FORMER Bendigo Spirit coach Bernie Harrower is taking the club to court over an alleged breach of contract.
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Harrower and the Women’s National Basketball League club are listed for a pre-hearing in the Bendigo Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning.
Bendigo Spirit chairman Greg Bickley was tight lipped about the hearing.
“It’s a pre-hearing conference that is private and it’s not open to the public, that’s all we can say at the time,’’ Bickley said.
Harrower, who refused to comment, helped form the Bendigo Spirit and coached the club for its first eight years, winning two WNBL championships.
His relationship with the Spirit board soured significantly in his final season in charge and in March this year the club advertised the coaching job, despite Harrower having an option to extend his contract by a year.
When Harrower took up that option in April this year the Spirit board offered him a significantly reduced contract because of the club’s financial battles.
"We put an offer to Bernie, which he rejected," Bickley said on April 6.
"There is speculation he agreed to coach for a reduced fee. That is incorrect.
"He insisted on his coaching fee being the same as last year, but it was a counter-offer we simply can't afford.”
The Spirit signed Simon Pritchard as their new head coach and after 10 rounds of the WNBL season sit in fourth place on the ladder with a 9-7 record.
