A mystery that has been forgotten for much of four decades is finally solved.
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The 1981 NBL pennant that belonged to the Launceston Casino City Tigers has been found inside a Hobart shed.
The hidden memorabilia - the only missing one of its kind in 40 years of the NBL - has come into the hands of ex-Hobart Chargers team manager Darren Cranfield.
The conduit had quizzed others in basketball circles around Hobart to point him in the right direction to find a home for the keepsake.
"It's not something that should be in a box," Cranfield said. "It needs to be put up somewhere because it's the only one Tassie's ever won.
"It's got to be in a display whether that's in Hobart, but preferably in Launceston because that's where it's from.
"Even if it does the rounds with the NBL Blitz first."
The Silverdome will host a preseason double-header on September 21 and unveiling one of the two championship rewards to the fans is a distinct possibility.
But the whereabouts of the NBL trophy from the 75-54 final win over Nunawading Spectres remains unknown.
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The pennant will soon be handed over to the NBL until a decision is made on its permanent location.
The issue is not knowing what to do with the pennant, with no remnants left of the Launceston Casino City club, or a trace of an appointed historian or club benefactor to store it away for posterity.
The defunct side had been founded in 1980 - the second NBL season - and in the next year won the championship.
One year later, the Tigers were packed up and tucked away, much like the pennant.
It was first reported in The Examiner in 2009 that the cherished piece of basketball history looked gone forever.
But a recent photo of the elusive pennant grabbed the attention of Cranfield.
The owner told Cranfield it was just gathering dust and "didn't know he had it".
"He was cleaning out his shed the other day and was about to throw this pennant out that was of no interest to him whatsoever," he said.
"He showed it to a mate of mine who thought of our Chargers involvement, hoping it could get to the correct place where it should be rather than going to the tip."
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Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
