CEO Update Season 26/27

Member Season Welcome

On behalf of the JackJumpers and Jewels, we want to thank you for your commitment to the club and welcome you to the 2027 NBL and WNBL seasons. What lies ahead is genuinely significant, and we are so pleased you will be part of the journey.

As the newly appointed Chief Executive, I feel privileged to lead the club and recognise the incredible opportunity and responsibility this role provides. Reflecting on my first off-season, we have undertaken and achieved a great deal, much of which is worth sharing. Over the past six months there have been many firsts, particularly as the Jewels prepare for their inaugural season.

High-Performance Centre

We are so excited to now be housed in our new High-Performance Centre in Kingston. It really is a game changer.

With both teams and our front office staff operating under one roof, we are embarking on something truly unique. This integrated model sets us apart from every other NBL and WNBL club in the country and presents an incredible opportunity to create a connected and high-performing organisation.

It gives us the ability to share knowledge, resources, and expertise across both programs, while fostering a culture that is united by a common purpose. More importantly, it allows us to build a stronger club for our players, staff, members, partners, and the broader Tasmanian community and reinforces why we are a destination club.

Thanks must go to the Tasmanian Government for its incredible support of this project. Recognition must also go to the many people who championed the vision from the very beginning, including Scott Roth, former CEO Christine Finnegan, Chair Steve Old, and the many current and former staff who played a role in bringing it to life.

JackJumpers

With the JackJumpers preparing for their sixth campaign, we look to the season ahead with genuine optimism. This week we were able to share that Scott Roth will remain at the helm for not only this season, but for a further two-seasons. Scott has been such an integral part of the club from its inception. From helping shape the JackJumpers identity, to creating our mission to Defend the Island, he has been amazing for our club and a wonderful ambassador for Tasmania. On the court, we genuinely believe that he is the man to take our JackJumpers program forward and have us continuing to compete in finals and challenging for championships.

Our playing roster for this season is an exciting one with additions like home grown guard Taran Armstong, import Dakota Mathias, New Zealand centre Ben Gold, and two new development players in Jed Richardson and another North-west Tasmanian, Ryley Haywood. Adding this mix into our existing roster of well-known faces, we believe we have created a highly competitive group for our NBL27 campaign.

Last week our JackJumpers leadership group was announced, with Will Magnay set to lead the group as captain. He will be supported by vice captains Josh Bannon and Taran Armstrong. We are incredibly confident that these leaders are going to have a positive impact on our playing group, on the court and off the court.

Jewels

It is with great anticipation that we build towards the inaugural season for the Jewels. It has been such a significant undertaking, and I’d like to thank all Advisory Board members and staff that have been involved. From recruiting our coaches, high-performance and front office staff, then building our playing roster, working through how the team will play, onboarding all of the new players and getting prepared for game one, it has been a massive off-season.

The Jewels certainly close the circle of our organisation and truly make us one club. Tonight the Jewels play their first game at the Townsville Tip-off and while they have only been together for two weeks, watching them take the court will be incredibly satisfying given the work that has gone into establishing the Jewels.

Our inaugural roster looks compelling. It was great to be able to announce their first leadership group, with Darcee Garbin announced as captain. She will be supported by Keely Froling and Steph Reid as vice-captains. All three are senior, experienced leaders who are going to bring so much to this group. They will be joined by outstanding imports in Madina Okot and Gianna Kneepkens who are still completing their WNBA duties, but will arrive in Australia shortly. We have plenty of depth around these players, as well as a strong presence of Tasmanians with roster player Taylor Mole and development players Andie Smith, Portia Chopping, Ava McDonald, Chloe Broomhall and Nikki Parker. This group of Jewels players have a fantastic opportunity to help shape the culture and the identity of our Jewels and set standards, as a foundation for this season, and for many years to come.

Make sure you are there for their first official WNBL game on October 15 against the Geelong Venom at My State Bank Arena. Game days will be different, and we can’t wait to share our plans closer to the first event.

JackJumpers Member Experiences

There have been changes to some aspects of membership this season, which have been implemented to provide more people access to our JackJumpers games and to continue to enhance your experience through tools like our Mber+ platform.

Our membership team will continue to share ways you can optimise your membership experience across the course of the season.

Game Day

This season, we’re bringing all the hype, energy and game-day excitement you know and love. And new for 2026/27, thanks to Mega Rewards, season ticket holders will have the chance to step onto the court and take their shot at the Mega Rewards Half-Court Shot for Cash, with up to $50,000 in prize money up for grabs!

‍

On the eve of the season, we want to reiterate our thanks for your commitment and contribution to our club and recognise how important you are.  Let’s make season 2027, one to remember.

Go Jackies and Jewels!

‍