Hobart Chargers

Hobart Chargers
Leagues SEABL
Founded 1981
History Men:
Hobart Hornets
1981–1982
Hobart Hornets
1990–1996
Hobart Chargers
1997–present
Women:
Hobart Chargers
1998–2002; 2010–present
Arena Derwent Entertainment Centre
Capacity 4,400
Location Hobart, Tasmania
Team colors Purple & grey
Main sponsor Telstra
President David Bartlett
Head coach M: Anthony Stewart
W: Dwain Davie
Championships 4 (2000, 2002, 2008, 2018) (M)
0 (W)
Website HobartChargers.com.au

Hobart Chargers is a South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) club based in Hobart, Tasmania. The club fields a team in both the Men's SEABL and Women's SEABL. The Chargers play their home games at the Derwent Entertainment Centre. For sponsorship reasons, the two teams are known as the Telstra Hobart Chargers.

Club history

Early years

In 1981, a Hobart men's team entered the South Eastern Basketball League (SEBL) for the league's inaugural season. After two seasons in the SEBL,[1] the team withdrew from the league due to the introduction of the Hobart Devils in the National Basketball League in 1983. A Hobart team re-entered the SEBL, now known as the SEABL, in 1990.[2] Between 1990 and 1996, Hobart had seven straight seasons of missing the playoffs under coaches Denis Hyland (1990–91; 1993–95), Danny Adamson (1992), and Ross Park (1996).[3]

Success of the Chargers

The Chargers name was born in 1997 after the demise of the Hobart Devils.[2] The Chargers immediately saw success as they won back-to-back CBA South Conference Championships in 1997 and 1998. In 2000 and 2002, they not only won their third and fourth South Conference titles, but were successful in claiming National Championship honours in both years.[4] During this period, a Hobart Chargers women's team had an unsuccessful five-year run between 1998 and 2002, as they failed to make a playoff berth in that time.[3]

The Chargers' inaugural coach, Mark Chivers, ended his 11-year tenure following the 2007 season.[3] In 2008, Dan Krebs took over as coach of the Chargers and guided them to their fifth South Conference title.[3] They went on to win the overall SEABL Championship after defeating East Conference champions, the Knox Raiders, in a contest that earned the winning team a semi-finals place in the Australian Club Championships.[5] In the ACC semi-finals, the Chargers defeated the Melbourne Tigers 128–126 to move on to the grand final. There they were defeated 103–99 by the Rockhampton Rockets to finish as national runners-up.[6] Despite his successful season with the Chargers, Krebs was replaced as coach in 2009 with former NBL player Anthony Stewart.[3]

In 2010, the Lady Chargers re-entered the league. In 2014, they made their way through to their first ever conference final.[7]

New era of Hobart basketball

In September 2016, former Tasmanian Labor premier, David Bartlett, replaced the outgoing Jason Browne as president of the Chargers.[8] Bartlett's immediate aim was to have the club be "NBL ready" in three years. He also set his sights on having both the men and women play in three finals series and win at least one championship over those three years,[9] and acquire a new home venue for the club – for more than a decade, the Chargers had played at the Hobart Netball and Sports Centre, but were forced to train at New Town High and Warrane Stadium because the centre was not available during the week.[10] Although the men's team bounced back from two years in the playoff wilderness to reach the South Conference final in 2016, the club still had numerous issues off the court at the time of Bartlett's appointment. Financial problems almost resulted in the men's team being booted from the 2016 SEABL playoffs, while questions remained about the financial security of the women's program.[8]

In November 2016, David Bartlett boldly declared his long-term vision of averaging 3,000 fans for SEABL matches after securing a deal which saw basketball in Hobart return to its spiritual home. After nearly two months of negotiations with the Glenorchy City Council – and having landed a third major sponsor in Schweppes – the Chargers announced that they will play home SEABL contests at the Derwent Entertainment Centre from 2017 onwards.[11] Bartlett's next goal was to update the club to a new look by refreshing their brand within the southern basketball community. With the help of Chargers members, supporters and basketball fans, a new logo and playing strip was introduced for the 2017 season.[9]

In October 2017, Bartlett declared a Tasmanian NBL side could be competitive with a yearly budget of $5 million.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "SEBL Ladders 1981-1993". angelfire.com. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 "About the Chargers". HobartChargers.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "SEABL 2017 Media Guide" (PDF). SEABL.com.au. p. 48. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  4. ↑ Whalen, Patrick F. "Experience Conquers Youth". chargers.customer.netspace.net.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  5. ↑ Oakford, Greg (12 August 2008). "Raiders crowned champions". MailCommunity.com.au. Ferntree Gully Belgrave Mail. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "Rockets are number 1". TheMorningBulletin.com.au. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Smith, Adam (5 September 2014). "Lady Chargers chase rags to riches victory in SEABL Southern Conference final". TheMercury.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  8. 1 2 Thomas-Wilson, Simeon (20 September 2016). "Former premier David Bartlett takes over as Hobart Chargers president". TheMercury.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  9. 1 2 Smith, Adam (29 November 2016). "New look Hobart Chargers hit DEC with high hopes". TheMercury.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  10. ↑ Smith, Adam (23 September 2016). "Chargers seek new home court with possibility of a return to the DEC or Kingborough Sports Centre". TheMercury.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  11. ↑ Smith, Adam (25 November 2016). "Hobart Chargers set to return to the Derwent Entertainment Centre". TheMercury.com.au. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  12. ↑ Smith, Adam (11 October 2017). "Chargers eye $5m NBL budget". TheMercury.com.au. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
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