Under 12 Boys 1
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That was the season that was....... Welcome to the 2010 issue of the Sabres Annual Magazine!
Never are we mistaken as anything but Sabres, the orange and blue separates us from the others and unites us as one.
It is always with great pleasure and pride that I walk the boards of the Sabres games and point my nosey camera lens into the players, coaches and parents private moments.
The orange and blue huddle is imposing and triumphant, it lets the opposition know who we are and puts them on notice that we stand as one and play as a team.
From bottom age U12s in their first rep games to the seasoned SEABL professionals suiting up for the last time the pride and the loyalty to the Sabres orange and blue is obvious. The early morning training, the long pre-seasons, the scraped knees, the jarred fingers, the missed parties, the rolled ankles, the taped ankles, the endless journeys to distant stadiums don’t put a dampener into the eyes of our athletes as they take to the floor in their much cherished uniforms.
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The program this year has seen the continued development of a culture that puts us a step ahead of all other clubs as we strive to provide a basketball experience second to none. From the individual fitness plans, to group training sessions, from the appointment of leading coaches from around the Australian basketball community to the involvement of our development players as coaches and leaders within our junior ranks, our program goes from strength to strength and the results are obvious.
I am very privileged to be involved at a variety of levels within the Sabres program, as a member of the Board of Management, as President of the Domestic Association, as a Team Manager, the unofficial club photographer, editor of the Sabres Magazine and most proudly as the dad of a dedicated player who stands to me as a main reason I am proud to be a Sabre. Thanks for the opportunity you all give me to be part of your players lives and the friendship I receive from all the parents I meet as I scramble to get a good angle on their children. I would encourage all parents to be as involved as possible in the playing careers of their children ... they are memories that will stay with us forever. Cheers Murray Payne
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President’s Message The next stunning instalment As yet another season finally draws to a conclusion and the dust settles for a short time at least, we have another stunning instalment of the SBA yearbook to enjoy. There have once again been highs and lows throughout the season and many stories to tell. Championships have been won, skills honed and hopefully many lifelong friendships and memories to take into the future. Enjoy the break between seasons, recharge the batteries and work on that jumpshot! Thank you once again to all involved throughout the season, no matter what role you played. All your hard work and dedication that goes into making the Sabres the best program possible is gratefully appreciated. Yours in basketball, Steven Lunardon President SBA
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Sabre’s Spirit
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The Program
Our goal is to have other clubs come to Sandy and respect our play and fear us as an opponent. It has been an exciting first year at Sabre land. I have been pleased with our clubs progress with so many teams reaching finals in the main season. Our U/14 Boys qualified for the Nationals which was a fantastic achievement by Coach Shane Tobin and the boys. We had great success with our teams in Launceston this being the largest contingent of teams that we have sent, nine in all. Again the tour to NSW for the U/14 teams in the July holidays was extremely successful and well organised. Thanks must go to Ian Leckie for organising the Tasmania trip and Shane for the NSW trip. I have introduced a Sabre Skills program to all of our teams this year as well as an introduction to cross training with the services of the Gecko gym. I believe that both of these programs are important steps in developing our junior players. I do realise that there are many demands placed upon the athlete’s and their parents and I would like to thank all of you for making the commitment. During the year I established the under pinning development and Elite programs. Twenty one players were identified and received an additional
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skills session a week by Coach Sinisa Markovic, Peter Carey or myself. I am looking to expand these squads next year as these players have benefited greatly with their dedication and commitment to improve. I must thank those that help in so many ways. CEO Vince Crivelli has been fantastic to me and very supportive. Vince’s vision for the club is one that we should all share. To all of the office staff thanks so much for your loyalty to the Sandringham program, it really is a great place to work. To Ian Leckie a huge thank you, your support has been great. What devotion and commitment you have to the Sabres program. To all of the coaches I congratulate each of you for the work that you do. It is a huge commitment to undertake coaching a team so to all of us, reflect for a moment, when you have been caught up in the emotion of the game everyone is striving to give their best and I think at times we take for granted what sacrifices our coaches make. I would also like to acknowledge all of our Team Managers for your time and effort to assisting the smooth coordination of running a team.
Next year I will be assisting coaches more in a capacity of coaching the coaches. I will be implementing training education programs that coaches will have easy access to. Skills sessions will continue but in a different format. Extended development/ Elite squads will be identified as well as normal practice sessions. There will be camps and tournaments for players to participate in. What an exciting time to be a part of the Sabres program. Well done to everyone. We are a family club an it really is a buzz to see so many people out on friday nights supporting one another. Dean Kinsman General Manager Basketball Operations
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The Program
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SEABL Men
M2 TELECOM SABRES With a season of competition experience under our belt, improvements were made to the 2010 squad and from the beginning the energy and balance seemed perfect. We welcomed back Sabres junior David Moore and promoted Neil Mueller after his standout season in the D-League. Added to the list of local talent was Chris Taylor, Craig White, Daniel Dillon, Nathan Crosswell, Tom Garlepp, Simon Conn and Kye Patrick. The team also benefited from a short stint (5 games) from experienced NBL player Damian Ryan. It was also pleasing to see some more of our junior players take on the challenge of seniors with Alister MacDonald, Sam Barum, Matthew Turner, Dalton Wilshire and Robert Kluger all suiting up at various times throughout the year.
With a win loss record of 18/9, our men’s team played an elimination home final against the Hobart Chargers. It was to be our last game together as we were unable to advance to the next round. Many lessons were learned and improvements will be made for 2011 season. It is exciting to look at the potential list of players available from within our ranks that could all be part of this team in 2011. Special mention must go to Craig White who has retired from his playing career after 20+ years of service. Throughout his career, Craig demonstrated time and time again the passion, commitment and dedication required to be successful at senior level for our club. His leadership and drive will be missed. The challenge now remains finding the next player from within our ranks to fill the void. I would like to thank the Committee of Management for there support and faith in me as Head Coach, It is truly an honored position to hold, I would also like to thank my loyal support staff including, Dean Kinsman, Parveen Batish, Petah Gibbs,
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Robert DeNardis and the whole crew at Sandringham Sports Medicine for their efforts with the our team in 2010. I would also like to thank M2Telecom and simplymobiles.com.au for there support of the senior program in 2010. Without such support we would not be able to participate in the SEABL competition. Neil Taylor our team manager, who for me was our MVP of the season organizing everything for this team from uniforms to transport to tape to travel to food to sponsorship etc etc etc. Neil you are a true Sabre! Thank you and your family for their constant support and commitment. Finally congratulations to Nathan Crosswell and his wife Roslyn, Craig White and his partner Jacqui, Damien Ryan and his partner Adva who are all expecting their first child in the coming weeks. Looks like some SABRE cubs are on the way. Cheers Vince Crivelli Head Coach SEABL Men 2010
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One extra degree makes all the difference!!
We finished the season with two more wins than the previous year with a 10-12 win/loss record. The SEABL competition continued to gain in strength, with many teams boasting 4 or 5 WNBL players on their rosters. It was fantastic for our athletes to be challenged week in and week out, both physically and mentally. We had a mixture of new and familiar faces on the team. From Adelaide WNBL the Sabres welcomed Renae Camino and Cayla Francis both previous Opals squad members. Renae and Cayla both embraced the Sabres ideals and very quickly became immersed in the orange and blue culture. Dayna Schinz came across from Nunawading and brought with her a touch of glamour and a great work ethic. With her came Nardine Yousef who through hard work and determination found herself in the regular rotation of ten. Returning from a break last season due to injury, Nicole Hunt was again leading the team at the point guard position and calling the shots. Also returning after having a baby and a few years off was Kristy Bloomfield.
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Sarah Fraser Jones joined the team when she came home from college in the US and added that energy and never say die defensive attitude which was infectious to the team. Jo Myers was on the roster working hard but had a few injuries to get on top of as she was to leave mid season for a tryout with the UK National team. Last but not least the very heart and soul of the Sabres were three stalwarts in Alice Hammond, Talita Haddad and in her eighth straight season with the Sabres Tegan Fowler. They lead by example and continued to display passion and enthusiasm throughout the entire season. All the girls played a major role in the character and fabric of the team each contributing in their own way. If I were to pick three words to describe this team it would be commitment, belief and chemistry. The girls had an immense pride when playing for the orange and blue and their commitment to the program was exemplary. This was reflected in the way they trained and prepared for every opposition. Even in the depths of the winter chill at 6.15 in the morning the girls rallied together and continued to push each other into becoming better players. Our team never went into a game believing anything other than they had a good shot at winning. Whilst there were some opposition they were unable to get across the line against, they certainly challenged each and every team. This group was all about “team” both on and off the court. They had wonderful team chemistry, were very supportive of each other and genuinely enjoyed being teammates.
It was a pleasure to coach this group of exceptional young women. I would like to thank assistant coaches Ed Drummond and Stewart Baird who contributed to the team in so many different ways. Thanks once again to Cherie Meraunt and her magic fingers, ensuring the players were able to hit the court week in and week out. For the first time in many years we had a manager and my sincere appreciation goes to Vicki Baird for filling that role and always with a smile on her face. Thanks to Vince Crivelli and Dean Kinsmen for their support of the team and making the time to do individual sessions with some of the players. Finally the continued support of Ian Leckie and the board is paramount for the continued improvement of the team and whole Sabres program and I would like to acknowledge this support and thank all involved behind the scenes.
SEABL Women
That is the approach that the Sabres 2010 Women’s SEABL team took on board at the start of the year. Work that one degree harder, run that one degree faster, jump that one degree higher and we would give ourselves the best chance of being successful.
Lori Chizik
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D League Women
From strength to strength July 2009 – The inaugural SEABL D-League Women’s basketball season finished with the Sandringham Sabres finishing dead last with a meagre 3 win, 15 loss season. September 2009 - After a short five-week break, the D-League Women began a gruelling sixmonth pre-season focussing initially on skill development before moving into the more traditional regime of fitness and team strategies after the Christmas break. Any pre-season that extends a month longer than the regular season presents itself with its own set of challenges. Sessions can easily become tiresome, repetitive and eventually unproductive unless you have a playing group completely committed to improvement. Thankfully, in 2010 we had such a group. Returning squad members Eilidh Simpson, Arly Hocking, Leah Swain, Jess Khera, Jessica Kaufman, Ashley Hirons, Kate Fitzgerald, Lauren Morecroft, Sinead Shingles and Kate
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Bluzer were joined for the 2010 season by newcomers Alannah Kavanagh, Maxine Allen, Melanie Stewart, Kerryn Mitchell and Kate Gaze. After a shaky 0-4 start to the season, the hard work put in over the pre-season saw the team go on to win ten of its next eleven games before finishing third on the table with a 13 and 8 record. Unfortunately, eventual champion Knox Raiders tipped us out of title contention in the semi-finals. As with success goes recognition and the regular season performances of Eilidh Simpson, Kate Gaze and Jessica Kaufman were acknowledged with top 10 finishes in the leagues MVP award (most of any club).
steps in 2010; yet the hardest ones are still ahead of you. I would like to thank the time and efforts our assistant coaches Paul Graham and Phil Thomas. Their hard work and development of the younger players will ensure there is no let up into future seasons. I would especially like to thank our most inspirational team member for 2010, team manager - Fiona Simpson. Her efforts this season to continually perform above and beyond the call of duty was truly amazing. We’ve had some big wins this year…but look forward to some bigger ones. Simon Mitchell
Melanie Stewart joined that group in the squad of 20 nominated for the leagues ALLSTAR 5 of which Jess Kaufman was successfully voted in as the ALL-STAR 5 forward – an excellent achievement. I congratulate all of the girls on a fine season. We made large
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Rallied and repositioned
The slow start was a stark reminder to the fact that we were now the target of every team in the competition. Coach David Pummell rallied the team and repositioned our focus to salvage the season. The return of star players Matt Turner, Daniel Ella and Sam Burum from college teams in the USA helped us get our season back on track. We finished the season in 4th place and in the finals. A great effort considering the start we had. We played our semifinal at Ballarat against a very strong Ballarat team. It was a
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hard fought game, however, we were unable to topple the minor premiers with the game’s final margin reading of 90 – 81. A lot of positives can be drawn from this season. The quality of new players to the team and the improvement of returning players are positive signs for the clubs future. Dejan Bratic, Kirk Smith, Alistar MacDonald, Jovan Bojanic, and Dalton Willshire were all new additions who added value to our team and have bright futures in the orange and blue. Israel Jones, Matt Turner, Daniel Ella, Sam Burum, Miro Djurkovic, Bevan Camilleri, and Robert Kugler all returned from the 2009 team and all showed improvement throughout the season.
The return of Michael Nowlan, James McKinnon and Lachlan Winter from injury should also be some key additions to the team in years to come. Thanks from the whole team go to our team manager Camilla Ella, and all the parents of players who helped put together the food for our after game functions. Finally, thanks must go to David Pummell for the time he has put into the team and the patience and knowledge he brings to as coach.
D LEague Men
After winning the championship in the first ever season of SEABLs D-League in 2009; we started 2010 slowly with a 2 – 6 record in our first 8 games.
Gavin Tonkin
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U12 Girls 1
Under 12 Girls
Coach: Natalie Burke U12.1G – A Champion Team The season goes for a long, long time. In September, 2009, almost 30 new players joined with 15 returning players to form the Under 12 girls tryout squad. From this squad, nine players were originally selected to make the Under 12.1 team, made up of 6 from the Under 12 metro 1 team from the previous season (Carly, Ella, Lucy, Morgan, Sally and Tayla) one from each of the Metro 2 teams (Chloe and Franny) and one new player (Alice). Unfortunately, Tayla had to withdraw from the side early in the season, and we played out the season with eight players. The grading phase commenced with the girls in what seemed like a pretty comfortable pool. Knox, always near the top of all competitions, looked the strongest. But in our first game of the season, we scored six points in the last minute to defeat them by one. The rest would be easy- Altona (a smallish club like us) and Kilsyth 2 (a second team). Boy, were we mistaken. Altona were only to be beaten once in the next 40 Friday night games, by us late in the season. After this early loss to Altona, we then beat Kilsyth 2 and Bulleen 2 to make it into the Under 12VC competition. Along the way, we also finished runners-up to Kilsyth at the Southern Peninsula tournament, in a sensational grand final game that was high-
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scoring and very skillful, and semi-finalists in the DandenongEltham tournament, again getting knocked over by Kilsyth. The Victorian Championships in basketball are the biggest and best junior elite representative competition of any sport in Australia. The eight girls in this team, with the support of coach Natalie, the assistance of Dean Kinsman, and the efforts of the other Under 12 coaches and players, committed to learning how to play basketball in a way that would result in success in the long term. It was fun watching these kids trying to learn how to do reverse lay ups (and then smile when they did one in the game) or how to shoot jump shots from inside the key. The coaching staff could have chosen to take the short cuts that many of our opponents were taking in trying to get winszone presses, zone defenses etc.- but that wouldn’t have helped the girls in the long run. We decided early that everyone had to learn to do everythingCarly, Sally, Chloe and Alice learnt how to post up although they didn’t quite get the Lauren Jackson angry scowl, and Ella and Franny had to learn how to play the guard spots like Steve Nash. Lucy and Morgan just had to play everywhere- inside or outside- bit like Richo and Kouta (Their parents would have liked that analogy).
with a 7-2 record- our only two loses were to Altona and Melbourne- the two competition powerhouses (zones, zone presses). We finished the main season in 5th overall. Along the way, we also finished sixth in the National Junior Classic held on the Queen’s Birthday weekend. In our opening final, we beat Werribee 47-23 and then beat Hawthorn 32-29 to make it to the semi-finals. Interestingly, we were in the semi-finals with Knox and Altona, who we had started the grading season against- so much for the comfortable pool. Up against Altona in the semifinal, we lost 27-42, the closest anyone had got to Altona’s full squad, except for Melbourne. The evenness of our side was indicated by the fact that we had five different top scorers in our last six games of the season. The great thing about this team was the pleasure that the coaches, players and parents took in each other’s company. There were numerous get togethers, parties, meals and functions and I’m certain that the friendships started here will last.
Success followed as the players and coaches adapted to lack of numbers. We qualified for the top half of VC in third position
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U12 Girls 2 Coach: Chris Giosis
Whether it was at a training session or game, the girls worked extremely hard becoming better team players and achieving their personal goals in the process. Their overall enthusiasm and energy made for an enjoyable coaching experience, and getting up for 8am trainings was no issue knowing that the girls would be there ready to work hard and get better. To the fantastic group of parents I had, thank you for supporting the team and making my life easy. And to team manager extraordinaire Meredith, keeping me organised is no easy feat so thank you for all the time and effort you put in. Lastly, I hope all the girls continue playing Sabres next year. From what I saw this season they are a very talented group of players who are also willing to work hard, try new things and become better players. Well done girls!!!
U12 Girls 3 Coach: Eilidh Simpson Eliza, Keeley, Enya, Charlotte, Laura, Jamie Lee, Isabel and Kyra.
The girls enjoyed the Australia Day tournament won a couple of games and learnt a little about basketball but had heaps of fun along the way especially in the pool at Cranbourne and feasting themselves at the Pancake Parlour in Dandenong, possibly the reason for the sluggish last game of the tournament, but who knows it might have been the early start. We had some other gatherings - a welcome to basketball pool party and a farewell to Jo pizza night as well as a Fun Day Sunday watching both coaches play for their senior Lady Sabre teams, and we are looking forward to the final team gathering in the Spa! Thank you to Eilidh who took over the coaching and inspired the girls with her love of the game and her own skills. Good luck girls as you further your basketball careers!
U12 Girls 4 Coach: Jamie Treasure The team 4 girls were an enthusiastic group from the start; eager to listen, learn and follow instructions from their coach Jamie. During the grading process they bonded quickly and played well as a team. Parents’ enthusiasm was high despite failed attempts to understand the grading system and the long Friday night drives across Melbourne! After many hard fought matches, the girls qualified for metro 2 which was a fantastic effort for first time rep players.
Under 12 Girls
Despite not making the finals, I believe the team had a very successful season, constantly pushing the top 2 or 3 teams and often playing without a lot of luck.
a fierce determination saw this bunch of big hearted gutsy 9 and 10 year olds stand tall against the bigger top age teams. They won a few games, drew one and took a couple to the line. They were always very competitive and won the final game against Nunawading, the team on top of the ladder!
At the start of the season we had some very close losses and we felt the girls needed some fun in the form of a pancake breakfast. The pancakes did the job and their luck began to change from that point on. The close matches continued but the girls renewed energy and determination started getting them over the line. Win or lose, the girls were having fun, making friends and enjoying their basketball thanks to their fantastic, dedicated coach, Jamie. His coaching style encouraged all girls to participate and do their best each week and fulfill their potential over the season. The girls should be proud of their efforts this year, valiantly defeating the top three teams in the competition over the last few weeks of the season and just missing out on the finals. Well done to all the girls!
The 12-3 Sabre girls had a enjoyable start to their first season of basketball at rep level. Graded into Metro 2 and guided by Jo Wood (Myers) with the able help of Eilidh ( A- Lee ) Simpson, they managed to see a few of the stadiums around Melbourne and play some really tough games of basketball. Fast foot work and lots of rebounds and
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Under 12 Girls
U12 Girls 1 5 7 12 15 22 25 31 45
Ella Batish Sally Burke Lucy Cochrane Carly Dillon Alice Humble Morgan Riley Chloe Hicks Francis Musson
U12 Girls 2 9 13 21 23 24 35 44 54
Marield Carrigg Brianna Bryant Natarsha Ymer Emily Lynch Alyza Dealy-Waddell Hayley Bracciale Katherine Ellison Brittany Bourke
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U12 Girls 3 Keeley Frawley Isabel Cook Charlotte Sutton Laura Amelung Enya Broadley Eliza Hollingsworth Kyra Foss Jamie-Lee Munn
Under 12 Girls
4 6 8 10 14 20 30 40
U12 Girls 4 7 11 41 43 45 51 53 55
Hannah Pirrie Georgie Dwyer Sara Russell Ashley Smirniotis Sarah Webster Olivia Richter Ellen Keen Charlotte Raberger
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Under 12s SABRESMagazine2010.indd 22
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Under 12 Boys
U12 Boys 1
U12 Boys 2
Coach: Michael Nowlan
Coach: Steve Brown
A fantastic performance by the Under 12.1 boys throughout the year. Each has grown as an individual player and they have really come together as a team.
Our boys had a fantastic season, grading well to end up playing against some fierce competition. Only a couple of the boys had played Sabres the previous season so it was a huge learning curve for alot of the boys.
The Under 12.1 boys were off to a great start winning the Geelong Tournament. However, some inconsistent performances were to cost us later in the qualifiers when we narrowly missed out on selection for the VC Championship competition. The team travelled to Adelaide and were Runners-Up in the Norwood Easter Classic Tournament; although we were probably a little unlucky when our Coach Michael Nowlan crashed his car driving to the Grand Final. Into the VC Reserve competition and the boys progressed throughout the season undefeated, although there have been some very close and hard fought wins. Along the way, and with only seven players, we entered and won the Nunawading Spectres Tournament. A very pleased coach would later say, after a clean sweep of wins, “All players needed to step up to this challenge and they did it”. So the Under 12.1 boys enter the finals series as the team that all others most want to beat. A big thank-you, from the boys and parents, to Coach Michael Nowlan for a wonderful journey with new friendships formed, great team work and some excellent basketball. Sharon & David Jones Team Managers
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We played in the Geelong tournament in November, which proved to be a great bonding experience for the team, aside from the distance travelled each day, they had a lot of fun, and got to know each other outside of playing basketball as well. The Dandenong tournament was our highlight as we fought hard, played hard, and the very determined boys managed to get into the Grand Final (which we lost) , it was a great achievement and just showed how all their hard work had paid off. Most of the games we played throughout grading and the season, were close games, a couple of draws and a lot of games within 1 point. They were tough games and I think the boys coped better than the parents during these ones! Words from Tyler (# 55) What I enjoyed about the season was that we got to play some of the best teams in the state and that we increased our skill level a lot. Our coach; Steve Brown was a fair coach that gave people equal time on the court and used some of his free time to come and train us. We finished the season 6th on the ladder, missing out on the finals. Our last game at home against McKinnon was probably our best, everyone played hard,
to finish with a win. A great way to end the season for a great group of boys who have put in so much time and effort. Thank you to Steve Brown for giving up his time as our coach, and to all the parents for their support to Steve, myself and the Team. Kate Scott Team Manager
U12 Boys 3 Coach: Gavin Tonkin For the majority of the under 12/3 Boys team this was their first Sabres experience and what a year it was with the season culminating in playing in the finals. During the season we played the Australia Day and Queen’s Birthday tournaments. The Queen’s Birthday Tournament saw us playing much higher ranked teams, and whilst we didn’t make the finals it was a great experience for the boys (and parents) to bond and begin to work as a team. The first half of the season saw the team consistently in the top 3. The second half of the season however proved tougher as the top 5 teams battled out the final placings for the season. We finished equal 4th (5th on percentage) and look forward to a competitive finals series. 2010 has been a development season for the boys and has seen them all improve their skills and knowledge to finish the season as a positive tight knit group. Gavin Tonkin has been fantastic and as a team (parents and
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Thanks also to a very supportive parent group who have made the long season very enjoyable.
U12 Boys 4 Coach: Michael Mullan What a fast season. It seems like the season has only just begun but already we are at the end. Our team consisted of 10 boys who had never played rep before. It was a learning experience for both the boys and their parents. We were a mixed age team with 6 top age boys and 4 bottom age boys. After grading matches we ended up in Eastern 2. The Dandenong/Eltham tournament was an eye opener for the families as they had not done anything like this before. We utilised some of the boys from team 5 for the tournament as we had some of our own away on holidays. The boys played well together, and with great coaching from coach Mullan made it through to the Grand Final. A great way to start them all off in representative basketball. By the time the season started, the boys had all made new friends amongst each other, as did the parents. We have had wins and losses, some laughs, some tears, a few falls, lots of illnesses, but the boys have all done well and had fun along the way. They entered the
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Queens Birthday Nunawading tournament, again with some players from team 5. They didn’t make finals, but gained a lot of experience. Now we are at the end of the season, and the team has progressed so much from when they started. The boys improved throughout the season both individually and as a team, and learnt lots of new skills and techniques. The team has successfully made it into the finals. We all wish the boys lots of luck for the last few matches, and all the best for the future. What a great bunch of boys, really nice parents and a coach who is very passionate about his basketball.
as these little boys went about their business each week. Finally, although many of our results showed that we lost more than we won, the season was a good starting point for these boys as it gave them and their parents a realisation of what is expected of them when being part of a Sabres representative program. Well done to all.
Under 12 Boys
boys) we would like to thank Gavin for his patience and persistence throughout the year. Gavin has been a knowledgeable coach, never ruffled and such a positive role model for all the boys. We were very lucky to have had Gavin.
U12 Boys 5 Coach: Grant Waddell Great Improvement It’s was a long tiring time for the new kids on the block as they took on bigger and better sides all season. For a lot of the boys it was their first real full season of both domestic and or representative basketball so their learning and development was very much open ended. Although some of them were just eight years of age they applied themselves as best they could and at times reaped the rewards with wins against good opposition as we progressed through the fixture. Many of our games were decided in the last couple of minutes which was a great learning experience to our players and not to forget the parents as well as the excitement did get to some. We did enjoy and laugh many times together
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Under 12 Boys
U12 Boys 1 5 7 10 11 20 21 23 31 51 53
Bailey Clarkson Sam Jones Bailey Ross Ben Charnley Ryan Heath William Hyde Vincent Van Oorschot Dillon Melnjak Jaylen Cross Charlie Constable
U12 Boys 2 5 7 10 11 20 21 23 31 51 53
Bailey Clarkson Sam Jones Bailey Ross Ben Charnley Ryan Heath William Hyde Vincent Van Oorschot Dillon Melnjak Jaylen Cross Charlie Constable
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U12 Boys 3
Under 12 Boys
9 13 15 25 34 35 40 55
Devlin Brereton Finn Campigli Henry Bush Daniel Plummer Jack Hilford Max Coughlin Matthew D’Elia Tyler Jackson
U12 Boys 4 4 6 8 15 20 23 24 30 40 41 50
Christopher Grigoriadis Lewis Cotsopoulos Alex Cunningham Jordan Hurley Jack Scrimshaw Nathan Campbell Nathan Paine Henry Thompson Tim McCormick Sam Gall Adrian Hamilton
U12 Boys 5 5 8 15 23 24 25 32 43 44 54
Daniel Raphael Hugh Romancz Nicholas Hurley Andrew Wicks Kosta Tsaousis Mitchell Ligeti Stuart Harris Tyrone Simos-Primerano Kirk Wilson Riley Whitehouse
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Adelaide! SABRESMagazine2010.indd 28
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Adelaide!
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U14 Boys 1
Under 14 Boys
Coach: Shane Tobin October - January: October seems a very long time ago - the team selected by coaches Josh Rout and Shane Tobin – nine previous Sabres players + one rookie! Beach training with guru Ross Wilsmore in prep for Eltham/ Dandenong Tourney over Australia Day weekend. February – April March 5 – first game of the season. April 2 – April 5 Norwood Easter Classic, Adelaide. Fantastic place, amazing weather, incredible group of players, parents and coaches = Grand Finalists!! May – June May – finished third in Victorian Championship (VC) pool to qualify for The Classic tournament at MSAC over Queens Birthday weekend. Finished fifth overall (from twenty) after first round of VC competition so remain in Championship Grade. June 12-14 National Junior Classic – Highlight for team manager was watching All Blacks play Ireland, on TV, in a pub, while players ate dinner between games on Saturday night! June – July –U 14’S ROAD TRIP Highlights: our team; getting to know everyone else on the trip, especially the 14 girls (and that went for all!!); Avoca Beach; the bus drivers; AIS; birthdays; pizza delivery in Canberra; amazing, uncomplaining, organised, resilient, happy children.
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Lowlights: GPS – proven not to work!!; cold Canberra; scary opposition; burning brakes ( although it was pretty exciting). NATIONALS: Huge finale to the season has the team qualifying for the National Junior Club Championships in Belconnen, ACT, in September, from Sept 26 – Oct 3. August – September With one game to go in the round, the team is looking to finish in the top five, with finals to follow. The team is: Dylan Atkins, Lachie Lemons, Harley Balic, Jimmy Ellison, Finn Kenny, Tim Taranto, Callum Heath, Will Albrecht, Oscar Richards and Mitchel Foss. It has been a privilege to be a part of this team and the season has been a very special one. Thanks firstly to the boys who have made the season what it is; secondly to Josh and Shane for doing what they do so well; and finally, to those who have supported each and every fundraising event, tournament, bus ride, shopping expedition, team meal preparation, score keeping, etc and so it goes on … all the way to Nationals! A special mention to Josh Rout who is leaving the Sabres coaching team at the end of the year to take up a new career in Sydney – our loss. Victoria Pidhirny, Team Manager
U14 Boys 2 Coach: David Marsh “After battling through a series very competitive grading phases our boys achieved entry to VJBL
Junior League 2, which was a great result. We were very competitive in this league and had a very successful season. We were also successful at the Eltham Dandenong tournament where we played off in the U14 B1 Grand Final and came runners up. Coach Dave has worked hard with the boys throughout the season to extend skills, improve confidence, instil a fiercely competitive style of play but has always been intensely focused on team play. This coaching philosophy helped us dig deep for the Sabres spirit to win from behind in several games when all seemed lost. Well done by the boys for a great season and thanks to Coach Dave for preparing the boys for this season and the season to come. Thanks also to a incredibly supportive group of parents.” Regards Theo U14-2 Boys Team Manager
U14 Boys 3 Coach: Ian Leckie The Sabres 2009/10 season certainly had everything for our boys. Highs, lows, nail biting finishes, and the wonderful experience of an out of state tournament. Our team make up was eight bottom age boys and one top age, one of which had never played representative basketball before. The boys started the pre-grading season full of determination and enthusiasm, starting out as Team 54 in the team rankings.
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The boys maintained their resolve through the grading season and qualified for Metro 3, which meant we were one of the youngest teams playing in such a high grade - a fantastic achievement. During the June school holidays we flew to Tasmania for the Launceston Classic. For our boys it was their first experience of an out of state tournament and they had a great time. Not only did they win 4 out of 4 games, but the boy’s confidence level soared and it was great to watch them bond even more as a team. Unfortunately after the mid year break we were hit hard with injuries and sickness, at one stage only having 6 players able to play. As the players started to return we started showing signs of our earlier form, but it wasn’t until the last game things started to happen, again finishing out the season with a strong win. We finished 6th overall not missing the finals by much, and ended up in the rankings at Team 46. We had improved our rankings by 8 spots which is a terrific effort by the boys. With all of the boys improving and learning new skills along the way and becoming really good mates, the 2009/10 season was a huge success and one I am sure they will remember fondly. Well done boys. On behalf of all the U14 3’s and their parents I would like to say a big thank you to Ian Leckie for all his patience and encouragement this season and also to Matt Kaipuke for assisting Ian and sharing his knowledge and experience with the boys. Gaynor Foster – Team Manager
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U14 Boys 4 Coach: Sam Wilsmore The season began for the 14-4s with a bang as they finished 1st in the Australia Day Tournament. This gave us the confidence to take the season by the horns: however some teams proved to be stronger than we thought. We had to take some losses and learn from them before we could understand what it would take to win. The first few games of the season were hard to read into as the boys were still getting to know each others tendencies and styles of play. As the boys became closer together they began to understand how their team mates played, the wins would begin to rise. The middle sector of the season saw the boys win around 50% of their games and hang onto 5th spot on the ladder. Towards the end of the season we made a run for the finals and moved our way into 5th spot on the ladder with some close and well earned wins. Thanks to all the boys for a great season and the same to you Sam!! All the boys have had fun and learnt alot.
U14 Boys 5 Coach: Tristan Sever What a sensational season the Sabres Under 14.5 Boys basketball team had this year under the gruelling (firm but fair) coaching approach of Tristan Sever. Sandringham started the season strongly with some upper age gun players including Samuel Barca (“BARCS”) a court dominator who was consistent, strong and a real team player. Kyle Breeuwer whose lay ups and shots impressed everyone – so fast and so accurate. Brad Shea a ‘Speedy Gonzales’ – he
was everywhere on the court and often able to score points in the latter games. Harry Byrne used his height to save many a score and to cut through the opposition’s defence. He too was often able to score points to halt the opposition’s run. Our bottom end players learnt much from the seasoned pros. James Janse (“JJ”) and Zack Romancz used their strength and skills to dominate on the Court as forwards showing both good defensive and offensive strategies taught to them by the Master Sensei Sever! Scott Ebbott used his speed and skills to defy many an opponent – his signature arm sleeve a mark of his dominant presence! Christian Hatzis showed poise and skill throughout the season – his strength, determination and focussed attitude assisted with us getting our offensive rhythm back in a couple of close matches. Sam Kappler would often turn over the play with his speed and agility. Will Humble started the season with us but unfortunately could not continue due to injury. We did not win the season, but we did build as a team. We grew stronger, fitter, faster and more skilled and we certainly made our mark towards the latter part of the season. There were many battles – costly turnovers, poor shooting at times but the team grew and supported each other. They always showed the utmost sportsmanship and good faith in their losses and they worked hard at training to ensure an improvement in the following weeks – all signs of the Sabres mantra! Sue Leighton-Janse TM
Under 14 Boys
Our determination held us in good stead over the Australia Day weekend and we went on to win the Eltham – Dandenong Tournament.
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U14 Boys 1
Under 14 Boys
5 6 7 9 11 14 24 25 31 41
Dylan Atkins Lachlan Lemons Harley Balic Jimmy Ellison Finn Kenny Timothy Taranto Callum Heath William Albrecht Oscar Richards Mitchel Foss
U14 Boys 2 13 14 15 20 21 33 35 43 51 55
Nicholas Marinucci Antonio Crupi Denish Jayaselan Joshua Hall Mack Kanellos Anthony McKimm Nicholas Gabsch Rory Lawrence Jodeci Eti-A’Costa Nicholas Pirrie
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U14 Boys 3 Mitchell Stewart Matthew Foster Joshua Broadley Oliver Florent Barclay Kaipuke David Faulkner Matthew Rieniets Mitchell Campain Aden Price
Under 14 Boys
4 10 12 13 22 23 32 42 52
U14 Boys 4 4 Christopher Grigoriadis 6 Lewis Cotsopoulos 8 Alex Cunningham 15 Jordan Hurley 20 Jack Scrimshaw 23 Nathan Campbell 24 Nathan Paine 30 Henry Thompson 40 Tim McCormick 41 Sam Gall 50 Adrian Hamilton
U14 Boys 5 8 12 15 20 23 30 32 45 52 54
Zac Romancz James Janse Harry Byrne Christian Hatzis Samuel Barca Scott Ebbott Sam Kappler Kyle Breeuwer William Humble Bradley Shea
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Under 14s SABRESMagazine2010.indd 34
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Under 14s
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Under 14 Girls
U14 Girls 1 Coach: Peter Carey With a new coach back at the club and some slight changes in personnel from the U121’s from 2008, Season 2010 promised plenty and there were high expectations for the girls this year. The majority of this group narrowly missed the 2008 VC finals when in Under 12’s and there was genuine excitement when the final squad was announced that they could improve on that result in 2010. The team set themselves three (3) goals which were all achievable – qualify for VC, qualify for the National Junior Classic and qualify for the Under 14 Nationals. The girls qualified for VC in Grading Phase 1, beating Hawthorn by 1pt to go straight through. Qualifying for the Classic was touch-and-go and, luckily a couple of interstate team withdrew which gave the girls the opportunity to be nominated. The girls made the semi finals of the Southern Peninsula Tournament in November 2009, where poor free throw shooting saw them lose to Hawthorn by 2pts. In the Eltham/Dandenong Tournament on the Australia Day weekend in 2010, they got through to the quarter finals, only to face Melbourne Tigers in the first of 4 interesting encounters between these 2 teams – they lost by 38pts. The first 9 rounds of VC saw the girls play some great basketball as they finished with 6 wins and 3 losses before the polls were split into Vic Championships and Championship Reserve. The girls qualified for Vic Championships, having finished 3rd in Ashe Pool behind Nunawading (1st) and Dandenong (2nd). Dandenong beat Sandringham in Round 1 of Vic Champs and it was their only win as they plummeted to last place by season’s end. The girls hit a purple patch in the middle
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of the season from Round 4, winning 3 out of 4 games (wins over Frankston, Ballarat and Hawthorn). Having qualified for VC finals in 7th place, the girls faced Ballarat in the elimination final at Werribee. Having beaten Ballarat by 18pts and 4pts in earlier meetings this year, Sandringham was confident until Ballarat established a 10pt half time lead. But a 23-9 comeback in the 3rd term saw Sandringham take control of the game and eventually held on the win by 3pts in fantastic effort. The semi final was against archrival Melbourne and the girls were sensational up to ¾ time where they trailed the Tigers by only 9pts. But fatigue set in during the final term and Melbourne was able to win by 23pts – but the end margin was not a true reflection of how well the girls played. They were a terrific group of girls who worked hard and had some fun along the way. Camaraderie among the group developed as the year unfolded and they will always remember the experience of finishing in the Top 6 representative teams in the state.
U14 Girls 2 Coach: Will Schubert After a slow start to the season, this little team came into their own. Once Will joined forces with them the skills and team attitude developed rapidly. An early season win against Diamond Valley provided some confidence amongst the girls. The first half of the season we were left with only 7 players due to some late retractions, however Cass D joined as the halfway mark providing us with much needed height and aggression. A second win to Diamond Valley was a bonus given that they had not lost to any other team for the entire season until then. From there on we maintained our position in the top four, with the luxury of knowing that our injured
players could take it easy in the lead up to finals as there could be no movement in the ladder positions due to the gap between us and the next lowest team. Our girls all have their own style of play and all contribute to the team dynamic in some way, combined with a great parent group, it has been a pleasurable season for all concerned. Fleur- Fleur is a player that you know will always give 100% on the court. She works hard and is a greater leader on the floor. Fleurs’ favourite play is “first” and sometimes we wonder if there even is a second or a third play. Ali – Ali is a very athletic player, her speed helps her beat her opponent up and down the court, She attacks the basket with strength, which is a great positive, toward the end of the season Ali discovered that she could outjump her opponents and started to snare a lot more rebounds and intercepts. Eb – Eb is a bright and happy girl, she loves what she does and it shows on the court. She is a sneaky little player who always manages to get behind the opposition defence to make lay ups , whilst also causing damage to the opposition with her outside shot. For a small player Eb has a big presence on the court. Sarah – Sarah is an amazing player for her age. She is mature and focused and knows what she wants. Sarah works hard at training and it shows on the court, she has an amazing shot and has improved immensely since the start of the season. Sarah has been our three point star throughout the season, sealing the deal on many games with that wicked shot. Cassidy – CP is one of the girls who is really dedicated to her basketball, Cass has been at 99% of training sessions throughout the year and works hard on the court always playing against
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U14 Girls 3 Coach: Bianca White The Sabres U14-3 girls started enthusiastically at the beginning of the grading games with a combination of top and bottom age girls. With the help of some talented and dynamic players we qualified for Metro 2.
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The season proper was more challenging and the team took on a more learning role rather than a winning role. The team was often in a winning position but was unable to maintain the momentum. Eventually the hard work resulted in two wins towards the end of the season. The girls loved the Eltham Dandenong Tournament, but our highlight was making Metro 2. Thank you to Bianca White for training the girls. It was much appreciated.”
U14 Girls 4 Coach: Glenn Tranter This year’s 14.4 girl’s team was an all bottom age group who knew they would face a big challenge making the transition from u12 to u14. Grading started for the girls in the top third of VJBL, provided a good opportunity to measure the team against some of the strongest teams in the state. Well, we quickly learnt that we were constantly undersized playing against mostly top age players who were more developed physically than us. Despite the Grading season proving to be a pretty rough introduction to U14s, we finished the last game of Grading on a strong note by winning with only 6 players available and qualifying in East 1. While the season proper started slowly, the girl’s season gained momentum and they missed the finals by only 1 win. And while teams are usually measured by the number of wins, we tried not to lose our focus throughout season of trying to develop players for the future. To achieve this we often provided ball handling opportunities to players who may have had limited experience in this area, producing a higher turnover count than we would hope, but
the results from the experience gained will hopefully be evident in seasons to come! There were two really memorable 1 point wins throughout the season. The first was against Chelsea’s 1st team when after being down by 8 at halftime, the girls showed great fighting spirit with Pia Hatt and Molly Cochrane lifting the tempo, Isabel Sandman rebounding everything in sight and Georgia Collinson giving us the lead from the foul line in the final seconds. The next great 1 point win was after being down to Mornington by 7 at halftime, and with a great team effort finished off with some spectacular shooting from Lulu Yee the girls edged in front before the buzzer.
Under 14 Girls
bigger girls. She always gives 100% and competes to the best of her ability. Cass spent the first half of the season as our only “tall”. Cass D – The new “tall” kid on the block, Cass has improved out of sight in the short time she has been with us. She has grown in confidence, works hard at both ends of the court and gives her team mates confidence that she will compete to the best of her ability. We are all hoping that Cass will try out for Sabres next year as she is a great asset to the team. Ruby- Ruby is the glue of the team, she has a great personality and the girls adore her. She is always competing against girls who are taller than her and beats them most of the time. Ruby is an amazing defender, but also works hard in offence. Ruby is one player that puts her body on the line to ensure that she gets the ball. Many a time her opponents have been fooled by her slight but athletic frame, she is much stronger and more aggressive than she looks. Amy- Amy is a unique character and extremely easy to get along with. On the court she is a great player. Her defensive skills are amazing and she is always looking to get her team mates into the game. Amy has given us lots of reasons to smile throughout the season, particularly when she shows up to the game without her basketball shoes, only Amy could get away with it. Regards Suzi Brown
At various stages throughout the season Poppy Kelly was fearless driving to the basket, Kylah Francis had an uncanny knack of getting to the foul line, Stephanie Sotiriadis blocked many shots and Kelsey Tranter scored important baskets. On top of all of this, the outstanding thing about this group of girls is that they worked hard right through the season, while having a great time and being a true pleasure to coach! The opportunity to close off the season by seeing the Opals train was a great experience for them reinforcing the message that good things will happen if you practice correct technique at high intensity. Good luck for next season.
U14 Girls 5 Coach: MIck McGuire The Under 14-5 team has had a fantastic season, with our team sitting in the top four on the ladder. We are currently playing in finals.
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Under 14 Girls
Most of our team played in the Australia Day Tournament with mixed results. We played in the Queen’s Birthday tournament and achieved some success. Interestingly we came close to beating one of the teams that played off in the grand final. We played on some slippery courts during this tournament so several photo opportunities were created while our beloved coach Mick McGuire personally cleaned players shoes. Some of our girls then chose to play in the Melbourne Tigers Tournament during the July school holidays. It was interesting to watch the girls bond as a team and work together to win some tough games.
At the beginning of the season some of the girls were unaccustomed to Mick’s style of coaching. They soon learned of his kind and generous nature. Mick has been absolutely dedicated to this team. His passion for the game is amazing and his animation during games is a sight to be seen. He arranged Saturday training sessions which the girls were eager to attend. Mick was always available before and after training to work individually with players – most times our training sessions ran over time. The girl’s commitment to basketball has been brilliant with all of them improving their skills. They have spent a lot of time together so great
friendships have formed. There has been much fun and humour throughout the season – usually with Mick being the instigator. We have had lots of social events during the season. They include lunches, dinners, morning teas and a spa party at one of the player’s houses. Our end of season party is coming up and should be another fun event. Overall the girls should be very proud of their achievements this season, they have all made huge improvements to their game. Thanks to Mick for being such a great coach, thanks also to the very supportive parents who have made this season fantastic.
U14 Girls 1 5 6 7 9 10 15 25 33 43
Laney Callahan Michaela Hughes Lucy Burke Rachel Fairhurst Sophie Noone Emma Kellock Caitlin Berger Rebekah Halprin Francesca Kaye
U14 Girls 2 5 12 13 15 21 23 25 41
Cassie Denardis Sarah Gordon Ruby Neave Cassidy Peters Amy Kay Ali Brown Fleur Goodman Ebony Dunkley
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U14 Girls 3 Lauren Haringsma Ellecia Baker Ellen Adams Christina Cousins Eliza Loomes Isabelle Hore Caitlin Farmer Mia Cigognini Lauren Mitchell Teodora Dodic
Under 14 Girls
5 20 24 25 32 33 42 50 53 54
U14 Girls 4 4 6 8 10 12 14 22 34 52
Pia Hatt Kelsey Tranter Molly Cochrane Lulu Yee Kylah Francis Stephanie Sotiriadis Poppy Kelly Georgia Collinson Isabel Sandmann
U14 Girls 5 10 Sophie Shea 12 Madison McGuire 20 Ella Ryan 30 Olivia Shand-Gost 35 Courtney Munn 40 Mikaela Street 51 Katie Tranter 52 Alana Hilford 55 Stephanie Baxter
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Tournaments The SABRES once again tackled the major tournaments in force and achieved a wide range of successes! As per usual they were always visible and always heard!
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Tournaments
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U16 Boys 1
Under 16 Boys
Coach: Jerome Perot This season was, in many respects, a roller-coaster ride for the U/16-1 boys. After an arduous grading process, the team ended up qualifying for VC – a fantastic achievement by all involved. Yet despite entering the season in high spirits, we got off to a rocky start - dropping our first five games. It wasn’t until our road trip to Adelaide for the Norwood Easter Classic that the boys started to gel. After enjoying our long weekend in the sun, having fun together, and playing some tough basketball - we returned to Melbourne with renewed vigour. This change in attitude was typified by a dynamite performance against Dandenong - winning by 20 points - and announcing our arrival as a bona fide team. We continued to build momentum, picking up crucial wins against Frankston and Bendigo. Injuries, illnesses and other pursuits, however, made it impossible to find a rhythm. One game we would light it up, another we would struggle. All the same, our containment defence improved steadily over the course of the season and a 38-point demolition of Cranbourne sealed our involvement in finals. Despite the “Jekyll and Hyde” nature of this group, we know that our best basketball can beat anybody and we’ll be out to cause a few headaches in finals. Jerome Parot (Coach)
U16 Boys 2 Coach: Chris Taylor What a roller coaster season it has been for the boys 16-2 team. The grading phasestarted on a high with great wins over some highly ranked teams. We finished on top of our pool and booked our place in pool AA with a chance to make it into VC. Between the two
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grading phases the team had a fantastic Australia Day tournament eventually winning the final against Knox 2. Unfortunately the second round of grading did not go as well as the first with losses to Eltham 1 and Dandenong 1 relegating the team to Metro 1 – still a great effort considering the strength of the teams we were playing. One of the highlights of the season was the Launceston Classic. Flying down early Saturday morning after a late Friday night game the team really struggled in the first half of game one but finally found our rhythm in the second and came within a whisker of running down a 15 point deficit against a very strong team. The remaining games featured some big wins, however because of our first game loss the team left the stadium after our last game thinking we had ended up second. Coach and team Manager retired to their hotel room for a quite review of the weekend only to be snapped out of our reverie by a very loud and excited group of players who had just found out that we had won the under 16 A grade by 1 percent.
U16 Boys 3
The rest of the regular season went by in a blur with a number of gutsy wins that saw us finish at second place on the ladder. Unfortunately we then had to face a strong Geelong team on their home court (so much for neutral venues!). The team never really recovered from the loss and went down in the next game to finish the season. Overall it was a great year for the 16-2 boys and although I know they were disappointed at the ending they should be very proud of their efforts. Many thanks to Chris and Pat for their incredible dedication and also thanks to the parents who proudly supported the boys from start to finish.
The best way to explain our season was an up and down ride through out the entire season. Unfortunately we didn’t make the finals when we certainly had the talent and best coaches in The Sabres organization.
Damian Oswald
Coach: Andrew Anderson What a busy season it has been. 3 tournaments: Eltham/ Dandenong + Adelaide + Launceston 18 games in Metro 3 ( 5 wins, 2 draws + 3 games lost by only 1 point) Our Assistant Coach summed our efforts to make Met 3... 6/3/2010 Just wanted to say how proud I was of the boy’s efforts tonight. Fantastic play under extreme pressure against bigger/older opposition! When Warrandyte got in front, and tied it up at the end, you never once dropped your heads. I think I’ll retire from the coaches’ job now and go back to stats - far less stressful! The good news is that with our win we’re in Metro 3 - great work! Andrew S.
U16 Boys 4 Coach: Ben Fraser
With an inclusion of 3 top age boys into the team, the younger boys showed confidence and were doing extremely well during grading. They only had 1 loss for the grading but unfortunately lost 1 crucial cross over game as well which then forced us to play East 1 rather than Metro 4. After the 2 day skills camp in January prior to The Australia Day Tournament, the boys came out firing and won their first 4 pool games by over 20 points in each game. By the 5th and 6th game we could see them starting to run
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The season had some ups and downs winning against top teams but sometimes loosing games against easier opposition, especially if they played a tight zone we failed to penetrate. Rob and Ben the coaches were always positive and encouraging and had so much passion for the boys to do well and learn. Right up until the second last game we could still make the finals. The Queens Birthday Tournament started like our Australia Day Tournament, the boys were on fire. They were playing 8 games in 2 and ½ days. They lost there last pool game at 9.30pm after playing 4 games during the day starting at 9.30am. All parents were a little concerned that it may have been a repeat of the Australia Day tournament when the boys had to back up again at 9am the next morning against Dandenong in the Grand Final. Well the boys blew them away and were refreshed from a short nights sleep and won by 20 plus points. Definitely the highlight of the season. Stefan, strong as ever under the ring and great free throw shooter. Tyba, always wanting the job to shut down the oppositions top player. Clever in assists under the ring. Jordy, the quickest hands and feet going around perfect attributes to become a point guard. Matt, great outside shooter, so clean all net. Lachie, did this guy improve through the season with his fitness and aggression, a big future ahead. AJ, great intensity player that his enthusiasm sparked the team on many occasions with defense and offence. James, Always put his body on the line.
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Dan, great point guard with sure hands and so many steals with his great reading of the play. Watto, such a great shooter whether on the drive or shooting from outside. Tim, this boy can jump and has lovely soft hands around the ring, looking forward to seeing him dunk soon. Rob, the quieter coach but when he gave directions the boys listened. Ben, enthusiasm and positivity personified. From the parents thanks for a great year and looking forward to all the boys making the 16/1’s next season.
U16 Boys 5 Coach: Bevan Camilleri The one thing that stood out in our U16/5 team was the friendship that emerged between the boys throughout the season. This helped to create a much better team orientated game in the latter part of our season. We had a few changes to our team in the beginning but the team really benefited from the newer players that joined. The boys probably played their best basketball when playing the top teams and pulled off good wins, playing team orientated basketball. One of the challenges for our coach Bevan, parents and the stats team were differentiating the dynamic twins! Bevan would id them by their shoes, and the stat team had to go by numbers, which was not always full proof in the heat of the moment especially with both of them having numbers ending in 2! Some of the highlights of season had to be beating the teams at the top end of the ladder, watching Bevan coach with a mouth full of burger as he would usually come straight from work , the boys fearless attitude to taking on other teams members no matter how big or small and getting the charge. Most of the boys attended the Launceston classic and had great success coming away winners in their division and all had a lot of fun doing it too.
Ben was a late addition to the team and was always reliable and solid under the basket - both offensively and defensively. Jamie was always proactive talking the team up on and off the court. Brad was a terrier on the court taking on the bigger players and surprising them every time. Lachlan pulled off moves for baskets never seen before – contorting his body in the most unusual way as only he does best. Joe, the quiet achiever but made his presence known when on the court under ring for rebounds and when the opposition got under his skin he would take them on with full conviction.
Under 16 Boys
a little low on energy levels. By the semi –final they were running on empty. They did everything right getting the Tigers 2 bigs fouled out early in the 2nd half but the boys were totally fatigued and lost in over time.
Fletcher & Cameron our dynamic twins- showed great form individually but excelled when on the court together using their ‘twin sense’ to our best advantage. Darcy would always take on the opposition fearlessly, sometimes ending up on the floor – getting the charge or even rebounding from the floor and passing it off resulting in our score! Oliver was another of our quiet achievers. Great defender and always in the face of the opposition. Reliable at the free throw - when he aimed he fired! Dylan was our 3 point specialist - hitting most leaving Bevan to just shake his head and smile. He would always bring a great sense of humour on and off the court, willing to share the ball and the tub of hair wax he keeps in his bag. That leaves Bevan our Coach – the Ringmaster. Quiet talking but not afraid to let them know the good, the bad and the ugly. Bevan was able to connect with the boys and was a great role model as a D league player for the boys to support and look up to. Also many thanks to our parents and also Brett for helping out to warm the boys up or coach when needed.
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Under 16 Boys
U16 Boys 1 5 7 8 11 13 20 25 34 44 50
Karl Amon Matthew Burke Harrison Doidge Ben Rossi Haayu Genemo Lachlan Howes Charles Hyde Zak Pantelis Nicholas Dullard Alexander Giuliano
U16 Boys 2 5 6 7 23 25 43 52 53 54 55
Jason Boland James Kellock Thomas Ellison Kinsey Reeves Alexander Lemons Reid Oswald Jack Genesin Zac Hooper Ashley Solomons Sam Bourke
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U16 Boys 3 Adam Nohel Jack Munro Alexander Douglas Andrew Hammond Jordan Geer Conar MacLeod Matthew Oswald Nicholas McPhate Johnny Deppe Nicholas Shepherd
Under 16 Boys
6 10 14 15 22 20 24 40 44 54
U16 Boys 4 4 6 8 9 12 23 24 31 42 45
Stefan Dodic Tyba Murphy Jordan Howorth Matthew Tolj Lachlan Anthony Daniel Aarsman James Gaston Andrew James Andrew Watterson Timothy O’Donovan
U16 Boys 5 7 12 21 22 25 32 34 51 52
Jamie Dean Lachlan Peters Joseph Callaghan Cameron Hollands Darcy Lindstrom Fletcher Hollands Dylan West Oliver Wilde Bradley Pavey
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Under 16s SABRESMagazine2010.indd 46
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U16 Girls 1
Under 16 Girls
Coach: Stewart Baird We were very pleased to begin the season with wonderful, enthusiastic and inspiring coaches. Stuart Baird and Phil Thomas were allocated to our top age U/16 girls. We qualified for VC and began our long season in earnest. Our Australia Day Tournament saw us just missing a finals berth but it was a great way to get our girls ready for the long season ahead. We were hot and cold in the first half of the season, which resulted in our team being, placed in VC Reserve for the second half of the season. We began our season well but unfortunately could not keep the consistency going when it counted. Occasionally we managed to keep the interest going by somehow overthrowing the sides above us in spectacular form and falling to beat the teams below us .It was a good wake up call which helped to put the team back on track. Our girls went to Adelaide at Easter to spend some bonding time together and play the odd game of basketball. We were up against some very tough competition and although the girls only won one game the experience was very beneficial. Luckily the girls and the wonderful parents who volunteered enjoyed much fun and hilarity! June bought the Nunawading Tournament and lots of cold and rain! We again put our best efforts in but getting to finals proved to be just beyond our reach. Our wonderful team consisted of Tilly, Georgia, Kate, Cassie, Eliane, Caishlin, Issy, Emily, Gemma and Grace. They are a funny, committed great group of girls who ALL got on extremely well which I’m sure influenced their ability to play well as a team. They got as far as the second semi where they were unfortunate to be pipped at the post by Eltham who were 2nd on the ladder. The parents of the U/16 Girls VC team would like to thank both Stuart and Phil for their ongoing commitment and dedication shown
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to our girls. Stuart was given the difficult job of coaching both the SEABL and our U/16 VC Team and did a superb job juggling both. We would like to thank Phil for always stepping up whenever needed and being a constant support for Stuart and the girls. I would like to finally acknowledge and thank our absolutely supportive parents. There was never a job that was not done, forgotten or grumbled over. Everyone pitched in 100%, which ultimately made my job so much easier. I would like to wish all our girls the best of luck for next year and hope they all have a great future. Any team would be fortunate to have any one of them as part of their team. Kate Gillan Team Manager
U16 Girls 2 Coach: Lauren Morecroft Wow! The Season went so quick, LOZ Morecroft was the amazing coach for the under 16 Girls 2nd Team all bottom age and wanting to learn so much and they did. It was my first time at being Team Manager not that I had much to manage as the Parents and girls all helped me and it was a Team effort, the parent’s all pitched in and did the scoring without ever being asked too. We took an adventure at Easter, Adelaide Norwood Easter Classic, well it was great fun sharing cabins and getting to know each other out of a basketball stadium and trying to find the right places to go......(even with the modern navigators)!!!!!! I think that our Adelaide trip was probably the highlight of our season. The girls played some amazing games of basketball against No.1 teams and enjoyed each others company as if they had been friends for a long time. Each and everyone of them also saw their parents in a very different light especially at game days end. Our girls were privileged to the have the expertise of Loz who they all liked and looked up to. We were all wrapt that our girls were going to learn so much. It has been
an enjoyable season all round basketball wise and socially. Other memories are of Tara consistently trying to leave her mark by her head hitting the floor and the look on Hannahs face every time she got whacked and a foul wasn’t called.
U16 Girls 3 Coach : Ryan Heggart Well season 2009-2010 has come to an end. After a tough start to practice games and grading where we never really got into the swing of things, the girls came together and showed everyone just how good they were. To everyone’s credit, parents included, not once did any of the girls drop their heads. They stuck with it week in and week out, working hard at every training session, always listening and taking on board all information given. At no stage during the year did the team ever rely on one player to carry them, everyone found a way to contribute to the success of the team. It all came together gloriously when the girls went away to the Launceston Tournament. A very impressive weekend almost seemed to galvanise the team, giving them confidence and a belief going into the second half of the season which ended in a fantastic run towards the finals. We fell just short on Grand Final day, but every step of the way the girls gave everything they had and never gave up, even when they were down. I would like to thanks all the parents for the support and trust shown throughout the season. Early on it looked like being a very long year, but everyone believed in the direction we were going. Lastly, I would like to congratulate all of the girls. To have a team of girls that always works, always comes to training and always wants to improve makes coaching very easy. It has been a pleasure to watch all of you grow as people not just basketball players. I wish you success in whatever you choose to do next season but I hope to see you all around the club.
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U16 Girls 1 Georgia Tonkin Kate Hore Caishlin Simpson Eliane Davrain Tilly Gillan Cassandra Hill Isabelle Shea Jemma Lawrence Emily Kay Grace O’Neill
Under 16 Girls
5 9 11 13 23 25 35 50 51 55
U16 Girls 2 7 8 14 15 20 22 24 30 42
Tamara Booth Zoe Farrell Hannah Thomas Alicia Dillon Rachael Sargent Laura Stewart Nelly Abou-Bakr Tara Scott Natasha Warden
U16 Girls 3 6 11 15 21 22 40 41 43 45 52
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Alison Page Alim Cherkez Maddie Williams Xanthe Kanellos Nichola Tulley Melissa D’Elia Jamie Bolger Emily South Amelia Perkins Heidi Tranter
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East Coast Road Trip
Another year down, another brilliant road trip done and dusted. The trip took off on Wednesday 30th June, but planning began 6 months earlier. Once again led by the man with the vision, Shane Tobin, the fundraising committee raised over $20k to send 36 U/14 boys and girls on the trip of a lifetime. The four teams travelled through Albury, Canberra, Wollongong, Gosford and Sutherland to play 6 teams in 7 days. The games were fierce and sometimes heated, as our teams were often up against U/16s squads. The Sabres teams played great basketball in every town, which is tough to keep up over 7 straight days of hoops. Not only did they demonstrate the Sabres spirit and great sportsmanship on the court, they were so well behaved in all aspects of the trip. The highlights of trip: We were photographed and interviewed for the Albury Times by a local reporter. We had a tour of the world famous Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, then we got to play on the training courts against ACT’s state squads. We ate at the famous Robertson Pie Shop followed by a minor bus malfunction coming down the mountain on the way to Wollongong. The teams played at the famous “Snake Pit” in Wollongong against one of NSW’s top teams, the Illawarra Hawks, where we won back the Illawarra Hawks/ Sandringham Sabres trophy which is now sitting proudly in the Sabre Dome. After another slight hitch getting the buses out of the Snake Pit car park, we got to the beautiful Avoca to stay for 3 nights. Whilst in Avoca we played the Gosford City Rebels and produced 4 awesome matches, then travelled
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to Castle Hills to take on the Hills Hornets. Our last game was in Sutherland were we played against more U/16s teams and produced great results with the coaches being very proud of the players efforts. The players and a few dedicated adults spent the night in the Sutherland Stadium (most of the adults choosing to stay in a 5 star comfort). The last night we stayed in Gundagai where we had a fantastic meal followed by a fun trivia night at the local League’s Club. We finished off with a muck up night were players and adults dressed up and had a fashion parade, squeezing all 50 people into one motel room. I was lucky enough to coach 15 fun, enthusiastic, high spirited and groovy girls during the trip who are the most amazing girls around. The 21 boys were mature, energetic and friendly gentlemen who had great manners and really impressed us all. It was an absolute pleasure working with them on the trip. Thank you again to the bus drivers, team managers, coaches, treasurer, chef, statisticians, physio and support crew for working long hours for 9 days straight to allow the players to experience such a wonderful trip. Also thanks to everyone who helped with the fundraising to allow this trip to go ahead, I know every player appreciates it and will be talking about this trip for the rest of their lives. Again thanks to Shane Tobin for giving up countless hours of his personal time to plan and organise this trip. He gives so much to create an opportunity for 36 of your boys and girls to go on this trip and this should not be forgotten. Thanks again Shane.
Our Trippers Laney Emma Issy Amy
- Smiley - Ace shooter - Are we in Sydney? - Raybans, ribbons and Rubes Fleur - Singing Diva (baby baby baby) Sam G - Speedy Gonzalis Finn - Mover and shaker on and off the court Mikaela - “The animal” Sarah - The glue that keeps the team together Dhanesh - AKA Dhanai Rory - Rory and his girls Jimmy - Mr Decisive Harley - Smooth moves, where’s your shoes? Kyle - The money makin foul line champ! Frankie - where’s your......? Oscar - The sharp shooter Lachie - Little orange person number 2 Rebecca - Duracell Bunny Mitch - Multi-skilled Jodeci - Twinkle toes Tim - Buzzer beater Caitlin “Killer Caitlin” Sam B - the next Justin Beiber Dyllan - Swing man Will - Shhhhh!!! Mack - Quiet achiever Callum - Fantastic team player Antonio - Silent assassin Nick - It cant be 5 to, it was a quarter to 10 minutes ago. Nathan - Champion at Hills Dave - Ace rebounder Ali - Ding ding ding ding (watch out for the tram) Chrissy - Determined player who loves playing basketball Rachel - Stellar leadership Ruby - Enjoys taking on the bigger girls Cassidy - Wheres your PJs? Our tall
Jamie Treasure
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East Coast Road Trip
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Under 18 Boys
U18 Boys 1
U18 Boys 2
U18 Boys 3
Coach: Sinisa Markovic
Coach: David Mitchell
Coach: Israel Jones
A mixed bag of 9 top and bottom aged young men, new and old to Sabres provided our Coach Sinisa Markovic with many challenges throughout the season. The first being entry to VC prior to Christmas.
U18 2. had a fantastic season finishing off in 3rd place on the ladder after the regular home and away season in the Victorian Junior League 1 group. They played the top team, Sunbury, in the 2nd Semi final, losing by 5 points, however, they rallied strongly and went on to beat Sunbury by 9 points in a tough and close grand final.
The 2010 Sabres Boys 18-3 team was a combination of players from a broad range of last seasons U18s and U16s teams, with no more than 2 players from any one of them.
With entry to VC, pre season training saw levels of fitness previously unseen or felt develop to sustain for the duration of the long season ahead. Like a roller coaster ride there have been the sensational wins and evenings less memorable. Currently in 4th place on the VC Reserve ladder anything is possible if good, smart basketball is played. Whatever the outcome, the 18-1 Boys are to be congratulated for their conduct, perseverance and commitment to the team throughout the season within a demanding school schedule. Working and developing the boys in a rotation of morning and evening training sessions, the dedication of Sinisa has provided an important constant for the boys. Our team comprises players, coach and parents and to all who have travelled far and late on Friday evenings – thank you,
This was a team of boys who all worked extremely hard, and who really came together as a team throughout the year. One of the key events was the successful trip to Launceston. Not only was this a tournament where the boys where undefeated, but it became the beginning of a very strong bond between them that would take their teamwork and commitment to each other to a new level. One of the key attributes of this team was the fact that it was so well balanced. With 4 big men who all worked very hard - any of whom could own the boards, made them very powerfull in both attack or defense. Similarly, our smaller men were all exceptionally fast and agile – making exciting intercepts and blocks in defense as well as threading through the defense to score important baskets. With such a well balanced team, they rarely had a bad game. Dave Mitchell did an amazing job bringing each and every one of this team up to play a very consistent and high standard of basketball. It was certainly a season to remember in which all the boys stepped up, and as team manager, I was honoured to feel a part of this team – an exceptional team of young men.
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Throw in Izzy, the pop culture guru, as coach and you would have to think that you had a heady cocktail! But it turned out to be a very fine blend, and within weeks you would have thought that Izzy and the boys had all been playing and living together since U12s as they had all become good friends / great mates This camaraderie brewed confidence and the boys walked onto the court at beginning of the season looking like they owned the world. Often that was the case but unfortunately not always as we had only mixed results throughout the season, However the boys always played hard and in great spirit, and never gave up. Likewise the parents who joined together as a particularly formidable support group. Our special thanks must go to coach Izzy Jones for devoting his time and sharing his knowledge, humour & experience with the boys. The 2010 season will be remembered as a time of great camaraderie and friendship amongst those who played and followed the Sabres Boys U18-3 team. Go Sabres
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U18 Boys 1 Neil Belza Nick Hirons Nicholas Djordevic Jack Gardner Tom O’Brien Christopher Tilbey Simon Clark Jarryd Lee Jamie Batish
Under 18 Boys
8 12 13 14 20 31 40 42 43
U18 Boys 2 6 11 12 21 22 23 34 35 54 55
Timothy Jeans Ollie Vincent Anthony Ekberg-Weiss Callaghan Charge Joshua Cerci Conrad Steere Mitchell Barber Jackson Arthur Gervee Sarmiento Tien Huynh
U18 Boys 3 4 5 11 13 21 24 31 45 50 55
James Watterson Arran Batish Tom Humphrey Darcy Gordon Thomas Callaghan Kyle McDonagh Dallas Sather Jay Dillon Benjamin Wilde Ben Wilkins
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Under 18s SABRESMagazine2010.indd 54
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Under 18s
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U18 Girls 1
Under 18 Girls
Coach: Paul Graham The under 18-1 girls team learnt this season that every point and every game counts. Whilst grading, the team drew; not once but twice, which affected our chances of making VC. We graded in Victorian League 1. Although disappointed that we had not graded in VC, our aim was to make the best of our season. What we didn’t expect was 10 teams that were in the same situation as us, which made for a very competitive and even competition, where every Friday night meant that there were no guarantees. Ladder positions come playoffs would be very important. Upon reflection, close losses to Eltham (bottom side), Ringwood and Frankston hurt our chances of succeeding in the playoffs. We finished fourth, however were confident, knowing that we had beaten every team in the competition, bar one. Unfortunately for us, that one team was Nunawading and they beat us in the second final. The result was not what we aimed for, however the girls tried hard on the court and had fun. For some of these girls, it was there last season of basketball after 8 seasons with the Sabres and for the others, they have now entered preseason and will need to work extremely hard to keep improving.
Team Manager Muray Payne It has been a pleasure to be involved with this talented bunch of girls over the past 8 seasons. To watch them continually strive for victory when all the time having the most fun possible, has been an absolute joy. Years of missing parties, being late for School Formals, handing in excuses for late homework due to extra training seems like a fair exchange for the friendships that have been made and the lessons they have learnt. I would like to thank all the parents for their support over the past seasons. Its great to have a group that hand over money so freely, pick up a pen to score whenever asked and offer assistance at all times. On behalf of the parents I would like to thank Paul for coaching the girls over the past year and for all the extra efforts he has put into their development. Trainings were varied and enthusiastic and always overtime! At a personal level I cannot thank Paul enough for the extra time that he has invested in my daughters basketball experience. He has coached her for four out of the last eight years and has been an outstanding role model, supporter, confidante and motivator for her basketball aspirations. He gave her honest appraisals, excellent advice and wonderful insight into the game as well a hearty debate on NBL stats! I could not have asked for anything more from any coach. Thanks Paul.
U18 Girls 2 Coach: Tyler Wislmore The definition of a successful season isn’t necessarily judged on wether you win the championship. A successful season is one that demonstrates a positive development in each and every player that forms a successful team. This season was one that was driven by a willingness to improve and develop as basketball players. Due to the rapid improvement, the girls put together a special season culminating in a 16 game winning streak and finishing the season on atop of the standings. The most rewarding aspect of this year was not winning 16 games in a row, but watching each girl apply themselves week in week out both in a team sense and as individual athletes. As the girls coach I couldn’t be prouder of the effort they displayed all year and even though we didn’t quite finish where we wanted to when the season wrapped up, at the end of the day sometimes basketball isn’t all about winning, but the camaraderie and growth of 8 individuals made the experience a special year. Coach Tyler Wilsmore U18/2 Girls. As Tyler says the success of the season was truly measured in the positive development of each and every individual. As a parent watching the girls meet and overcome each new challenge and come together as a team, was without a doubt a real pleasure. …. The all the Parents, thank you- Without your support, encouragement and willingness, none of the successes would have been possible… To the Coaching team, Tyler and Adam, thank you - your efforts and commitment bought out the very best in the Team ….. Team Manager: Gail Roney
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U18 Girls 1 Alison Dale Luci Johnson Katie Bluzer Jacqui Dalzotto Maddie Payne Bethany Jeans Lindsey Walsh Alana Durham
Under 18 Girls
7 9 11 14 25 30 41 42
U18 Girls 2 5 12 13 20 32 34 43 51
Kaitlin Roney Katherine Blair Alycia Lourdes Elyse Kiploks Chloe Mirams Zara-Jane Phillips Laura Casonato Kerry Patounas
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U20 Boys 1
Under 20 Boys
Coach: Adam Steere As these boys get to the end of their junior careers you would tend to think that the passion would tend to fade and the intencity dimishes.... not so. This team took to their challenges with the desire of a newby. Enthusiasm and intencity were in abundance. A combination of strength, ability, speed and skill the team united well during the season and were competitive at all times. Testosterone fuelled Sabres are a force to be reckoned with from nail biting buzzer beaters, to the flogging of oppostions to gut wrenching draws this team dealt with them all. Finishing in the finals but not making to the last big night the boys should be proud of their achievements and we look forward to their progession into the Senior Sabres ranks.
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Free Throws
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Time Outs SABRESMagazine2010.indd 60
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Craig White Craig White has retired from his playing career after 20+ years of service. Throughout his career, Craig demonstrated time and time again the passion, commitment and dedication required to be successful at senior level for our club. His leadership and drive will be missed.
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Coaches SABRESMagazine2010.indd 62
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Coaches
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Autographs SABRESMagazine2010.indd 64
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THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS
Our players and club could not achieve the results they do without the additional support of our player sponsors and club supporters! Thanks again! Mentone Mustangs Basketball Club Southern Eagles M2 Telecom Tyabb Wholesale Roses Sandringham Sports Medicine Winter Builders Masterline Homes
simply mobilesÂŽ www.simplymobiles.com.au
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