Supercats fixture announced for 2023

GEELONG’S premier basketball side will return to The Geelong Arena on April 15, confirmed in the release of next year’s NBL1 South fixture.

NBL1’s fixture for 2023 release slates the beginning of the season to take place on April 1, as both Geelong United Supercats sides begin their campaigns against Kilsyth in Round 1, before playing in front of the Supercats faithful a fortnight later against Bendigo in Round 2.

Hot off a 2022 campaign that featured the highest average home crowd attendance since the club’s exit from the National Basketball League in 1996, Geelong United chief executive officer Mark Neeld said the association was looking forward to picking up where it left off last season.

“We’re really looking forward as an organisation to season 2023, as we look to build on the momentum we got in 2022.

“The support we got from our key partners and our supporters led to the highest average crowds since Geelong’s separation from the NBL.

“So it’s safe to say the sport of basketball is not only being heavily supported in terms of participation, but we are also getting families and young children down to watch the Geelong United Supercats.”

The NBL and Basketball Victoria further truncated next season for all 20 member clubs compared to its previous fixture.

In 2023, clubs will undertake 22 games in 14 weeks of action, with Geelong set up to play a total of eight double-headers during that span.

Double-headers are confirmed to take place in Rounds 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, 13 and 14.

Neeld said Geelong United negotiated the best possible fixture for its players and supporters within the options available to the club.

“We have got the best fixture for our Geelong United Supercats given the parameters we were given by the NBL and Basketball Victoria.

“What that means is we have 11 home games; we do not have any weekends where there are two home games and we do not have any mid-week games. We are the only club in the NBL1 South that was able to negotiate that, and it is mainly to do with the number of courts in Geelong.

“The coaches and the players will be working very closely with both our medical and strength and conditioning staff to make sure the players’ welfare is at the forefront of everything we do, to make sure they can get through the season and into the finals in a healthy manner.”

Neeld said Geelong United’s training sessions would be greatly reduced, primarily because of recovery and preparation sessions in 2023.

Significant home dates for the Supercats include:

Round 2: Geelong v Bendigo, April 15 – home opener

Round 4: Geelong v Frankston, April 29 – 2022 men’s Elimination Final rematch

Round 13: Geelong v Ballarat, July 8 – regional showdown, and

Round 14: Geelong v Keilor, July 15 – final home game.

For more information and updates on ticketing, head to geelongunitedbasketball.com.au