MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy's View from Downunder) - The Bendigo Spirit seemed like the powerhouse club of Australian women's basketball in recent years, but the cracks that have appeared over the past month have been seismic.

I believe Basketball Australia (BA) CEO Anthony Moore needs to step in and play the role of mediator, and when you read this timeline of events, you'll see why:

- Immediately following the Spirit's loss in the WNBL Grand Final on Sunday 8 March, the Bendigo Advertiser newspaper runs a story stating coach Bernie Harrower was told two weeks prior that his job would be advertised.
- Days later (I believe it was 14 March) an ad for the coaching position is run in the Bendigo Advertiser.
- It was then revealed Harrower's contract contains a coach’s option for next season, something the board appeared to have been unaware of. 
- Harrower exercises the option for the third year of his contract.
- The Spirit issue a press release with Chairman Greg Bickley stating the club advertised the coaching position because "Bernie hadn't mentioned the option by the end of the current season".
- The Spirit announce publicly they have debts of over AUS $200,000 and are fighting for their future.
- The Spirit announce they have offered Harrower a new contract and he has rejected that offer, leaving the club with "no alternative but to look elsewhere for a coach for the coming season".
- Harrower denies he has rejected an offer, restates that he has an existing contract and declines to comment further as the matter is in the hands of his lawyer.

If you're thinking this sounds like a muddled mess, you're right. It's time to ask some pertinent questions.

If Harrower had an option year on his contract, why did the Spirit advertise the position? Were they really unaware of what was in the contract the club had entered into? 

Why did Chairman Bickley speak of Harrower not mentioning his option by the end of the season? Was that the cut-off date mentioned in the contract? My understanding is the cut-off date still hasn't been reached.  

Why did the Spirit offer Harrower a new contract when he already had a contract in place? If reduced pay was the goal, why didn’t they renegotiate the terms of the current contract?

Why did the club's financial troubles only become a public issue once Harrower's contract became an issue? Are they suggesting Harrower is part of the cause of their money problems? Surely setting a basketball budget is the responsibility of the board?

Just as importantly, what have the Spirit been doing about these financial issues?

Interestingly, browsing through the website and facebook page over the past year or so I could see only two significant fundraisers, a Golf Day and a Late Lunch.

Significantly, there were announcements of multi-year contracts for Kelsey Griffin, Gabe Richards, Kelly Wilson and Tessa Lavey. Would you expect more fundraisers or long-term contract announcements from a club fighting for survival?

If the financial plight is indeed dire, is the club trying to renegotiate these playing contracts?

There are a lot of questions that publicly remain unanswered. In private many people are prepared to have their say, but I’m not going to give that speculation a run in this column.

On the surface, the publicly available information appears damning of the club and its board, and this is why Basketball Australia must step in immediately.

If public statements are to be believed:

- The Bendigo Spirit were unaware of the details of their contract with coach Harrower or have misled the public on those details.
- After becoming aware of that contract they appear to not be honouring its conditions.
- The club announced it had "no alternative but to look elsewhere for a coach" despite having a coach under contract.
- The club's finances have deteriorated to a point they say threatens their existence but there has been little publicly visible effort to increase revenue.
- A club in a supposedly precarious financial position has entered into several long-term contracts with some of Australia's best female basketballers.

Does this look like the sort of situation BA, as managers of the WNBL, should sit by and allow to play out? Their silence on such a serious issue is in danger of becoming deafening after a month of public recriminations in Bendigo.

At the very least CEO Anthony Moore should step in and help find a resolution. Either the Spirit honour Harrower's contract or they negotiate a settlement.

Given the details that are coming to light, however, BA should take further steps.

I believe they should begin a thorough review into the Spirit's conduct regarding Harrower's contract and their financial position, while also assessing the current governance of the Spirit and making recommendations to avoid similar public embarrassments that could have long-term implications for the franchise.

What has transpired unchecked in Bendigo over the past month is simply unacceptable, and it appears headed for a place where only lawyers emerge as winners.

Basketball Australia can no longer sit by and hope this is resolved quietly. 

Paulo Kennedy

FIBA

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