Why A-League and NBL Canberra expansion is closer than you think

The likelihood of that happening - or that they would be able to agree on anything - appears to be a pipe dream.

Because for all the stadium talk, arena innovation or expansion discussions, there's a massive divide in the common ground that needs to be the foundation for Canberra's sporting landscape in 2023 and beyond.

The ACT government invests heavily in the capital's sporting teams. The Raiders, Brumbies, Capitals, Canberra United, Cavalry and more have significant funding deals.

It puts them in the awkward position of not wanting to bite the hand that feeds them when it comes to a fight for what's right, not what's easy.

They are acutely aware of the consequences of publicly disparaging the Canberra kingmaker, and it can't be a healthy relationship for those wanting sport to thrive.

It's partly the reason the business community chose to take charge of the need for a Civic stadium and convention precinct, rather than leaving the heavy lifting to the Raiders and Brumbies.

But it also puts the A-League Men's and NBL expansion bids in a delicate position, as they try to navigate their way through the process.

Powerbrokers of both organisations have met with, and are actively lobbying, the government to find ways to get teams in the capital.

The Australian Professional Leagues chief executive met with Sport Minister Yvette Berry before Christmas to discuss long-held A-League hope.

NBL owner Larry Kestleman has toured facilities, has looked at vacant land to build his own arena and has spoken regularly about Canberra Cannons hope.

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But the problem with hope is that the window of belief doesn't last long before it turns to resentment.

For all the positive talk and the busy movement behind the scenes, we've seen this slow-motion car crash before.

Canberra, it seems, is an attractive proposition on paper for both the A-League and the NBL but it inevitably ends in tears and we're left to reminisce about the Cosmos and Cannons.

Will this time be different? Will 2023 be the year the A-League and the NBL pull the trigger on granting Canberra a second chance? If it is - and depending on who you listen to it's a matter of when, not if - Barr needs to pull sports together for a common vision.

Why does Barr need to lead the discussion? Because after his concert arena revelation on Christmas Eve, it's clear that sport infrastructure has slipped to last in line for construction plans.

As it stands, the city is at risk of having new venues that are either built in areas fans and teams don't want, or make them unusable for those who need them.

Barr has been vocal about his desire to future proof the events industry with state of the art facilities to make Canberra a destination for the next 50 years, not just the next five.

It's one of the reasons he said the site of the Civic pool was too small for a 30,000-seat stadium, despite feasibility studies suggesting otherwise.

The Canberra Raiders, ACT Brumbies or a prospective A-League team don't need, or want, a 30,000-seat stadium. So who would the government be building it for?

Barr says it needs to be 30,000 for the one-off, major domestic or international fixtures. He says it needs to be at Bruce, or Exhibition Park, because that's where there's space. The potential arrival of an A-League team may accelerate the conversation, but we still need to settle on the right option, not the easy one.

Which brings us to the "Canberra Pavilion", a versatile concert arena loosely based on the Horden Pavilion in Sydney.

It can be a great thing for Canberra. The closure of the AIS Arena has highlighted the lack of indoor facilities in the capital and a bigger, centrally-located venue would be a boost for the sector.

Barr revealed it could also host major sporting events, pointing to potential Canberra Capitals finals.

That's a great result for the Capitals, who have been without an appropriate-sized finals venue since the AIS Arena closed in early 2020.

They are also investigating options to build their own mid-sized venue at the University of Canberra. So after having nothing when the AIS Arena closed, there might all of a sudden be three indoor arena options. Do we need that?

And if we're serious about future-proofing, shouldn't the NBL be involved in the conversation? Or at worst, involved in the thinking or planning?

Kestleman has said he wants a venue of 7000 or 8000 for a Cannons revival. He's even offered to build it, although offers like that are usually attached to a desire to make money back via other developments somewhere else.

Barr has spoken about wanting any infrastructure projects to be worth the investment. The need for them to be used constantly, rather than being "dead space". So, in the case of the "Canberra Pavilion", it makes sense to talk to the NBL and Capitals about what they need and want.

Adding another 30-odd basketball games to the concert and exhibition space makes it even more attractive.

But before we get there, the collaboration conversation needs to start and be productive. There's a middle ground somewhere, but at the moment sports and the government are on different islands.

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