A leaked image of the tenth NBL franchise has surfaced on the internet, with the Southern Huskies looking like joining the league for the 2019/20 season. Like all new teams, there has been a backlash about the name, what it stands for and how the team will survive in the professional sporting business.
Some people are more optimistic and believe that not only the name but the whole team can become a thriving part of the basketballing landscape. Here are five reasons why.
Huskies
The huskie breed of dog has all the characteristics that a basketball team desires. They’re friendly, energetic, athletic and fiercely loyal. Huskies are strong-willed, great with strangers and children and are escape artists. These traits are perfect to showcase what a basketball team is all about, all wrapped up in a cute, fluffy exterior.
Some critics have said that the huskie is not a part of the Tasmanian culture, that the team should have selected a mascot that is integral to the location. However, there aren’t many wildcats in Perth, Brisbane isn’t known for gun violence, and the Breakers of New Zealand is a word that has no tangible meaning.
Colours
It seems that most teams are a combination of red, white and black. Perth, Illawarra, Melbourne, Adelaide and New Zealand have two or three of those colours. It gets boring.
The Huskies have gone with forest green and dark blue/purple combination which is exotic in a world of similar colours. The Townsville Crocodiles’ tones of green and yellow were memorable due to being so different from everyone else. The Huskies will tap into that non-mainstream palette.
The darker colours project an air of foreboding, of darkness. The Huskies are inviting you into the mysterious forest that radiates danger. Hopefully, the team plays up the ‘dark forest’ aspect and let the pack of big hunting dogs feast on the lost visitors to their territory.
Tasmanian untapped market
There is only one mainstream professional sports team in Tasmania, the Hobart Hurricanes in cricket’s Big Bash League. This is unfortunate for the Tasmanian public, as they love their sport. Last season, the Hurricanes sold out 90% of their Big Bash games, with an average of 17,570 fans turning up to the team’s home games. This shows that the state would follow a team in the NBL. Fans watch North Melbourne, and Hawthorn AFL sides play at Blundstone Arena so that a local team will garner even more fans.
A franchise in the AFL has been talked about for years, so for the NBL to slide in earlier is genius. The league can build a support base, become cemented in the Tasmanian consciousness and will have the public’s support by default.
#WeTheSouth
The Perth Wildcats have done a fantastic job of creating an ‘us versus them’ mentality that has created loyalty so strong that the team will be successful for the foreseeable future. With #WeTheSouth, the Huskies are looking to emulate that kind of fanaticism.
Like Western Australia, Tasmania is their own beast, so appealing to the fans’ sense of isolation and solidarity to build a fan base. Just like the Toronto Raptors in the NBA have flourished with the #WeTheNorth movement, the Huskies’ slogan should bring in fans of the southern island together against the rest of the country.
Southern Problems
The ‘Southern’ part of ‘Southern Huskies’ has confused the internet. Is the team from South Australia? Is it a revival of the South Dragons? Is the team only for the south of Tasmania, with Launceston left out in the cold?
Team names without the name of the city are always tough to get behind. Someone who doesn’t follow the NBA would not know where the Golden State Warriors are located. To the uninitiated, questions would arise about where the Western Bulldogs are situated. Those two teams have found success in their respective leagues and are not questioned about their vague name.
With every new team, overthinking about the name will cause problems. When the Melbourne Tigers changed to the United, people called it a soccer team and were not impressed. With a championship trophy in the trophy case, that is a thing of the past. After a few seasons in the league, the name will become second nature.
It’s the product on the court that will dictate whether the Southern Huskies will survive. If the Huskies can sign some quality players and gain a dedicated support base, this will be a huge success, while the naming will become just another footnote in the history of the league.
Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.
