VS Saturday 12th May, 2018
GAME NIGHT PROGRAM SATURDAY 12th MAY 2018 Printed by
14 Hepner Place North Geelong 3215 Ph: 52722558
VS TONIGHT’S GAMES SEABL WOMEN– 5:00PM SEABL MEN – 7:00PM
GAME NIGHT SPONSOR
It feels like our teams haven’t played at home for months, an opening night game then back to back to back to back road trips has been a tough start for our teams and the results unfortunately have shown that. While our women went into last weeks Tassie double with a 3-1 record and sitting 4th on the ladder, they came out 3-3 and just hanging on to a spot in the eight. Our men on the other hand are currently in unchartered territory… a three game losing streak has them sitting 12th with a 2-3 record. But it’s a long season, and despite road trips still to Mt Gambier, Bendigo and Albury, the rest of the season is played in Melbourne or Geelong. I am sure our players are glad to see the inside of the Geelong Arena, a place where they love to play and a crowd that is always on their side. So it’s now up to all of us to make this court, OUR COURT, let’s make sure teams fear the trip to Geelong. On other news from around the club, we have recently hosted the U18 Australian Championships and Kevin Coombs Cup. A hugely successful event for the club with more than 52,000 people walking through the doors of the Arena over 8 days. It again showed our ability to deliver basketball tournaments at the highest possible level. As with 2014, the last major event I was involved in here at Basketball Geelong, we need to thank the volunteers that made the event such a success. In particular I would like to thank Frank Morrissy, Glenn Sharp, Leigh & Nathan Dawson, Peter Withers, David & Robyn Cecil, Beth Davis, Billy Guyett, Daniel Cooper, Tracey Dunstan, Shona McKeen, Brooke, Milly & Shania Soutar, Mark Brunger, John Stevens, Mike Deam, Demarcus Gatlin, John Davis, Hugh Moor and the students from SEDA and every Supercat player, coach and parent that made themselves available for an hour or a day. I would also like to thank Sarah Monck, Basketball Geelong’s Operations Manager for her tireless efforts to co-ordinate the event and ensure Basketball Geelong put on the best show possible. Finally I would like to congratulate Shannon Jennings. Early this month at the U18 AUS CHAMPS she was awarded the status of Crew Chief for the Women’s Gold Medal game, after a stellar week on the court and an outstanding performance in the Men’s Semi-Final, then just this week she was notified that she was being elevated to the Basketball Australia SEABL Referees Panel. This is an outstanding achievement for a young girl from Geelong and really does give her an amazing opportunity to continue to grow in the world of refereeing in the years to come. From everyone at Basketball Geelong, the Geelong Basketball League and the Supercats, congratulations Shannon. Enjoy the night #SeeRed #GetLoud #SupercatsFamily Regards, Dean Anglin CEO Shannon Jennings (Centre)
TASSIE TRIP REVIEW MEN THE Geelong Supercats have slumped to their third consecutive loss after some frantic and frustrating final minutes yesterday. The Supercats lost both away matches in Tasmania, including giving up an 11-point final quarter lead in yesterday’s game against the Hobart Chargers. A massive three-point shot from Hobart’s Craig Moller, combined with a contentious referee decision putting the Supercats in foul-line trouble, enabled the Chargers to cap off a thrilling 92-86 victory. Supercats coach Leon O’Neill thought his side was the dominant team for the majority of the game but the result came down to matters out of their control. “We were the better team for probably 39 minutes of the game and with an even amount of luck we might have gotten over the line,” O’Neill said. “We were called for a turnover, which was right in front of our bench and we probably had a different angle on it to what was called. But that’s one of those things you can’t control and then it just became them shooting free throws. “Hopefully (next week) we can get a share of the bit of luck that Hobart were able to get their hands on today.” O’Neill was pleased with contribution across the board, with four players reaching double figures in points but lamented the fact they let their lead slip. “We got a couple of their players in foul trouble by playing good aggressive offence and getting to the rim and they weren’t able to guard us. “We weren’t able to get those same calls in the second half that probably would have put them really on the back foot. “We were really disappointed we didn’t come away with a win today. We probably felt we deserved one.” The first game of the road trip saw the Supercats defeated 92-76 by North West Tasmania, which was soured further with an injury to point guard Michael Luxford, forcing him out of yesterday’s game. It was the Supercats’ heaviest loss of the season, but O’Neill praised the response his side gave following the loss. “Saturday night we were very ordinary and didn’t play the level of intensity you need to play at to win a SEABL game, especially on the road,” he said. But he said he was “incredibly proud” of their performance against Hobart. “They were very attentive to detail.”
WOMEN GEELONG Lady Supercats coach David Herbert says his side needs to “live and die by their game style” after losing consecutive matches in their weekend road trip to Tasmania. The Lady Supercats were defeated 73-70 on Friday night by Launceston Tornadoes in what was the club’s first hitout with their two imports, Daniela Wallen and Chelsea Poppens. Yesterday’s game wasn’t any better, succumbing to the Hobart Chargers 63-57 in what was a “very disappointing weekend” according to Herbert. The Supercats shot at 35 and 29 per cent from the field in the two games — far too low for the style of basketball Herbert wants his side to play. “You can’t shoot at 30 per cent and expect to win games,” Herbert said. “We’re about playing a consistent game style and that went missing this weekend. “We shied away from shooting the ball at times when we missed a couple and that’s not what we’re about. “At the end of the day we are a good three-point shooting team but it certainly didn’t show this weekend.” Poppens and Wallen had limited game time after just one completed training session midweek, but the latter lifted in the Supercats’ second match against Hobart with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Isa Brancatisano picked up a shoulder injury in Friday’s match against Launceston hindering yesterday’s game scoring just five points. Herbert said the performances of Wallen and captain Alex Duck were major positives. “I thought Daniela’s game was particularly good, as was Alex Duck’s. If we had a few more contributors we could have won quite convincingly,” Herbert said. More time and training with the new-look team is pivotal, according to Herbert. “It’s not panic stations by any means. We’re three and three with an addition of two new players, so once we fit them in well, we’ll be fine,” he said. “We only had the one training session so it was a little hard on them. It’s going to take a little bit of time.”
WOMEN’S PREVIEW by Wes Cusworth Lady Supercats captain Alex Duck concedes her line-up faces a largely unknown quantity when it plays host to SEABL newcomer Diamond Valley at the Arena in round 6 of 2018 action. “You go in a bit blind but having said that we did get to play them in the pre-season tournament,” the energetic guard said of the tenth-placed Eagles. “They certainly didn’t have their full strength squad, but most of them were there and they’re definitely a tough team. “They’ve got a couple of WNBL players and they’re tall, which we’re not, other than Chelsea Poppens.” The Eagles’ top-tier alumni include former Dandenong Rangers and now Canberra Capitals centre Lauren Scherf who at 196 centimetres, a full eight centimetres taller than Poppens, looks set to pose a sizeable challenge for the reigning champions. While Scherf is the visitors’ standout with 21.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, another WNBL Capital and New Zealand native, Chevannah Paalvast (17ppg, 4.7rpg), is likely to be a key playmaker in the backcourt. Emerging talent Abbey Wehrung has transitioned from regional arch-rival Ballarat Rush to join the League’s latest franchise and will be looking to build on her 11 points-per-game average across the Eagles’ opening eight games, while Geelong supporters will take more than a passing interest in the performance of former Lady Supercat Maddi Rocci (10ppg). “Those girls are typical of the players that will make it hard to match up against,” Duck said. ‘It’s going to be a tough challenge.” The hard-working leader is determined to see some good come from an exhausting weekend across Bass Strait that saw two narrow losses. “The Tassie road-trip was a tough one, particularly with that gap in the middle, on the Saturday, we were just hanging around waiting for Sunday’s game,” Duck said. “It was always going to be a tough weekend and we lost both games by small margins. “The positive thing that came out of it was that it wasn’t our best basketball, yet we were still in the position to win the games.” Duck also acknowledges that it will take time to blend two new imports, Daniela Wallen and Poppens, into the mix to achieve a result commensurate with their obvious talent. “They only had a week of training with us before the weekend,” she said. “That was always going to be a big adjustment. “But once we get a few trainings under our belts and let the girls get the feel for Australian basketball I think we’ll be a force to be reckoned with for sure.” Despite their 2017 top-dog status, Duck dismisses the notion that her side has become the hunted in the new year. “In fact, I feel like we’re underestimated,” she said. “In the pre-season of last year I don’t think anyone even tipped us to be in the top four and as you know we ended up winning the championship. “So even though we did win last year, I still think we go in as underdogs in most games. “Having said that, we like that challenge and I think it plays to our advantage.”
MEN’S PREVIEW by Wes Cusworth Geelong coach Leon O’Neill has vowed not to underestimate the SEABL’s ‘new kid on the block’ despite dispensing a defeat to Diamond Valley in the sides solo battle during the 2018 pre-season warm-up. “We certainly won’t be taking them any lighter for the fact that we beat them, they’re a really well coached team,” O’Neill said in preparation for just the second home game for the Supercats this year. “They’ve got a number of very good players with SEABL experience in Dyson King-Hawea and Darcy Harding, in particular, along with a couple of quality imports. “They’re going to be tough and with three losses in a row we’re really going to need to be on our game to make sure that we don’t make it four in a row.” O’Neill concedes the return to The Geelong Arena comes at a critical time in a quest to snap an uncustomary losing streak. “It’s been a long time, we had the game one against Mt Gambier and then we had the bye and then up to Canberra and then Ballarat, and then down to Tasmania,” he said. “It seems like a long, long time since we’ve been at home and hopefully we can regain that good form that we had against Mt Gambier and we can turn The Arena into a bit of a fortress. “We’d certainly much rather be playing at home than away, that’s for sure.” Geelong’s incredibly rich record of success in the SEABL makes the three-game losing streak all the more uncharacteristic. “It’s not very often that we come in with a losing streak, but we probably won’t pay too much credence to it to be honest,” O’Neill said. “Certainly something that’s in the back of my mind is that we don’t want to make a habit of losing, but the players are very resilient and if we can play the way we did against Hobart, I’ll be rapt. “The guys were very, very good, but just unlucky. “If we can bring that level of intensity, that level of desire and attention to detail, especially on our home floor, then I think that we are going to be very, very tough to beat.” What initially looked like a corked calf for former Australian under 17-representative and 2018 addition, Michael Luxford, now appears marginally more sinister and is expected to keep him from the action. “It looks like it’s a slight calf strain,” O’Neill said of the 23-year old from Hoppers Crossing. “He saw the physio on Monday and they’re saying it’s seven to 10 days with what he’s got. “With so many games left in the season we probably won’t take any chances on him. “While we would like to have Mickey out there, we’re still confident going into this weekend, particularly with Matty Johns returning.” While Geelong sits in 12th –place with a two-three record, the visiting Eagles are in 15th on the 16-team table with one-win, coming by one point against Sandringham, from its opening seven games.
LUINA GEELONG SUPERCATS SEABL WOMEN Number
Full Name
2
Ellen Kett
4
Position
Player Sponsor
Age
Guard
24
Eve Braslis
Forward
18
5
Alex Duck
Guard
28
8
Carly Remmos
Guard
15
19
Daniela Wallen
Forward
23
20
Ebony Rolph
Forward
23
24
Isabella Brancatisano
Guard
23
30
Charlotte Brancatisano
Guard
21
33
Tiarna Rolph
Centre
22
53
Alisha Knights
Guard
16
98
Georgia Hiscock
Guard
18
99
Chelsea Poppens
Forward
27
Head Coach Assistant Coach Team Manager Physio
David Herbert Glenn Sharp & Darren Busuttil Mindi Wells Sam Rice, provided by Corio Bay Health Group
DIAMOND VALLEY SEABL WOMEN Number
Full Name
Position
Age
4
Bree Whatman
Guard
23
7
Maddison Rocci
Guard
19
9
Amelia Smith
Forward
22
10
Ezi Magbegor
Forward
18
11
Lauren Scherf
Centre
22
13
Abigail Wehrung
Guard
22
15
Meg Crupi
Guard
21
20
Chevannah Paalvast
Forward
26
22
Steph Gorman
Guard
17
32
Cassidy Gould
Guard
18
35
Sharna Ayres
Guard
17
Head Coach Assistant Coach Team Manger Physio
Zoe Carr Rob Coulter, Sam Thornton, Jacqui O’Neill Lisa Page Paul Greco
LUINA GEELONG SUPERCATS SEABL MEN Number
Full Name
Position
Player Sponsor
Age
5
DeMarcus Gatlin
Combo Guard
24
8
Kris Blicavs
Combo Guard
28
10
John Davis
Power Forward
32
11
Nathan Herbert
Shooting Guard
32
12
Matthew Johns
Guard
29
14
Michael Luxford
Guard
26
15
Ma'alo Hicks
Power Forward
23
17
Nathan Freind
Guard
26
21
Kristian Rocci
Shooting Guard
30
24
Liam McInerney
Power Forward
34
52
Jamie Medved
Shooting Guard
35
Head Coach
Assistant Coach Team Manager & Assistant Team Managers Physio
Leon O’Neill
Luke Beauglehall & Greg Smith Jesse Drever, Nathan Scarlett & Marcus Lovell Sam Rice, provided by Corio Bay Health Group
DIAMOND VALLEY SEABL WOMEN Number
Full Name
Position
Age
2
Jack Roberts
Guard
19
3
Lukas Kafritsas
Guard
20
5
Joel Spear
Guard
23
6
Matt Reynolds
Guard
25
7
Dyson King-Hawea
Forward
25
12
Joel Rimes
Guard
23
13
Daniel Camps
Guard
24
15
Liam Killey
Centre
21
16
Mike Best
Centre
24
20
Darcy Harding
Forward
23
22
Matthew Baggio
Forward
17
Head Coach Assistant Coach Team Manager Physio
Grant Wallace Marcus Todd, Dee Butler, Charlie Fyffe Shelley Reynolds Paul Greco
STAR Venezuelan import Daniela Wallen says she is extremely proud to be the first from her country to play basketball in Australia. The new Lady Supercats forward made an immediate impact last weekend in Tasmania, posting 13 points and 12 rebounds in the second match of a double header. But Wallen said nerves got the best of her as she nailed just six baskets from 22 attempts inside the paint. “My first game I was so nervous, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “Everybody says that here is a really good league and I didn’t want to make a mistake, so I was nervous about that. “But the second game, I said, ‘OK, you can do this’ and I told myself to try to not make a mistake or do something wrong, and I started to feel confident. “I missed so many lay-ups, but that will come.” The trip away gave Dave Herbert’s side the chance to get to know both Wallen and American import Chelsea Poppens, and despite back-to-back losses, Wallen said there were enough positives to take out of the experience. “It was fun. I was nervous, my first game, my first experience here, but I realised the team is always together and they always play well, so I’m happy about that and I’m glad I’m here playing with them,” she said. “That gave me confidence, that I could know the team a little bit more and I was happy because I got the opportunity to (get to) know the girls and the coaches.” The 23-year-old was brought to Geelong with huge wraps, having dominated the American college system and represented Venezuela at an international level. Wallen said the opportunity to play in Australia was one she couldn’t pass up. “My agent found me this club and I guess it was a good decision to make,” she said. “The first thing that passed through my mind, I was happy because I know Australia has good leagues, it’s hard to play here. “I’m the first Venezuelan girl to come here and play, so in my country everyone was excited about this. “My goal is to play in Spain, but this is amazing, this is almost one of my favourite countries to play in because I know they’ve got a really good league.” But basketball wasn’t always a first choice sport for Wallen; she initially grew up loving soccer before taking to the court at age 15. “I never imagined basketball was going to give me all the doors it has,” she said. “I liked basketball more because when I was little my mum and my dad played basketball, so I grew up on the court. But I used to like soccer too. “But when I was 15 I started playing (basketball) with girls and then I liked it. “It was amazing to represent your country and everybody is supporting everything you do. “I never imagined I’d play for my country and play outside of my country.”
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