NBL interests will expand this off-season with Kestelman stating the league would play some three-on-three basketball competitions and small second-tier league then grow both those leagues in years to come - those games could be in non-NBL cities and used to expand NBL support. In his ideal blueprint, Kestelman would have a south-eastern suburbs NBL side and a western Melbourne NBL team which would reach out to Geelong. ​But Kestelman has concerns with expansion when it comes to stadiums outside of Melbourne Park and finding sporting organisations or major business people to partner with. "I can see Melbourne getting split up into three sections," Kestelman told The Age. "I would like to see Melbourne United as is and then something towards the south-eastern suburbs like Knox or Dandenong but stadiums are the question although stadiums could be upgraded out there.

"Then another team to the west all the way through to Geelong, that is how I would ideally see things falling but we will see how it all works out." While some have compared an AFL entry to the NBL as clubs looking to match European giants like Barcelona or Real Madrid, the AFL has always closely guarded its colours and brands so AFL backed sides could have different identities. Kestelman said talks hadn't extended to brand use and he hoped to eventually meet with AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan to discuss the matter. If Carlton had a team and wanted to call them something different I would probably be OK with it, their supporter base would probably be OK with it and it might even attract a wider supporter base. I would understand if AFL were protective of their brand. NBL owner Larry Kestelman What Kestelman likes most is AFL clubs have administrative facilities ready to cater for a professional basketball team plus existing membership and training bases.

He is not concerned about player poaching as NBL salaries have improved and it would happen whether they work with AFL or not. "I'm more concerned that it is not treated as a second tier product, that it is on equal footing," Kestelman said. "The other concern is that if we do partner with an AFL club then it would need to be someone who is really good at what they do and large enough to do it as it's a concern if you have alienated supporters of the other AFL clubs or 7/8s of a city. "Commercially and from a logical sense it is the right model as if you look at operating cost base and where they would be starting from then it's dramatically different from a brand new startup." If an AFL club wanted to back a team but give it different colours, Kestelman would be open to it.

Theoretically, an AFL club could bring back the South-East Melbourne Magic or South Dragons names. "We haven't got that far but I would be open to any suggestion. I think it would be very transparent if a Collingwood or Carlton owned one of these teams and it was all based at their clubs just called something different," Kestelman said. "I would be open to it because for me it is not as much about the brand but how they operate and what they do. Loading "If Carlton had a team and wanted to call them something different I would probably be OK with it, their supporter base would probably be OK with it and it might even attract a wider supporter base. I would understand if AFL were protective of their brand."

Kestelman added he could see second Western Australian and South Australian sides in the future but they would be secondary moves after adding more Melbourne teams and possibly an outer Sydney side.