Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie spoke with NT Basketball CEO John Mitchell, and he reveals the new name for Darwin's basketball team

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Katie spoke with NT Basketball CEO John Mitchell, and he reveals the new name for Darwin's basketball team · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: A few weeks ago we had a bit of a
• 0:01
  Speaker 1: discussion about the inaugural men's and women's NBL one teams
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: and us entering the NBL one competition, Darwin entering the
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: competition after well, we've never had we've never had this
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: situation before, but there was a lot of discussion about
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: what the teams should be called. And joining me in
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: the studio right now is John Mitchell. Good morning to you.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: John, Good morning Katie. How are you.
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: I'm very well now, John. I know that you've chosen
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: a fierce name. I reckon it's a fantastic one. The
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: Darwin Salties.
• 0:36
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, the Darwin Solties, and how proud we were when
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: Minister Warden unveiled the name of the team a couple
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: of months ago. So we're very very proud of it
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: and really looking forward to the future of NB or
• 0:50
  Speaker 2: one in Darwin.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Now. I know some people are saying, oh, well, there's
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: the crocodiles in towns. Well, it's different.
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: It is different, and there's been and there's a crocs
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: with some of this, the AFO, the crocs procodiles have
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: been done before. But the Salties, well, we went out
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: to the public, as you know, and we asked all
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: the questions and there was the Stingers, and there was
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: all sorts of other things, both donners. Yeah yeah, yeah,
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: maybe not the goners, but no, the salties and we're
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: very pleased with it and we think that our uniforms
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: will just look absolutely fantastic. And of course we're looking
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: at the merchandise right now and looking at attracting as
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: many corporate partners as we possibly can, So if anyone
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: is interested, they can call me Katie. And as you know,
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: these things very very expensive to run, but we've got
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  Speaker 2: great support from the Northern Territory government and also Darwin
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: Basketball Association Basketball Northern Territory in partnership. They're investing heavily
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: in this project and we're really looking forward to it.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: John, How are things progressing when it comes to this
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  Speaker 1: means of women's side? And I understand that you've named
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: the coaches, now, have you got a few players lined
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  Speaker 1: up and locked in?
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  Speaker 2: Oh? We have and the coaches Matt Flynn, who we're
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: very very happy to have on board. He's obviously an
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: NBYL experience coach and brings a wealth of experience and
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: knowledge about the game and a great network and our
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: own Rod Tremlet of course, the women's coach who has
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: coached in Darwin for many many years successfully and has
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: done the state teams and high performance. So these guys
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: are working very very hard to put together their rosters.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: There's fifteen on a roster and we will commence with
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  Speaker 2: our local talent in January. We will have local trials
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: for anyone interested, and we've got some great local talent
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  Speaker 2: as well, and we've actually a couple of Kylie Dugan
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: and Maddie Hunt to local elite basketball players. They're our
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: ambassadors for the program. Their their local players that will
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: obviously join the rosters, and we're looking for, you know,
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: the youth, up and coming youth. We've got a young lad,
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: Joel de Barros, who is a fantastic player and we
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: think that he'll be slotted right into the NBI one team.
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  Speaker 2: So there will be local there will be recruiting done
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: across Australia and outside of Australia for that matter. Off,
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: you know, there's a possibility now and uh, you know,
• 3:29
  Speaker 2: obviously with COVID it prevents a fair bit of that
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: sort of thing. But yeah, we're looking forward to hopefully
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: overcoming any of those obstacles.
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: Do you reckon there's going to be any challenges in
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  Speaker 1: terms of, you know, matching up against some of those
• 3:42
  Speaker 1: teams that have been quite well established and potentially have
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: quite large budgets. Being able to recruit some players from
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: interstate and overseas.
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: Always a challenge, absolutely, and we've we've set our our
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: budgets for both the women's roster and the men's roster
• 4:00
  Speaker 2: and it's identical, there is no difference between. We're very
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: proud of that as well. So you know, we will
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: be looking at attracting interstate players to make sure that
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  Speaker 2: we're very competitive. But it's always a challenge and there
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: are there are some sides. Last year McKay won the
• 4:19
  Speaker 2: won the championships, so we're looking to actually recruit a
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: couple of their players, so you know that that happens
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: and it goes on. So we think that we will
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  Speaker 2: be very very competitive.
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: One of the first games.
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  Speaker 2: Thirtieth of April will be the first game Katie. So
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  Speaker 2: we've actually got ten home games and one of those
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  Speaker 2: home games is actually going to be the Indigenous Round,
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  Speaker 2: which you know, we're very proud of that. There's also
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: four away trips that the teams will make so we're
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: going to have three double headers and there will be
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: a triple header as well, so I only have to
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: travel four times, which is really really good. As you know,
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: whenever you away with thirty on the team, it's expensive
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: and there's accommodation. So we've been able to organize and
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: manage that. And of course Kerry Savage, the executive officer
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: of the DBA and Mike Co general manager of this
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: NBL team, we're both involved in that, but carried very
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: very experienced in this area and having come from Queensland
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  Speaker 2: and been involved in NBILL one before, knows the sorts
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  Speaker 2: of logistics very very well.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: Well, it's a very exciting time I think for basketball
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory and you know, right from the
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  Speaker 1: juniors all the way up to the seniors, just presenting
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  Speaker 1: such opportunity for so many people. It's an exciting and
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  Speaker 1: it's a really exciting thing to say.
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  Speaker 2: It is very very exciting, and I'm very proud to
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  Speaker 2: be on board with this history making a sport at
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  Speaker 2: this very time. So we're very very pleased with how
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  Speaker 2: it's going. We've got a lot of work to do.
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  Speaker 2: We've got four months to get this off the ground.
• 6:00
  Speaker 2: People next year, think about purchasing your season tickets. We'd
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: like you to purchase early and they'll be available hopefully
• 6:08
  Speaker 2: late January.
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  Speaker 1: So yeah, a lot to do, well, John, Look, I'm
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: not a very good basketballer at all, but I do
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: see that you're still looking to fill some key roles
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: like the mascot suit wearer.
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: You would be perfect direct you. I think we might
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: need a bigger salty. Maybe I might jump into that suit.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: I know you're coming for a chat with Sarah and
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Andrew tomorrow. I reckon make Andrew wear us.
• 6:37
  Speaker 2: I reckon, we will.
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  Speaker 1: He's got a bit of height there.
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  Speaker 2: I'll talk to Andrew about that. So yeah, he's got
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: a job already. Well he's getting me up very early
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: tomorrow morning, so we you might just get that role.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: My good stuffle, John Mitchell, the chief executive officer of
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: basketball here in the Northern Territory. We always appreciate your time, Bate.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much for very.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: Much, Katie and all the best for Christmas.
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: Thank you you too. Have a lovely Christmas.
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: And Hea