At no time

Maffra has won two of its first three games in the new CBL season.

Photo: File

Ball back in full swing

Liam Durkin

THE Country Basketball League is well underway for season 2022/23. The season has been going for three weeks, with teams across Gippsland and even one from the Peninsula taking part. In a notable change this season, Morwell Magic is making a return to the men’s division, in place of Churchill Blue Devils. The Blue Devils suffered a fairly acrimonious exit from the CBL competition during the off-season. A number of players from Churchill have since joined Morwell for this season. Defending champion Traralgon won its opening round game 110 to 79 against Lakes Entrance, while Moe received a great confidence boost by knocking off grand finalists Warragul 100-90. Morwell went down to Southern Peninsula 95-79 on return to CBL. Maffra had the better of Sale in the local derby, winning 74-54, and won again the next day, defeating Wonthaggi 95-66. Wonthaggi did get a win on the board on day one, beating Lakes Entrance 101-79. Korumburra rounded out the winners, accounting for Pakenham 97-77. Saturday Round 2 winners were Traralgon (94-79 over Maffra), Morwell (73-67 vs Lakes Entrance), Southern Peninsula (99-44 vs Warragul), Wonthgaggi (70-69 vs Korumburra). Warragul won their Sunday game, beating Korumburra by two, 73-71. Round 3 winners (most recent) were: Southern Peninsula (109-55 vs Lakes Entrance), Traralgon (87-69 vs Morwell), Wonthaggi (83-74 vs Sale), Maffra (98-82 vs Pakenham). Sunday games featured wins to Traralgon (121-96 vs Southern Peninsula), Moe (92-57 vs Wonthaggi), Warragul (105-62 vs Sale). Having now covered a few games, if asked to describe what men’s CBL is like I would say: “It’s like footy players playing basketball”.

THE women’s competition is also in full swing. Ten teams are taking part this season, with Wonthaggi the reigning premier. In a stunning turn of events, the Coasters were defeated in Round 1 by Lakes Entrance, who had finished wooden spooner the previous season. The Pelicans won 66 to 49, perhaps signalling the start of things to come. Other Round 1 winners were Warragul (84-34 vs Southern Peninsula), Maffra (77-69 vs Sale and 94-52 vs Wonthaggi), Traralgon (84-43 vs Lakes Entrance on the Sunday), Moe (59-49 vs Warragul) and Korumburra (101-35 vs Pakenham). In Round 2 results, Korumburra defeated Wonthaggi 58-48, Warragul beat Southern Peninsula 99-50, Traralgon rolled Maffra 77-58 and Korumburra down Warragul 70-57 on the Sunday. Round 3 winners were: Lakes Entrance (56-53 vs SP), Wonthaggi (70-50 vs Sale), Maffra (78-38 vs Pak), Moe (66-55 vs Wonthaggi on Sun), Traralgon annihilated SP 144 to 49 on Sunday, while Sale won 67 to 52 against Warragul.

Player points system scrutiny

From Page 32

THE issue of player eligibility is not just confined to country football. Only last month Moe United Soccer Club was thrown out of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League reserves cup final after being found to have, technically, fielded an ineligible player. The situation was made all the more confusing by the fact the Red Devils had their senior and reserves sides in the final, which usually means anyone on the roster is up for selection. The player points system has also been queried in some quarters for failing to really make that much difference to competitive balance. For example, Gormandale FNC used 46 out of its 46 points in Round 9 of the NGFNL last season, and still lost by 157 points to Glengarry - a team that finished ninth on the ladder. Conversely, Traralgon Tyers United, which finished fifth, used 41 out of 41 points in Round 8

Player Points System (most basic)

1 point: ‘Home player’. 2 points: Local player moving leagues that has played more reserves games than seniors. 3 points: Local player moving leagues that has played more senior than reserve games. 4 points: NEAFL, TSL or NAB League player. 5 points: VFL, WAFL or SANFL player. 6 points: AFL player.

of the same season and won by 92 points against Cowwarr. The Tigers, having not won a game for three years before the 2021 season, were given only five points more to spend on players than the Bombers, who had finished top-two the previous season. Some anomalies also exist within the system, which offer an interesting discussion point. Using myself as an example, I technically would not have a home club going off the player points system. Because I attended boarding school and only played junior football for Moe Saints (Under 14s) and Thorpdale (U16s, U18s) during school holidays, I never met the 40-game threshold at either. Considering everything that has gone on in recent years, it would appear the time has well and truly come for AFL Victoria to appoint an officer of some description to oversee everything related to player points and salary caps across Gippsland. Or there could just be a simple solution invest in local players.

Sale-Maffra Cricket Association SCOREBOARD

Second Grade: Sale 2/103 (A Nicholas 39*, L Mowat 39*, R Sudan 26) def Bundalaguah 99 (J Read 31, A Lynch 26, K Bannak Ralalage 25, C Hudson 3/8, A Nicholas 3/15, T Dobson 2/20), Collegians 9/105 (C Hall 41, Z Connolly 4/16, W Osborn 2/17, A Kuizenga 2/19) def Maffra 72 (N Magnuson 26, J McGuiness 3/4, SW Anderson 2/9, J Harlock 2/11), Stratford 83 (H Fox 4/20, B Fleming 3/10) def Rosedale-Kilmany 74 (N Bennett 3/25, B Wilkinson 2/1, Jake Rietschel 2/9). Third Grade: Bundalaguah 5/93 (S Howard 56, N Walker 2/18) def Longford 8/92 (B McMaster 36, N Singh 26*, A Johnston 2/7), Maffra 5/88 (A Sellings 35*, K Bakulapalli 2/5) def Nambrok 87 (H Johnson 4/11, B Rowley 3/13), Collegians 0/84 (R Wilson 50*, R Maidorn 25*) def Rosedale-Kilmany 80 (G McGrath 32, D Bird 5/4, J Wells 3/14), Stratford 2/98 (T Russell 32*, T Light 27*) def Sale 96 (H Singh 32, G Ingle 25, A Smith 5/8, N Thomas 2/6), Boisdale-Briagolong 76 (L Van der Velden 4/7, L Tourtoulas 3/24, N Tourtoulas 2/16) def Wurruk 72 (A Tilley 26, D Murphy 3/18, S Atkinson 3/19), Heyfield - bye. Fourth Grade: Sale White 121 (R Coulthard 44, L Lyndon 25) def Wurruk Toads 43 (W Fry 3/13, A Duffield 2/4), Bundalaguah Yaks 6/180 (G Wrigglesworth 50*, A Day 49, N Phelan 2/18, R Corbell 2/19) def Maffra 8/86 (J Pataki 30*, M Wrigglesworth 3/14, S Tilley 2/6, T Anderson 2/7), Collegians 6/219 (J Sullivan 53*, M Foster 50*, J Braden 50*, H Leeson 3/40, R Leeson 2/35) def Rosedale-Kilmany 142 (C Missen 46, R Leeson 30, O Sullivan 3/8, H Davine 2/21), Heyfield 3/85 (M Van Ekeren 34) def Wurruk Windies 8/80 (W Breddels 29, J Parson 3/28, T Ptitchett 2/12), Sale Black 4/62 (T Reid 32*) def Stratford 61 (J Hampson 5/18, C Richardson 2/6), Bundalaguah Bulls 7/178 (C Sharp 52*, B Fuller 39, J Walker 32, K Kumar 3/11) def Longford 7/132 (J Love 46, J Sellings 3/24). Under 16: Bundalaguah 5/148 (H Wrigglesworth 53*, J Hare 27, W Murray 3/29) def Longford 7/67 (N Singh 25*, H Wrigglesworth 3/22, K Robinson 2/6), Maffra 3/43 (A Wright 2/9) def Rosedale-Kilmany 40 (A Higgins 2/10, M Coridas 2/14), Stratford 1/42 def Sale 9/40 (O Shaw 3/0, J Brickley 2/6), Collegians - bye. Under 14: Sale 4/114 def Bundalaguah (G Bruce 2/7), Wurruk/Maffra 3/121 (B Rowley 30*) def Collegians 47 (B Rowley 2/2, R Gieschen 2/3, C Kelly 2/6, H Russ 2/9), RK Heyfield 6/86 (B Cottrell 2/11) def Stratford 52, Longford - bye. Womens: Begin tonight (

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