NBL would consider reviving Geelong Supercats

NBL co-owner Larry Kestelman says he would be open to reviving the Geelong Supercats brand if the city was to be awarded a league licence in the future.

Code Sports Basketball's Ben Cameron reports Kestelman — speaking at the Future Geelong event at GMHBA Stadium on Monday — reaffirmed his view the city deserved a licence but only if it had the necessary infrastructure in place, having previously stated the city would need a stadium with capacity of 7,000.

The Supercats moniker was retired following a lengthy rebranding process after the merger of Basketball Geelong and the Corio Bay Stingrays several years ago.

“If I’m not mistaken … I believe we as the league still hold that IP, so if we did, that’s something I’d absolutely love to explore,” Kestelman said on Monday.

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In a passionate address, Kestelman continued to push the need for alignment between local sporting organisations to find a vision and the will for improved sporting infrastructure.

“Geelong and the Geelong community deserves an indoor facility to lead the community charge across sport and entertainment,” he said.

“You want to be a grown up, global city? Or do you want to be a regional small town? Make the decision.

“I don’t care who is in the front of it, but somebody has to get at the front of this thing and align everyone behind it, and I truly believe it can happen.

“But that vision has to be super clear."

He said the ideal stadium for an NBL team would have a capacity between 5000-7000 as a minimum.

“With the right stadium I think that’s an absolute consideration for us,” he said of a local licence.

“We would love to see a team in Geelong if we got the right facility for the team.

“The opportunities in this corridor are enormous.

“I’ve got no horse in the race, I’ve got no land ownership in the area.

“You’ve got lots of opportunity for growth.

“I’d love to see an NBL club here in Geelong. I really think it’s an area that deserves it.”

— Republished with permission of Code Sports Basketball