NBL Illawarra Hawks Hope To Spark Hoops Revival In Canberra

National Basketball League club Illawarra Hawks' expansion into the capital "is anything but a cash grab," with GM Mat Campbell "setting his sights on facilitating a Canberra Cannons revival," according to Caden Helmers of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The Cannons imploded in '03 "to leave the capital starved of elite men's basketball," with the Hawks "now determined to plug the gap" as they eye a long-term partnership with the ACT government and Basketball ACT. Campbell wants the NBL to expand beyond its looming move to southeast Melbourne and sees Canberra as a "logical progression, with the Hawks looking to spark a basketball revival in the region." The Hawks have launched a campaign to "Pack the Palace" with an eye on a 4,000-strong crowd for a clash with the Cairns Taipans at the AIS Arena on Saturday. Campbell: "Our initial conversations with the government, Basketball ACT and ACT sport and recreation were all about trying to build a long-term relationship that is going to be mutually beneficial" (SMH, 1/21).