Why the battle of Tasmania is a must-watch this weekend

Feature image via: @miss_therese

Round 1 was a bizarre finish for the iconic Hobart Chargers vs NW Thunder rivalry. 

With 1:24 minutes remaining and Hobart holding a one-point advantage, Harcourts Stadium and over 10,000 homes in Northern Tasmania lost power. 

Basketball Victoria declared the game a “No Result”, with both teams agreeing to the ruling. In the week after, Chargers head coach Jarrad Weeks admitted it was a frustrating outcome overall.

“The process played out the way it did, obviously no result, which is a bit of a shame,” he told Chargers Media. 

“The Tassie battle was a great game, it was back and forth, it was a great atmosphere up there in the North West… And for the game to end with no result is a bit of a shame really.

“I was excited to see what that last-minute twenty had to be honest with you… Just seems to be more fuel to that rivalry that never seems to stop here.” 

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Since then, the Chargers have had an up-and-down season, sitting with a 6-5 record with two-time NBL1 East MVP Will Crantown-Lown recently returning from injury. On the other hand, the NW Thunder have a 3-8 record and will be using this game as a way to flip their season around against the island rivals. 

The two teams will face off for the first time since the curfuffle, now taking place as a premier match-up in the annual Heritage Round. The historic rivalry will always be a blockbuster, but given the circumstances, this will be even more of a reason to tune in. 

Watch the Hobart Chargers host the NW Thunder Friday night, streaming live from 8:00pm AEST live via NBL1.com.au or the NBL1 App.