Basketball Australia Annual Report 06 contents 02...................................................................... FROM THE ASC 03........................................................ FROM THE PRESIDENT 04........................................... FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE NATIONAL TEAMS & COMPETITIONS 06 ......................................................................... defencejobs Opals 10 .................................................................. Australia Post Boomers 14...................................................................................... Sapphires 16 ............................................................................................ Emus 17............................................................................................ Gems 18.................................................................................. Boomerangs 19 ........................................................................................... Pearls 20 .......................................................................................... Rollers 21......................................................... Rollers / Development Rollers 22 .......................................................................................... Gliders 24......................................................................... Price Attack WNBL 28 ............................................................. Philips Championship NBL 30 .............................................................................. Champion ABA 32 ...................................................... National Junior Championships COMMUNITY BASKETBALL DEVELOPMENT & PARTICIPATION 34 ................................................................................ Aussie Hoops 36.......................................................................................... Players 38........................................................................................ Coaches 40......................................................................................... Officials 42.................................................... Involving Players with a Disability 43.........................Indigenous Sport Program / The Basketball Network 44 ........................................................................................ AIS Men 46.................................................................................... AIS Women MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS 48...................................................................................... Marketing 50 .............................................................. Media & Communications 52........................................................................................... Events 56 ................................................ FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 58....................................................................... 2007 PREVIEW 60............................................................................ SCORECARD Cover Pic: Getty Images. Back Cover Pic: Getty Images. Published by Basketball Australia PO Box 7141, Alexandria NSW 2015 Level 3, 256 Coward St Mascot NSW 2020 Tel: 61 2 9469 7200 Fax: 61 2 9469 7201 Website: www.basketball.net.au Email: [email protected] Design & Print Production: Southern Design & Print Group Tel: (02) 9587 7722 • www.southerndesign.com.au Compiled and edited by Bill Baxter, Basketball Australia Media & PR Manager. Copyright © in this publication is held by the Australian Basketball Federation trading as Basketball Australia. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright above, no part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of the publisher. Basketball Australia Annual Report 2006 1 FROM THE PRESIDENT Message from the • Australian Sports From the Commission President FROM THE ASC The Commission increased its funding support for Basketball 2006 can be described as our Golden Year in basketball, with Other significant achievements have resulted during the year, Australia’s high performance programs during 2005-06 in celebrations still continuing from the success of our newly with new naming rights sponsors announced for both recognition of the progress made by Basketball Australia in crowned women’s World Champions, the defencejobs Opals. national senior teams, and the WNBL. We welcome on board developing a high performance system built on achieving In addition to that wonderful achievement, we are also very and acknowledge the significant investment provided sustainable results at major benchmark events such as the proud of our Australia Post Boomers who won a Gold Medal through Australia Post and defencejobs. We are also pleased to have secured Peak and Golden Star International Olympics and World Championships. A special along with the defencejobs Opals at the Commonwealth Investments as our new national teams apparel sponsor, with acknowledgement of, and congratulations to, the Australian Games in Melbourne in March. significant cash being contributed by all partners as well as Opals for their recent success in winning the recent FIBA The World Championship victory was of particular uniforms for all 14 national teams. Women’s World Championship and to both the Australian significance to our sport on a number of levels. We have now Opals and Boomers for winning gold medals at the 2006 improved our combined men’s and women’s international Success was also garnered in 2006 with a Silver Medal for our Pearls (our women’s team for persons with an Commonwealth Games. ranking to number 2 in the world across 213 basketball playing nations. We are also currently Australia’s most intellectual disability) and a Bronze Medal for the Rollers (our The Australian Institute of Sport Men’s and Women’s successful women’s team, with no other Australian women’s senior men’s national wheelchair team). Basketball program remains an integral part of Basketball team winning a world championship in 2006 and were Congratulations to the members and staff of all those Australia’s high performance system. The Institute Basketball rightly honoured with the 2006 Australian Sport Award for successful national teams for their outstanding performances program, recognised around the world as one of the best of International Team of the Year, beating out national men’s in 2006, particularly defencejobs Opals head coach Jan its kind, has a strong tradition of striving for excellence in cricket and soccer teams. Stirling, who won the Australian Sport Award for Coach of the basketball and in life, and continues to support the The flow on effect from this win can be measured across Year, and Pearls manager Sally Duncan, who won the development of talented junior players. It is pleasing to note a number of areas, including increased media support Australian Sport Award for Volunteer of the Year. that the majority of Opals and Boomers players were at through televised games, greater numbers watching The success of our teams comes on the back of many year’s some stage Institute scholarship holders. basketball on TV, expanded coverage in the print media, preparation and dedication from not only our current athletes increased radio and website consumption, an increased The Australian Government is a strong supporter of The Australian Sports Commission acknowledges that and coaches, but also those that have preceded them, as profile in the general community, increased sponsorship Australian sport. The Australian Sports Commission is the Basketball Australia has continued to work to build its well as the host of development programs and administration opportunities, increased participation levels and increased government body that develops, manages and invests in membership base and has provided significant financial that supports basketball in Australia. sport at all levels in Australia. potential for spectators of the game. support to its member associations. Basketball Australia has This is a fitting and relevant reflection, as was our 2nd The strength of our national programs provides us with a The Australian Sports Commission funds and works closely worked in partnership with, and has been supported by, the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame dinner in 2006, where we significant platform on which to build interest in the sport with a range of national sporting organisations, state and Commission in a number of very worthwhile programs and were also able to farewell our national teams prior to their and to increase the number of consumers across the sport local governments, schools and community bodies to ensure initiatives such as the Coaching and Officiating Scholarship world championship campaigns. sport is well run and accessible so that everyone can collectively. In order to achieve that goal, all stakeholders Program, Indigenous Sport Program and through Project The recognition of the game’s greats was held in style participate and enjoy the benefits. The Commission upholds must work together in a coordinated effort and it was CONNECT to enhance participation opportunities for athletes in Melbourne with 12 inductees named to the Hall of the integrity of sport through many innovative programs to pleasing to see a number of activities in 2006 designed to with a disability. The Commission has recently announced a Fame as well as the announcement of our first