Variety Bucket: An all-Melbourne NBL grand final?

Head over to The Roar for my two cents on the rest of the NBL season. Really, it all comes down to the Breakers. They're the only ones capable of crashing this Rod Laver Arena-bound party.

(If only there wasn't a Kings of Leon concert on the night of game five!)

I guess after tonight we'll know how much to read into their recent run of losses.

Also, apologies for a lack of posting. The only reason I'm writing now is because school was cancelled. I love heat waves...

Expect a bit more regularity now that the routine of school life is starting to kick in.

EDIT: The air-conditioner is broken. So I actually hate heat waves now...

EDIT AGAIN: Dragons 101, Breakers 94. For the most part, it wasn't even that close. Need I say more?

Tomic barely puts a foot wrong in first steps as pro

Fourth set. Tie-break. The younger-than-me teen sensation Bernard Tomic was leading two sets to one. Potito Starace was trying to even it up with two set points in hand.

The kid had never even seen what a fourth set looked like before. It was his first ever grand slam match as a pro.

But regardless, with the same fighting spirit Australian tennis was once renowned for, Tomic struck.

Starace’s advantage was wiped clear. Then it was Tomic holding set, err, match point. And then, with that backhand that is quickly becoming his trademark, Tomic was through to the second round of the Australian Open. 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6.

At 16, he became the youngest ever winner in the men’s draw of the Open.

How fitting is it that in a year when there are no genuine Aussie contenders to claim the men’s or women’s title, that Tomic would emerge in the way he did?

Of course it is too early to go around bandying him as the saviour – despite what a rogue editor on his Wikipedia thinks – but he can at least provide us all with some hope for the future. He’s someone we can get excited about.

The setting was perfect. Tournament organizers could’ve easily thrust him onto the big stage under the bright lights of Rod Laver or Hisense Arena, but instead chose the open-air Margaret Court Arena.

Far away enough from the spotlight, but still accessible for the fans lucky enough to find a seat.

Tomic himself at times appeared uneasy. Nerves must’ve played a big part in him dropping multiple set points in both the first and third sets, only to recover in the tie-break.

He might as well have sat out in the second set, which he lost 1-6.

But that could all be forgotten with just a mere glimpse of that killer backhand – something that never failed to ignite the small but patriotic crowd.

Channel Seven ran updates throughout the match covering the number of backhand winners each player had. At a late stage in the broadcast, Tomic lead the stat 18-1.

An enjoyable sight came near the end of the fourth set, when Starace appeared agitated by his young opponent.

Which was great. Tomic proved that not only can he make the leap from junior to pro, but he can even ruffle some feathers in the process.

It certainly came out of the blue for someone of his experience to be playing with such confidence at such crucial stages in the match. How many elite players can say they won three tie-breaks in their grand slam debut?

Nobody can say Tomic is out of his depth.

Better yet, nobody can say Australian tennis has dropped off the map completely. Even if, for the first time in a long time, we haven’t produced a “contender”.

In completely unrelated news, another Aussie youngster Brydan Klein defeated German Bjorn Phau in four sets.

Jelena Dokic’s comeback got off to a smooth start also, beating Tamira Paszek. More Aussies will be in action later tonight and tomorrow.

But enough about that, today’s accolades belong to Tomic.

Calling him the saviour may not be appropriate just yet, but at least he’s given us all something to look forward to.

The Open is here, even if Aussies are not

It’s time to slap on the sunscreen, jump on V/Line and head to Melbourne Park, because my favourite time of the year has arrived. The Australian Open for 2009 begins next week and there is no shortage of talking points.

It seems that this year, those points are beginning and ending not with which Aussies fair a chance – unfortunate as that may be – but with one Andy Murray.

The Scot is yet to win a grand slam title, but many expect that that he will break that duck right here in Melbourne in just a couple of week’s time. There’s some pretty substantial evidence to back up this assumption, too.

Just look at his track record so far in ’09: he’s beaten Roger Federer – twice – as well as Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick. All in the space of two tournaments, no less.

Then go back to ’08 and the promise he showed: winning the Masters tournaments in Cincinnati and Madrid, producing an inspired run at Wimbledon and making the U.S. Open final a month later. He was the fourth-highest earner on the men’s tour.

The wave of momentum he’s riding right now can’t be a fluke. It has been building since the middle of last year and from what we’ve seen so far this year, it hasn’t slowed down.

Its little wonder pundits are so eager to slap the “favourite” tag on him for Melbourne.

But one mustn’t get too carried away, there are actually factors working against Murray, too. Like how his form in Melbourne hasn’t left much to be desired.

Last year, he dropped out in the first round. In 2006, it was the same. Only his fourth round exit in ’07 serves to bolster his case.

Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, has not disgraced himself in lead-up events – bowing out to Murray and “my man” Gael Monfils at the business end of both tournaments. Yet many expected more from the world number one.

Nadal has not gotten past the semi finals in either of the hard court slams – the Australian and U.S. Opens – but famously claimed Wimbledon over Roger Federer on grass last year. This suggests he’s been underachieving on the supposedly “neutral” hard courts.

One thing’s for sure: he’s no longer playing the role of number two. He’s ranked number one. He’ll be seeded number one. But can he play like a number one?

His predecessor in that regard, Roger Federer, has an interesting 2009 ahead of him. This year will in all likeliness determine just where his place in history lies.

Yes, last year he still managed to win the U.S. Open, but he also lost at Wimbledon, on his preferred surface of grass. And since his victory in New York, he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire.

The Swiss last won a title in October.

It’s too early to write off a player of Federer’s quality, particularly at an event he’s enjoyed so much success at. However you get the feeling it will take something truly special for him to prove the critics wrong this time.

Another player who has enjoyed success in Melbourne, last year’s champ Novak Djokovic, is putting his hand up once again and rounds out what is looking like “the big four”.

That said, even he is looking shaky on the form front. He lost out in the first round of the Brisbane International the other week.

But don’t worry, it was the racquet’s fault, honest…

Behind the pack there is always one man who can pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat in Melbourne. Think Marcos Baghdatis. Think Fernando Gonzalez. Think Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Three straight years, three straight finalists nobody expected to be finalists.

And with the fact that none of the big four are unbeatable in hand, there is a good chance that this year will be no different.

I could talk all day – and kinda already have – about the potential of unheralded Frenchman Gael Monfils. He’s shown how to light up Melbourne Park before, and after missing out on last year’s tournament to injury, he’ll be ready to pick up where he left off.

Another name bandied around with “upset potential” written all over him is Gilles Simon, also from France. Despite being ranked number seven in the world, he’s virtually unheard of in Australian circles – a dangerous mix in Melbourne, it seems.

No matter who ends up lifting the trophy, it’s sure to be another cracking Open.

Let the two weeks of madness begin.

Winning Melbourne hearts a matter of perspective

Warning: This piece is the product of a 1am creativity spurt. If it does not meet your usual quality expectations of Best Off Ground (which I assume aren’t that high in the first place), you’ll know why…

When the FFA unveils the A-League’s eleventh and twelve franchises later this year, it is a near-certainty one of those will fall to the consortium seeking to form a second Victorian club, who are tentatively known as Melbourne Heart.

Reports indicate the club will base itself and train at Casey Fields, in Melbourne’s Southeast, and play out of the new ‘bubble’ stadium and…

“Wait, hold on. What is this? Another team for Melbourne? Don’t they already have the Victory? Surely the FFA has rocks in their head…”

Yes there is Victory, but in a sports market the size of Melbourne, games need to be held more regularly than just every second week (or once a month, as has been the case with Victory on occasions.) Having a game a week in Melbourne will keep media interest constant and ensure the A-League doesn’t drop off the radar.

“Yes, but just look at Victory. They are embedded in the Melbourne sporting landscape, and are doing a darn good job of representing the A-League. Now they want to bring in a new team five years later?”

Five years may seem big now, but consider this: Liverpool was formed 14 years after Everton. Look at those two now. AC Milan and Inter Milan were formed over eight years apart. Even Bayern Munich was formed 40 years after the cross-town 1860, and they play out of the same stadium!

“Ah yes, the stadium. WTF? How can they make it work playing out of the same stadium as Victory? At least a second team in Sydney would be based away from the SFS…”

Don’t forget venue sharing is commonplace in the AFL – the nine local teams play out of just two stadiums. It doesn’t seem to bother them. Heck, even Geelong has a couple of home games in Melbourne each year.

“But how does it work? The bids surrounding Sydney – West Sydney and Wollongong – appeal to a completely different audience to Sydney FC.”

That’s true. But remember, what works for Sydney does not necessarily work for Melbourne. Sydney is a spread out place and whilst Melbourne is not immune to this, the city does have a more ‘centralized’ nature. This also helps to explain the recently mentioned venue sharing culture.

“But even those AFL teams had suburban – geographically distinct – roots. The only other two-team sport in town, basketball, worked its way to two teams via – now this is kinda funny – the collapsed merger of two rivals being re-born with a completely new and separated brand following a two-year hiatus.”

Ah, now we’re closing in on agreement.

“Really? So that’s it? It’s impossible. After all that, this new team is screwed?”

I don’t think the message to get out of the other codes is geography is the all-important deciding factor. But there certainly does need to be something to ‘get the ball rolling’, so to speak. And one thing’s for sure: copying Victory is destined to fail. They’ve already found their audience.

“So just where is this un-tapped audience hiding?”

Aside from the inevitable bandwagon jumpers stemming from the World Cup – which will conveniently wrap up within months of the new club’s first game – there are the Euro-loving fans who snub the A-League (presumably) over a lack of quality.

“Good luck getting the Euro-lovers off their couches. The A-League is no EPL, remember.”

There is a club that for most issues expansion teams should avoid looking to for advice, but in this particular instance is useful: Sydney FC. Players (and even coaches) of international renown, such as Dwight Yorke and Juninho, successfully got these fans through the gates. Who knows what the crowds would’ve been like had they got the rest of their house in order?

“So basically, they need to be a ‘bling’ club?”

I think the signing of players (and maybe even coach) is where the learning from Sydney FC should end. Community engagement is a must, and there is enough room in a city as big as Melbourne to manage this between two clubs. But the bling tag would certainly contrast to the way Victory operates, and it seems to be creating a lot of hype on the Gold Coast, so it could prove useful.

“So that’s how they appeal to a different audience than Victory?”

Yep. They’ve got to be more adventurous. Stand out. Have flair. Generate publicity where it otherwise wouldn’t be generated. And maybe a returning Socceroo or two might help also, especially on the back of South Africa. If they stand still and just 'blend in', you'd have to wonder if that proverbial ball will ever start rolling.

“And once the ball is rolling, the rest will take care of itself?”

I doubt there’s anyone who thinks the A-League in Melbourne has reached its pinnacle. Some optimists will tell you the Victory will be on par with some of the stronger AFL clubs before too long. In the meantime, it’s about finding a place for all these new fans to go. Then hopefully one day, we’ll have our very own Merseyside Derby right here in our own backyard.

36ers, and NBL, better off after Hodge fiasco

Perhaps it was fitting that in a year where media, sponsors, marquee clubs and unstable owners have all deserted the NBL, the league’s best player departed in the manner he did.

Julius Hodge sensationally left the Adelaide 36ers and the league in a mess last week, walking out on the club by not showing up to the nationally televised clash with Wollongong.

What was scary was the source of the fiasco: a pay dispute.

For a moment it looked like amateur hour at the NBL all over again, as if clubs struggling to see out the season hadn’t already sent that signal to mainstream sports fans. Only there was more to this story than what the words “pay dispute” imply.

The 36ers fronted the media and told their side of the story. Hodge then “hit back” via a YouTube video. So we’ve heard both sides of this story.

Neither of them paint Julius Hodge in a good light.

The dispute arose after payments did not arrive in Hodge’s American bank account. This was reported well before Hodge’s walkout, when it was also revealed the import played two games without having that money in the bank.

The article in the Adelaide Advertiser also stressed that the missed payment was due to the fact the bank code provided by Hodge was missing four digits.

“It cleared my account on the 19th,” club owner Mal Hemmerling said. “Because (the bank) didn’t have the four-digit code, it was held in a transfer account.”

“As far as I’m aware, the transfer has gone through as of today.”

That was back on the 2nd of January. A clearly embarrassed 36ers management followed that up by bringing forward the remainder of Hodge’s salary up front.

Hodge conceded in his YouTube clip – which has suspiciously been removed – that what was initially reported in the media was true.

“It came out and I was upset and I went to the management and I said ‘Who would leak this story?’” he revealed. “No one had any answers but, you know, it was the truth.”

Curiously, he then went on to take aim at 36ers management because of the problem.

It’s strange how Hodge can on one hand acknowledge a story saying the payment issues were not the fault of the 36ers to be true and then in the same eight minutes of YouTube footage whinge about the club letting him down over those exact same payment issues.

As a matter of fact, it’s hard to trawl through the footage and find anything that disputes what the 36ers have said.

It was also contradictory to see Hodge play in games without pay, yet walk out on the club after they brought forward his entire salary.

Hodge took to the court on December 27 against the Tigers and on New Year’s Eve against the Blaze. Both games were in the time period where it was reported money wasn’t going into the star’s bank account.

It provokes suspicion that he walked out after it was reported the money owed reached his bank account and the 36ers moved all future payments forward. In fact, it has been revealed the club even set up an Australian bank account to avoid any future troubles.

No one can dispute they went out of their way to rectify the situation.

“To me the problem was he wasn’t going to train or wasn’t going to play until he got his money. Well he’s got his money and he’s not here, so you can do the maths yourself,” said a rightly peeved Sixers coach Scott Ninnis after Hodge’s no-show on game night.

In a blog post on that same day, Hodge spoke in length about his desire to return to the NBA and praised New Jersey Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe for helping him with his shooting during his pre-season stint with the club.

His mind clearly seemed elsewhere and conspiracy theorists amongst the Sixers cognoscenti suggest the payment fiasco was just an excuse.

At the end of the day, whether it was an excuse or not, Hodge doesn’t come out of this looking full of class.

He strung the club along until ten minutes before tip-off as to whether he would be playing or not. He fronted YouTube, but not the media. He pulled the old “take the money and run” move.

It’s fitting, then, that in the post-Hodge era, the 36ers are 2-0 and charging towards the playoffs. Scott Ninnis says it will be great not having the distraction of Hodge around anymore.

The NBL can be thankful that there wasn’t the same media beat-up seen twice already this season with the demise of the Sydney Spirit and Cairns Taipans.

You’d have to say both organizations are grateful this is all in the past and that a cracking finals series is just around the corner.