THE State Government has declared its commitment to women’s sport by not only announcing a sponsorship deal with the Crows AFLW team to the tune of $ 275,000, but reaffirming its desire to resolve the funding crisis plaguing basketball’s Adelaide Lightning.
As Premier Steven Marshall announced the funding boost, he also expressed his unreserved desire to see the Lightning survive and thrive as an elite women’s team.
The State Government — through the Motor Accident Commission — sponsors the Lightning, with $ 150,000 a season, but the club requires a white knight to fill a $ 500,000-a-season black hole.
“We’re obviously very concerned about the current situation,” the Premier said.
“We don’t want Adelaide Lightning to fold, they are an important part of our state’s history, and an important part of our state’s future.”
Mr Marshall said the government would be sitting down with Lightning officials next week to work on a solution.
“Let’s just sit down with them, understand what the current situation is for this season coming up and also what the longer term is going to be,” he said.
“We’ve already had some preliminary discussions, but we need to really now sit down and work out where we go with the Adelaide Lightning to make sure that it can remain in the competition and continue to do well like it has so many times in the past.”
And Crows chairman Rob Chapman has not entirely closed the door on the Adelaide Football Club becoming the long-term saviour of the beleaguered basketball club.
In June, the football club took sole ownership of the Adelaide Bite baseball team.
“I agree wholeheartedly (that) we do need to support and strengthen women’s basketball here,” Chapman said.
“I think our football club’s got good recent history in actually looking at a business case, obviously with the Adelaide Bite, and we’ve looked at a couple of other opportunities.
“This year’s a really big agenda for us, so I think it’s just a little bit early for us to consider, but that said we’re always open to ideas and I hope the Premier, who represents a government that does do a lot for sport in this state … hopefully they can find a way to do something this year and who knows what could happen into the future.”
A spokesman for the State Government said the Motor Accident Commission had the following partnership arrangements in women’s sport:
* Adelaide United — $ 55,000 per season: provides access to the Lady Reds in the W-League
* Adelaide Basketball — $ 150,000 per season: provides access to Adelaide Lightning to deliver road safety messages.
* Additionally, $ 70,000 to the Power Community Limited (the community arm of the Port Adelaide Football Club) to support the Aboriginal Power Cup and Will POWER programs, which supports both male and female engagement in education.
Yesterday, the government announced that the $ 275,000 in Crows funding would help grow female participation in football through pathways and development programs for young women across the state.
“We want to congratulate (the Crows) for the fantastic leadership work that they did to promote AFLW footy for women here in SA,” Mr Marshall said.
“Two years ago, there were a dozen (women’s) teams and now more than 100 … this is a fantastic result.”
Chapman said the government funding — combined with the Crows’ own resources — would help to bring to fruition the club’s original vision for women’s football.
“Which is providing a pathway for young girls and women to get to the elite level and follow their champions and heroes like Erin (Phillips) and Chelsea (Randall) and others,” he said.
He said some of the money would be spent improving grassroots infrastructure.
Crows co-captain and inaugural AFLW best and fairest, Erin Philips, welcomed the funding as important to deliver football to women and girls at a grassroots level.
“The growth in women’s football has been astronomical so it’s going to keep helping those numbers grow,” she said.
“I’m one of the lucky ones … I meet so many women who didn’t get that opportunity.”
Phillips — former captain and championship player for the Lightning — said she was keen to see a quick resolution to the situation.
“I’m very optimistic that someone or something will come to fruition and help them out because this state does need a professional women’s basketball team,” she said.
