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KNOX BASKETBALL GAMES COMMISSIONER: MICHAEL CAMERON
Diamond Valley open the season against the Bendigo Braves on Saturday night. Both sides are coming off elimination final exits last season and will hope to improve on the early playoff exits this campaign. Kilsyth will hope to put aside their 40-point elimination final defeat when they face the Southern Sabres. While the Cobras will want to turn around their playoff form, the Sabres will enter the 2019 season as premiership favourites, having won the premiership last season. Sunbury kick off their first season in the Victorian Youth Championship Women against the Hume City Broncos. The Broncos will hope to improve on their poor showing in 2018, which saw them finish seventh in the Terrill conference. Knox and Altona face off in the battle of the Terrill rivals on Saturday night. The Raiders seek redemption in 2019 for their Grand Final defeat to the Sabres last season, while the Gators were unfortunate to miss out on the finals, despite ending the season with a 68.18 win percentage. Hume City return to the court on Sunday against the Dandenong Rangers, who are coming off a sixth place finish in the Watson conference in 2018. Ballarat and the Melbourne Tigers open their campaign at 12pm on Sunday. The Rush ended 2018 on a nine game losing streak, while the Tigers won their final eight games in the regular season, before bowing out in the preliminary finals. Southern back up their opening game by hosting Hawthorn. The Magic could only muster a sixth place finish in the Terrill conference last season, despite having the fourth best offence in the conference. Nunawading begin their campaign against Knox. The Spectres fell seven points short of progressing to the grand final last season and will hope to go one step better in 2019. Waverley kick off their first season in the Victorian Youth Championship Women’s competition against Sunbury at the Waverley Basketball Centre on Sunday afternoon. The final game of the round sees Bulleen host Ringwood. The Boomers won only three games last season, while the Hawks bowed out in the opening week of the finals, despite finishing the regular season top of the Watson conference. ROUND 1
Diamond Valley vs Bendigo Kilsyth vs Southern Sunbury vs Hume City Knox vs Altona Hume City vs Dandenong Ballarat vs Melbourne Southern vs Hawthorn Nunawading vs Knox Waverley vs Sunbury Bulleen vs Ringwood
Sat 5.30pm Sat 5.30pm Sat 6pm Sat 6pm Sun 12pm Sun 12pm Sun 12.30pm Sun 12.30pm Sun 12.30pm Sun 1.30pm
Diamond Valley Sports Fitness Centre Kilsyth Sports Centre Boardman Stadium Knox Basketball Stadium Broadmeadows Basketball Stadium Mars Minerdome Southern Basketball Stadium Nunawading Basketball Stadium Waverley Basketball Centre East Doncaster Secondary College
ALTONA GATORS
VICTORIAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN No.
Name
Position
Age
Height
1
Dana Lindemann
F
20
179
3
Jordan Wilson
G
16
176
4
Tyla Paraha
G
16
168
9
Jessica Rarity
F
21
180
10
Madison Steinle
C
15
182
13
Alicia Sciberras
G
16
167
15
Sienna Cutajar
G
14
160
20
Trinity Steele
G
15
158
22
Kasey Maddock
G
14
160
24
Monique Marcetic - Vaotangi
G
16
178
25
Reyhan Aziz
C
21
182
Team Staff
Name
HEAD COACH
Randy Shanklin
ASST COACH
Kate Coffey
TEAM MANAGER
Peter Costello
ASST TEAM MANAGER
Jayde Wilson
KNOX RAIDERS
VICTORIAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN No.
Name
Position
Age
Height
1
Jess Hands
G
16
170
2
Zoe Jenkins
G
16
174
3
Olivia Wynd
F
15
180
4
Paige Burrows
G
13
163
5
Madison Walters
C
19
184
8
Felicity Schill
F
19
184
9
Allie Harland
G
18
177
10
Georgia Baldwin
F/G
16
181
11
Haylee Brebner
G
14
165
13
Sophie Agorakis
F
21
178
15
Rhiannon Ockwell
C/F
16
182
G
15
176
Meg Robinson
Team Staff
HEAD COACH
Name
Emily Schill
ASSISTANT COACH
Robbie Baldwin
ASSISTANT COACH
Richard Spurr
TEAM MANAGER
Di Adams
Blackburn and Dandenong kick off the Victorian Youth Championship Men’s season on Saturday night. The Vikings lost their last five games of the season to finish fifth in the Watson Conference, while the Rangers were eliminated in the first week of the finals despite topping the Terrill conference. Diamond Valley host the Sherbrooke Suns at the Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre. The Eagles won three of their last five games last season to finish seventh on the ladder in the Watson Conference, while the Suns advanced to the second week of the finals. The Knox Raiders will aim to improve on their form from last season when they host the Bulleen Boomers. The Raiders finished seventh in the Terrill conference, while the Boomers finished top of the Watson conference. Bulleen however were eliminated in the first week of the finals. Keilor will hope to bounce back from their horror showing in the finals last season when they host the Melbourne Tigers. The Thunder lost by 20 points against the Sherbrooke Suns in the first week of the finals, while the Tigers finsished sixth in the Terrill conference. McKinnon host reigning premiers Nunawading on Saturday night. The Cougars finished just outside of the finals, while their Terrill conference rivals claimed the premiership in two games against Eltham. Eltham will want to put their Grand Final misery behind them when they face Ringwood. The Hawks finished last in the Terrill conference, with only 10 wins in the season. It’s an all-Watson conference battle when Kilsyth host the Southern Sabres. Kilsyth suffered a one-point defeat to Eltham in the first week of the finals last season, while the Sabres finished sixth, with only eight wins for the season. Nunawading and Diamond Valley back up their opening night encounters by meeting at Nunawading Basketball Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Southern Sabres play their second game against the Hawthorn Magic, who progressed to the second round of the finals in 2018. Waverley begin begin their inaugural campaign by hosting Blackburn at the Waverley Basketball Centre. ROUND 1 Blackburn vs Dandenong Sat 6pm Mullum Mullum Stadium McKinnon vs Nunawading Sat 6pm GESAC Eltham vs Ringwood Sat 7pm Eltham High School Kilsyth vs Southern Sat 7.30pm Kilsyth Sports Centre Diamond Valley vs Sherbrooke Sat 7.30pm Diamond Valley Sports Fitness Centre Knox vs Bulleen Sat 8pm Knox Basketball Stadium Keilor vs Melbourne Sun 1.30pm Keilor Basketball Stadium Nunawading vs Diamond Valley Sun 2.30pm Nunawading Basketball Satdium Southern vs Hawthorn Sun 2.30pm Southern Basketball Stadium Waverley vs Blackburn Sun 2.30pm Waverley Basketball Centre
BULLEEN BOOMERS
VICTORIAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP MEN No.
Name
Position
Age
Height
0
Jack Fleming
G
20
183
2
Jonte Tozer
G
20
190
7
Dylan Donnelly
G
19
186
14
Shaun Atkins
G
22
184
18
Liam Davidson
F
22
193
21
Lucas Soklevski
F
19
190
23
Ryan Giovannini
F
19
198
24
Jack Perry
G
18
183
25
Cody Perry-Allamby
F
21
186
30
Justin Ronan-Black
G
21
183
32
Dylan Olley
F
19
190
Bailey Gaye
F
20
198
Team Staff
Name
HEAD COACH
John Hauer
ASST COACH
Dan Melli
ASST COACH
Sam Mc Grath
TEAM MANAGER
Emily Black
KNOX RAIDERS
VICTORIAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP MEN No.
Name
Position
Age
Height
G/F
18
198
1
Corey Fiddes
2
Ivan Rajher
G
15
189
3
Ollie Dempsey
G
16
174
4
Nikko Shaw
G
20
176
5
Darcy Parkinson
G
22
184
6
Ashraf Ally
G
18
190
7
Kallum Topp
G/F
18
195
8
Josh Woodford
G
17
188
9
Liam Hanafin
G
19
184
10
Adam Slavnic
F/C
16
195
12
Cameron Bradley
F
21
195
15
Will Dolan
C
19
194
Team Staff
Name
HEAD COACH
Dale Crotty
ASST COACH
Tyson Stein
ASST COACH
Chris Petalas
DEVELOPMENT COACH
Daniel Gianchino
TEAM MANAGER
Anita Woodford