Fans welcome home the successful Canberra Cavalry at Narrabundah Ballpark after winning the ABL title earlier this year. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Canberra sport is littered with the embers of various national sports league teams over the past 35 years. The Cosmos, the Bushrangers, the Cannons and the Comets come readily to mind.
The Cavalry is in danger of being included in this list. The owners, Paul Kelly and Adrian Dart, had intended to pause the team’s participation in the upcoming 2025-26 Australian Baseball League (ABL) season before returning in 2026-27, only for the league to take the licence away.
The main difference between the Bushrangers, Cannons and Cosmos is that, apart from ground hire fees at Narrabundah, there are no outstanding debts with the Cavalry.
The ABL will be proceeding with a four-team competition next season to ensure Australian players have game time before the 2026 World Baseball Classic pool games.
It was going to be just three teams before the Sydney Blue Sox secured new ownership with the Black Pearl Sports Group taking over the licence.
Perth also pulled out of next season with the ABL announcing that it would be taking the licence back and operating the Heat team in 2025-26.
So, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane will compete in the 2025-26 season with Canberra and the Melbourne Aces pulling out.
The Cavalry owners expressed concerns about financial viability as part of their decision to withdraw from the upcoming season.
The ABL concedes a reset is needed into how a professional baseball competition in Australia operates.
Adrian Dart declined to comment about the future of the Cavalry when approached by Region, but he outlined his vision for the ABL in a lengthy post on social media.
Young Cavalry fans will be without a team this season. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Here is an excerpt:
“I won’t comment on the current events, but I will share my thoughts for what I believe should be the next chapter for the ABL.
“I believe the future of the ABL and Australian baseball lies with Asia. We must be aligned and certainly a major part of Asian Professional Leagues’ strategic plans.
“The ABL needs to expand to go forward. This 10-week, 20-home game current format doesn’t allow teams the openings (game days) required to generate the income needed to firstly cover costs yet alone ever dream of becoming profitable.
“Not forgetting, unlike other sports, the ABL collects no revenue from major sponsors or TV right deals to filter down to support their teams.
“How do we tap into the Asian market and bring attention to Australian baseball? Become invaluable to our partners … affiliates already know the benefits of sending players to the ABL, often wanting to send more players than we have roster spots for. So, let them send an entire team, or better send us six teams.
“Make it a 12-team competition, bring back all six Australian teams from last year plus the addition of six teams from Asian Professional Leagues. Perhaps two from Japan, two from Korea and two from Taiwan, or other combination depending on circumstances.
“Run the comp between October to December when the Asian players are available. Fill January with Aussie team games.”
The ABL says it remains committed to fielding a team in Canberra under different ownership.
The potential new owners of a Canberra ABL licence would need deep pockets and a passion for the sport.
However, it’s not as if a new owner would have to start totally from ground zero.
The infrastructure is in place with the Narrabundah Ballpark and there is a strong and passionate baseball community in Canberra with plenty of local talent along with established partnerships with overseas clubs.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Cavalry is the defending ABL champion team, having won the title very much against the odds away from home in February.
Time, though, is of the essence; the longer Canberra goes without an ABL team, the harder it will be to kickstart a club.
There are many aspiring juniors coming through the pathway system, many of whom could be tempted away from Canberra to join clubs in centres boasting an ABL team.
The obvious question is whether there is somebody who fits the criteria waiting in the wings to secure an ABL licence in the city.
As the proponents of the A-League for Canberra have discovered, finding backers with deep pockets and a passion for the sport is often difficult to lockdown.
