Hawks chairman Keith Price looking forward to NBL season. Photo / Duncan Brown
IT'S a new broom and the Hawke's Bay basketball franchise board didn't waste time sweeping aside any tittle-tattle that the Hawks won't be flying the provincial flag at the National Basketball League early next year.
"I want to dispel rumours that the Hawks aren't competing. The Hawks are here and we want people to own them," says third-term Napier City councillor Keith Price who only assumed the mantle of new franchise board chairman last weekend.
With the Manawatu Jets pulling out last week from next year's Bartercard NBL campaign, rumours were rife in the Bay that the Hawks would suffer a similar fate after last year's debacle that saw coach Liam Flynn fired and captain Paora Winitana finding himself at the helm of the team late in the season as the side failed to make the playoffs.
"My attitude is that I'm taking over the role from now on to avoid last year's hassles," says Price.
Most franchises have started releasing the names of their marquee signings, such as Tall Blacks Mika Vukona joining veteran playmaker Lindsay Tait at Super City Rangers, but Price says "it's never too late" although "time is pretty important".
"There's nothing we can do about it but it's just a barrier we have to overcome," he says, revealing the Hawks should announce their coach by next week.
"We've had only one meeting so far so there's a lot of telephone stuff so we need more than five days to be organised and there's a lot of work to be done.
"Our first goal is to secure a coach and then progress to securing a team."
The 61-year-old, who used to own the Thirsty Whale bar and now is in a business partnership with Wisey's Pies and Bakehouse who will be among the family of Hawks sponsors next year, says it'll be premature to say if Winitana is in a shortlist "but all options are open for us to consider".
"A couple of businessmen approached me to make it sustainable."
Franchise general manager Jay Braschi, who took over from Tanya Dearns at the end of the season this year, is on vacation in Australia.
"Jay's holidaying before he comes back to be whipped here," says a jovial Price who met the "good, keen fellow" last Sunday in his capacity as chairman although their paths have crossed before while fulfilling sponsorship obligations.
The new board comprises Price, Napier City Council CEO Wayne Jack, accountant Kirsten Wise and former board member Blair Cross "for continuity".
"The idea is to have a small board and if we need strength we can recruit someone else."
A couple of businessmen and the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, got behind the franchise.
Price says the board is autonomous from the amateur arm of Basketball Hawke's Bay so it'll have a new charter.
"I feel a bit of separation is the best way to go with different identities. If it's a good Hawks set up then they'll work arm in arm."
Cross, he says, has done considerable amount of work to ensure the franchise secured a "warrant" this NBL season.
The Bay is a thriving breeding ground for sportspeople and on a similar template to the Magpies, good ones will strive to play for the Hawks.
"It's local first. I like to look after our own first so it has to be a win-win situation."
Last season the Hawks sorely missed an Everard Bartlett, who is born in the Bay but has frustratingly missed the net most times the franchise coaches have been out trawling for players.
Bartlett is plying his trade for the New Zealand Breakers, filling the big boots of Corey Webster when he was away in the United States trying to secure a berth with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Price is a former Napier Technical Old Boys and Taradale rugby club premier men's coach who has five Maddison Trophy titles to his credit.
"I was also Hawke's Bay Development [age-group] coach for four years and in that time they only lost one game."
He loves sports and watched all Hawks' games at home this year.
Team spirit, loyalty and trust, he feels, are the basic ingredients to prosper.
"I'm a sportsperson who likes winning. We need to build a good culture and team spirit from the board right through to coaches, managers and junior players.
"We have a good, positive feeling to build a good culture to move forward."