The Board of Basketball Australia today confirmed it will not proceed with a proposal for a second Melbourne-based National Basketball League team.

Last month a proposal for a second Melbourne club was put to Basketball Australia, reviewed by management and referred to a sub-committee of the Board for further detailed examination.

The Basketball Australia Board met yesterday and formally confirmed it would not proceed with the proposal, based on recommendations put forward by the sub-committee following its review.

“While the proposal contained encouraging aspects – such as a strong community model – the BA Board could not ultimately be confident that the club had sufficient financial arrangements in place to ensure its medium to long term sustainability,” said Basketball Australia Chair Scott Derwin.

“Expansion of the NBL is a priority for Basketball Australia and any proposal to do so will be naturally welcomed.

“However, those proposals will be put to the same sort of financial scrutiny to which we consistently hold all of our NBL clubs.

“Ultimately, any expansion of the NBL needs to be balanced against the future viability and integrity of the league as a whole.”