you can also see the reasoning behind establishing a fresh new identity.

One, it removes any false perceptions it’s simply an ‘add on’ to the men’s program, but also offers up opportunities to sell more merchandise and memberships to rusted-on Jackies fans.

The bigger presence in the north should also open up more sponsorship and corporate opportunities with northern-based businesses.

The Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA) and Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) are an example of a similar blueprint working effectively.

THE OBVIOUS MARQUEE SIGNING

The priority target for not only a significant marquee signing, but the inaugural captain, seems obvious.

Australian Opals representative has led the Launceston Tornadoes the past few seasons and her passion for the sport in the region was obvious when she launched a passionate plea for the Thunder to come to the table and resolve the club’ impasse for the sole NBL1 license.

Froling is already a staple of the north Tasmania basketball community and knows the climate back to front. The forward is currently signed with Sydney Flames for the upcoming season, but she’s the clear ideal candidate to help sell Tasmania as a place to live for potential big name recruits.

Should the Tornadoes not fall by the wayside, she will be in the region throughout the off season and help generate publicity for the WNBL club.

SECOND TIER CRISIS NEEDS ADDRESSING

The major issues currently hampering Tasmania’s NBL1 teams couldn’t have come at a worse time.

The state badly needs that second tier system to stand up, or the best players will be forced to go to the mainland for that stepping zone between local/junior basketball and the elite level.

As football has shown, once they’re gone and acquire jobs or start university, they can be difficult to entice back.

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Last week Hobart Chargers unanimously recommended to Basketball Tasmania they go into recess, citing an inability to find another $300,000 required to meet operational and travelling costs for next season.

It follows the lingering stoush between the Tornadoes and NW Thunder, who can’t reach an agreement on a collaborative bid after Basketball Victoria reaffirmed they would only award one NBL1 licence in northern Tasmania from next season.

If they both fall over also, it’s an enormous issue for the sport’s pathways in the state.

Originally published as Tassie gun backs WNBL team to use novelty, ‘country’ lifestyle to attract stars