Bruton keeps up Cannons fight - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Bruton keeps up Cannons fight

By Laine Clark 09/01/2003 08:05:35 PM Comments (0)

He's not sure where his next home game will be held but Canberra Cannons coach Cal Bruton is certain of one thing - his financially strapped NBL club will fight on.

Bruton won't know where his embattled Cannons will play in Canberra for the rest of the season until the NBL unveils a revised draw on Friday.

The NBL had to re-organise five Cannons games after the foundation club endured a sidelines hiatus sorting out its financial affairs when it went into voluntary administration last month.

Bruton initially hoped to move home games from the AIS Arena - which the club reportedly paid as much as $15,000 a match to rent - to Canberra's WNBL side's base, Tuggeranong Stadium.

But an NBL spokesman said the venues wouldn't be confirmed until Friday morning.

However, Bruton didn't have time to worry about venues as he continued his fight to keep the Cannons alive while juggling a busy playing schedule which takes in Sydney on Friday night.

Despite enduring a 114-100 loss to the Victoria Giants in Melbourne on Wednesday night - Canberra's first game in 32 days - Bruton was in Sydney on Thursday talking with potential investors in a bid to firm up the troubled NBL club's future.

"It's just discussions right now today and tomorrow but I'm hoping this will lead to a long association," Bruton told AAP.

The Cannons also face a hectic run home as they make up for lost time with reorganised games - a schedule that means Canberra will play roughly every three days until season's end in March.

Canberra (4th; 7-6) will play its third game in four days in Adelaide on Saturday night.

"It's a hectic schedule but that's the nature of the business right now - we've just got to look after ourselves physically and be prepared mentally," Bruton said.

Canberra lost import Dave Thomas to Germany and centre Pero Vasiljevic during the off-court dramas and can't recruit until it solves its financial problems.

"We are not signing any players at this point. We've got to get out of administration so we are in a position to sign a player," Bruton said.

"You obviously need money to do that so once we can take care of that side of business we can start talks."

No favours will be handed out by a Kings side (2nd; 13-5) which lost its last game in Sydney to Canberra in November.

Meanwhile, the Cairns Taipans host ladder leader Perth - its first game since last weekend's controversial match in which two players were ejected and its mascot was tackled by an overzealous "fan".

Cairns coach Guy Molloy said the Taipans (9th; 7-10) would ignore all distractions in a bid to break a seven-game winning streak by No.1 outfit the Perth Wildcats (15-3).

Molloy believed import guard Darnell Mee would turn around his form against Perth.

Mee - who won two titles with Adelaide - is averaging just 10.7 points per game for Cairns compared to his career average of 15.3.

"Darnell's had a couple of really strong performances and a couple that he'd rather forget but we know Darnell is a great performer and that he will come through for us," Molloy said.

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