WNBL

Harrower’s retirement brings back Tigers WNBL memories

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This writer was too young to remember the fact that the Melbourne Tigers had an WNBL team but the knowledge of the team existing in that league is something to be proud of as Melbourne has had teams in the very best leagues that Australia can offer.

The recent retirement of WNBL legend Kristi Harrower who played for the Melbourne Tigers among other great teams has brought memories of the Tigers days in the WNBL back to many fans, perhaps this will spur on Tigers fans to fill in the gaps where there is a lack of recorded history of the side in the league.

The Tigers didn’t win any titles after being denied twice by Adelaide Lightning but perhaps one day a new Tigers team will take to the court and win the elusive WNBL title and join a few clubs to have a NBL and WNBL title to their name.

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Can the Tigers come home to WNBL one day?

RKS News

For many years in the WNBL, NBL teams also had teams in the WNBL with varying degrees of success.

Nunadwading Spectres won six WNBL titles in the 1980’s and were runners up in 1991, St Kilda won titles in 1981 and 1982, Bankstown and West Adelaide made Grand Final appearances in the early 1980’s and the Melbourne Tigers were also in titles contention during their stint in the WNBL.

The Tigers were runners up in 1994 and 1995 losing to Adelaide Lightning on both occasions, there was talk in the late 2000’s about the team returning to the WNBL but they were scrapped and it has once again popped up when the Tigers consortium looked at going from SEABL to WNBL which for all we know can still be on the cards.

Tigers expansion plans now public

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Melbourne Tigers fans woke up this morning to the news that all the speculation about the long road towards return of the Melbourne Tigers to the NBL is true and the work to make it happen is underway, the Tigers will not be in the NBL for a couple of years for finances will need to be secured to make a re-entry possible but the team will make every effort to get there.

Nigel Purchase and Andrew Gaze were both talked to on SEN during the day with Nigel\s appearance on SEN’s ‘Hungry for Sport’ available at https://soundcloud.com/sen1116/hungry-for-sport-nigel-purchase-nbl-veteran while Andrew’s appearance of SEN’s ‘Harf Time’ is available at

The Melbourne Tigers are planning to have a team compete in SEABL which is considered by many to be equal or superior to the NBL before the team either expands or returns solely to the NBL, it is hoped that by going the SEABL route the Tigers return to the NBL will be successful from the resumption of the team’s 30 year existence in the league.

Melbourne Tigers will also be working to provide women the opportunity to play for the famed club in the WNBL, the Tigers entry into the WNBL would no doubt provide a boost to the league which has enjoyed success over the last couple of years compared to the struggles of the NBL.

Tigers fans are encouraged to keep their eyes and ears open in the coming weeks and months as more details will come to hand and there is no doubt now that fans will be eager to participate in any move to make the Tigers return happen sooner rather than later.