Sandringham, Victoria, July 2010 – The Melbourne Tigers are currently locked in negotiations with the Nunawading Spectres over the availability of star player Tom Greer

With the SEABL finals looming, the Spectres face the proposition of losing the forward to the Tigers when the NBL side embarks on a preseason tour of Ireland.

Greer has been a significant contributor for the Spectres this season, contributing 15.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. But anyone who has been privileged to see the Spectres play this season would know that Greer’s influence cannot be measured in statistics alone. His presence bonds the players together, and opposition sides have to assign a quality defender to him.

Reflecting his form and ability, Greer was signed by the Tigers ahead of this year’s NBL championship, and it was the intangible aspects of his game that were central to the signing.

Melbourne Tigers General Manager Adam Fountain pointed to the energy Greer has as being important, “Tommy brings with him an incredible intensity and spark. We understand that he might not be the leading scorer every night, but the kind of energy that he has means that he can be the heart and soul of the side, both on and off the court.

Similarly Tigers Head Coach Al Westover was very pleased with the re-signing of Greer to the Tigers playing list. “His effort and work rate is second to none and he is a very important part of the team. He is a very versatile player; he can play numerous positions and defend most positions. Tommy really sets the bar, both in effort levels and defense, and it is great to have him back for the season ahead.”

The fact that a SEABL player has been signed by an NBL club is nothing new. Sandringham alone has four players on their roster that will be playing in the elite competition this season.

But where a SEABL player has signed with an NBL team, it is standard practice that the NBL team allows the player to finish their commitments to their SEABL club.

The Melbourne Tigers on the other hand, are the only organisation not willing to recognise that the player they have signed has a contractual obligation to the Nunawading Spectres.

SEABL has always regarded itself as a feeder league, but is disappointed when the NBL teams are not willing to allow players to finish their SEABL campaign.

SEABL General Manager Mark Chivers also suggested that the approach of the Tigers was counterproductive, “The real issue is that the Tigers need to stop seeing the SEABL teams as being opposed to their concerns; instead they should look at ways that the two organisations can mutually benefit, be it through investment of some kind in various levels, such as at the coaching and administration level, as well as playing talent.”

The Melbourne GM recognises this and is fully aware that it is important for NBL and SEABL teams to have a healthy relationship, “We realise that BA is working at integrating and developing the relationship between clubs across the two leagues. And we appreciate that Tom is an important member of a side that is working towards a SEABL championship.

“But at the same time, the Tigers have to focus on the season ahead, and the pre-season tour to Ireland is an important part of that.”

Spectres President Simon Harland however felt that the Tigers had not been willing to recognise Greer’s outstanding commitments, “Essentially there are two sides to this debate. There is the side that wants Tommy to complete his season and current contract, and then there is the side that has given Tommy an ultimatum and threatened him with financial hardship should he choose to finish the season with us.”

While hoping that it would not come to it, the Spectres President went on to say that they would consider legal action if no clear agreement was reached, “Our priority is the players’ welfare. We think he wants to play with us, we feel that there is the moral obligation to play with us, but there is also the contractual obligation to play with us.

“We don’t think we have done anything wrong, and we would love to have Tommy for the rest of the season, but we are not going to put any pressure on the player.”

It seems like there is a good deal of animosity between the teams, with Harland telling seabl.com.au that the Tigers had been unwilling to negotiate, had not returned calls, and that neither party was willing to recognise the role or importance of the other.

When the parties did finally reach the negotiation table, the Spectres felt that the compensation that was put forward was not up to scratch. “The offer was that Tom would fly out with the Tigers, then fly back on the day of the first final, then he would fly back out to join the Tigers at the Spectres expense, and miss the remaining SEABL games.

Harland was also concerned that the process ended up with the player having to decide the outcome, “It is unfortunate that these overlapping contracts were not sorted out earlier, and that players have nowhere to get advice. Perhaps player managers or the players association needs to look at that. At the moment, the decision is being left up to the player, and we believe that someone should step in to take the decision out of his hands.”

The significance of Melbourne’s approach extends beyond their perception of a NBL-SEABL divide. At a recent mid-season conference for the South East Australian Basketball League, members were assured that Basketball Australia was mindful of SEABL’s position in the Australian basketball landscape.

Wayne Carroll, General Manager of High Performance for Basketball Australia said that Basketball Australia and SEABL have been working hard with the administrations of both organisations to achieve a satisfactory outcome, “We have assured SEABL that in the future processes will be put in place to regulate the access and movement of players between the leagues.”

One possible outcome for the future is that Basketball Australia could mandate conditions to be written into all player contracts. SEABL and NBL contracts could also be lodged with the governing body so that Basketball Australia can oversee the agreements and investigate any conflicts before they reach boiling point.

Unfortunately this doesn’t help the current situation, and all efforts are being made by SEABL and BA to get the Tigers back to the negotiation table.

The Melbourne Tigers have not responded to questions from seabl.com.au regarding the state of the relationship between their organisation and the Spectres, or their perception of the role SEABL has within the basketball landscape.

Head Coach of the Spectres Craig Simpson is in the position to see these tensions play themselves out better than most. While losing a player the calibre of Greer would jeopardise their finals aspirations, the coach is aware of the larger issues at stake, “We haven’t played finals for 15 years, and we want our best cattle on the paddock. Ultimately what needs to be decided is what the higher priority is? Bonding with a new team versus helping us win a championship.”

“If we knew that Tommy wasn’t going to be available for the finals, we may not have signed him at the start of the season. He is obviously keen to stay, but we understand that the Tigers have threatened to tear up his 3-year contract if he doesn’t get on the plane to Ireland with a clearance in hand.”

“Tommy has to take this into account. His SEABL contract and any NBL contract make up all of his income, and we hope that this situation doesn’t jeopardise his Tigers contract. Every other SEABL player who has signed an NBL contract is allowed to complete their SEABL obligations, but for some reason the Tigers think they can operate outside the square.”