Tara Murray
Keilor Thunder could be on the move from the Big V competition to the National Basketball League 1 South competition next year.
The Thunder has put in an application to join the NBL1 south competition, which is the top competition in Victoria.
Currently there are 18 teams in the men’s and women’s competition from Victoria, Tasmania and border clubs Albury-Wodonga Bandits and Mt Gambier Pioneers.
There are no teams from Melbourne’s west in the competition despite at least one club making an application when the competition was formed.
Thunder director of coaching Liam Glascott confirmed that the association had put in an application to make the switch.
“We have put in an application,” he said. “We didn’t do it a couple of years ago [when the competition was formed] as we had only been in championship division for 12 months.
“We wanted more time to develop and give guys more opportunities.”
Glascott said they had looked to recruit players last year before the COVID-19 lockdown that would help them make that next step.
With border restrictions not easing this year, he said they had relied on their core group of local players who had stepped up.
“The club is hoping to make sure we are in the right spot,” he said. “There’s still a lot of steps to make this leap.
“Hopefully the club and the league can come to some agreement.”
The men’s side finished on top of the ladder this season in championship division.
The women’s side made the championship division grand final series in 2019, losing to the Werribee Devils.
Basketball Victoria spokesman said they wouldn’t be making any comments on the process at this point.
