Departing Tassie duo praised

Tasmania JackJumpers CEO Christine Finnegan has paid tribute to the departing pair of Marcus Lee and Jarred Bairstow, and says the “brutal” nature of professional sport means the club has to keep moving forward with its NBL25 roster build.

Bairstow was a member of the JackJumpers inaugural roster and has taken part in all three seasons of the club’s existence. He found himself behind the likes of Lee, Will Magnay and Fabijan Krslovic in Scott Roth’s rotation in NBL24, but has been consistently praised as a cornerstone of the club’s culture.

Lee joined Tasmania off the back of half a season in Melbourne and, despite his injury-hit Finals campaign, was a crucial starter for the bulk of the JackJumpers’ campaign.

“I spoke to both of those boys after Scott Roth informed them of the decision, and I must say they’re two of the most humble, grateful people I’ve spoken to in that situation, ever,” Finnegan said on SEN Tassie.

“Jarred was obviously very disappointed. He came over to help us build this club and franchise and the role he’s played, particularly on the bench, has been enormous, and his wife, Maddy, has become a really integral part of our club.

“When Marcus Lee came to the club, Nick Truelson who’s the CEO of Melbourne United and a friend of mine rang me and said ‘you’ve just got the nicest guy on the planet on your roster, he’s seriously a great guy’, and he proved to be just that, a really humble, nice person.

“It’s never easy saying goodbye to those sorts of people, but that’s the world we live in and it can be quite brutal at times. We’ve got to keep moving our list along as we go.”

The JackJumpers have already announced the signing of former Brisbane and South East Melbourne center Gorjok Gak, and have extended the contracts of Anthony Drmic, Majok Deng and Jack McVeigh this off-season.

Will Magnay also re-committed with the club during the NBL24 season.

There are still five players including McVeigh and Magnay on Tasmania’s roster from its inaugural season, while former guard Jarrad Weeks has since joined the coaching staff.

Finnegan believes the strategic signings and re-signings made by the club so far are setting it up for future success.

“Scott wants to build a list that can build longevity for success, and making sure Magnay and McVeigh and other key parts of that, so they’ve signed on for the long haul,” she said.

“It’s a huge focus for us to ensure we’re retaining our talent and bringing in some fresh talent as well.”