NBL1 West 2022: Slammers given no favours following release of NBL1 West fixture

The South West Slammers have been given no favours in the 2023 NBL1 West fixture, which was released earlier this month. On opening night (Saturday, April 1), the men’s team will embark on the longest road trip in the league, when they face the Geraldton Buccaneers in Geraldton. In the past, the Slammers have elected to travel up by bus on the day of the game, and travel back to the Eaton Recreation Centre directly after — meaning they will have travelled 1184km in the space of 24 hours. There will be little time for the team to recover though, as the Slammers will host the Mandurah Magic five days later on Easter Thursday. Fixture positives: Between May 14 and June 17, the Slammers will only have to travel as far as Rockingham for their away matches, which will give the players some handy respite as the rigours of a long season begin to take their toll. The club’s two longest road trips (Geraldton and Kalgoorlie) are also spaced out exactly by three months. Fixture challenges: Aside from the men’s team having to travel all the way up to the Mid West on opening night, a number of home games have been pencilled in during tricky timeslots. Aside from the Easter Thursday night game, three of the Slammers’ final four home games will be held on Friday nights in the middle of winter. Typically if it is cold, wet and people are tired following a long work week, they can sometimes be content to watch the online stream and stay at home. Team success can also play a role in how many people go to games, so the Slammers will need to identify these dates as ones where increased fan engagement is required. It is believed the club may be considering a series of themed game nights — following from the success of James Fitch’s singlet retirement ceremony last year — which could aid with this process. 2023 home game dates: Thursday, April 6 (vs Mandurah Magic, 6.30pm and 8.30pm), Saturday, April 15 (vs Kalamunda Eastern Suns, 5pm and 7pm), Saturday, April 22 (vs Joondalup Wolves, 5pm and 7pm), Saturday, May 13 (vs East Perth Eagles, 5pm and 7pm), Saturday, May 20 (vs Lakeside Lightning, 5pm and 7pm), Saturday, June 10 (vs Goldfields Giants, 8pm), Saturday, June 17 (vs Perry Lakes Hawks, 5pm and 7pm), Friday, June 23 (vs Rockingham Flames, 6.30pm and 8.30pm), Saturday, July 8 (vs Warwick Senators, 5pm and 7pm), Friday, July 14 (vs Cockburn Cougars, 6.30pm and 8.30pm), Friday, July 21 (vs Willetton Tigers, 6.30pm and 8.30pm).