Posted on 4 February, 2014
12.1 Boys
The Boys were in the Under 12A – Pool 2 of 4 Pools, 6 teams in each. Tournament results 4 Wins and 1 loss to make the elimination final Sunday night. In the final a well-fought comeback saw the scores tied at full time. After 5 over-times the boys lost by a goal.
We are very proud of every player in the team as they stood “tall” fought hard and never gave up. Well done Head Coach Mal Allison and assistants Michelle Letts & Glen Ghosn for a great tournament.
Allison Medson – Team Manager
12.2 Girls
The 12-2 girls began the weekend with a draw against Bulleen on Friday night. The remainder of the weekend was full of close finishes and tough games (and much nail biting by parents!), unfortunately without registering a win.
Whilst they did not make the finals, the girls thoroughly enjoyed the tournament weekend.
Melissa Barkwith – Team Manager
12.2 Boys
The 12.2 boys were placed in Under 12AR and have had a very rewarding tournament at this level, which in the hot weather was also very demanding. Although having a bit of ‘holiday rust’ the boys pulled through and finished the tournament with a record of 3 wins and 3 losses, which booked us a ticket into the semi finals. However the boys couldn’t quite get the win despite playing very well. Overall the boys had a great time with coaches and parents and other teammates and had fun bonding throughout the tournament.
Marcel Osborne – Head Coach
12.3 Girls
The 12.3 girls had 5 losses and 1 win during the weekend, with the win a great way to finish off the tournament! It was great to see the girls smiling faces after that game 🙂
All the girls found the tournament extremely fun and rewarding and learnt a lot of new moves and techniques. Olivia Jennings was awarded the ‘Most Dedicated Player’ flag at the tournaments conclusion – Well done to Olivia.
Andrea Hindle – Team Manager
12.3 Boys
Having not won a game in our Friday night competition the 12-3 boys rose to the challenge by playing some incredible basketball implementing the plays and skills they have been working on at training. Playing as a unified team they won all 6 games to qualify for the grand final. Although the team lost the grand final 22 to 12 against Camberwell 2 all coaches and parents were extremely impressed and proud of the boys very successful tournament. Well done 12-3 boys we are excited and eager to see just how far you will go.
Nadine O’Brien – Team Manager
12.4 Cobra Boys
RESULTS: RUNNERS UP
12C3Won 4, lost 2.
Finished 3rd on ladder.
Won semi-final 20-18 vs. Coburg 2.
Lost GF 25-29 to Camberwell 3.
The 12.4 Boys started the tournament with 8 players but lost one through injury after the second game. With only the 7 players, the heat and a lot of court time, the coaches were very happy the boys were 4-1 by end of Saturday. Losing to Camberwell by 6 on Sunday but with a chance to play finals gave the boys the determination to beat Nunawading in their second game to play a semi-final on Monday against Coburg. It was a tough game but the boys did as they were asked and got a very exciting win with a last final seconds shot to seal the game. In the Grand Final the boys did a great job with their defense and put into practice the motion offense we have been trying to work on all weekend (that alone was exciting for the coaches!!). Although we got the lead in last 5 minutes or so by 5, tiredness and personal foul trouble got the better of the boys.
Congratulations to Cooper Wilkinson on his ‘Most Determined Award’ given to him by referees in our Semi Final. A thank-you also to the players (Joel, Michael, Dylan, Ben, Benjamin, Sylas, Zane, Cooper), you all gave the team everything in the tank and more so well done. Keep working hard on your individual skills and on our team defense and offense as we start the next grading phase.
A big thank you to Adam, Tash and all the parents for your support of both the boys and the Coaches, it was much appreciated.
Ann McCann – Head Coach
14.2 Girls
The 14-2 girls won three games over the weekend (including a third time lucky win against the Melbourne Tigers), and made the semi finals of the U14 A Res grade.
Despite a hard fought game, the girls lost their semi final against Camberwell by 11 points.
Steve Barkwith – Team Manager
14.2 Boys
The boys started off the tournament on fire with a convincing display against Oakley showing great defensive pressure and good teamwork. We could have applied more pressure and really shut the gates on our opponents but we lacked intensity throughout the entire game and they were able to score 13 points against us.
Bulleen and Hawthorn were tough to handle and even though they were very beatable we fell into the trap of playing their style of basketball instead of controlling the game ourselves. We lost by 5 points to Bulleen and 2 points to Hawthorn. Sunday’s two matches were quite the same and just getting over Eltham by a single point was not the preparation we needed to beat the powerful Keilor team who had dominance with their talls.
We did have a plan that at times worked and then at times fell apart dramatically. The tournament was a great learning curve for the boys but a good preparation for the up a coming grading phase 2.
Matt Pakoti – Head Coach
14.3 Boys
Our boys had a great weekend of basketball with many very close games, but unfortunately just missing out on finals on a count back. The match of the tournament for us would have to have been the one against Bulleen 3. We played on our home court at Kilsyth and had fantastic cheering from the crowd, which encouraged our boys on. The boys all played well as a team and fought hard and finally with a game winning three-point buzzer beater they took down Bulleen 36-33! We finished off the tournament with some team bonding in and around a pool which I am sure both players and families all enjoyed.
A big thank you to our coach Jamie Wanders and all the parents for their fantastic support over the weekend.
Amanda Palich – Team Manager
14.1 Boys
The 14.1 Boys had 2 wins and 3 losses. Our first game was a win against Knox, with Ben Bara and Zak Pretty, smacking it with 10 points each. This was followed by a disappointing game against Nunawading, more a matter of self-belief than anything else. The boy’s best game was against Melbourne and it was a pearler of a game. The boys played for each other and at half time were leading by 2. After a valiant effort we eventually went down by 8.
I could not have been prouder of the boys. In that game they set the benchmark for their next round of grading. Our final game stats against W.A2 was a beaut, seeing all 10 players putting a score on the board, with Zak Agha and Josh Heywood breaking through the barriers top scoring with 8 & 9 respectively. The only down side of the tournament was for Tyler Birchall, after having a blinder of a tournament he broke his thumb in the last game and will be sidelined for a few weeks. Special thanks to our Team Manager Julia, she always keeps us on the straight & narrow.
Believe and always strive to be the best you can be.
Head Coach – John Hauer & Assistant Coach – Brad Hauer
14.3 Girls
Heading into this tournament I knew it would be a great opportunity to further consolidate our structures as a team and for the players to really hone their own individual skills. There were going to be no easy games as we were pooled with teams that we were going to play against on Friday nights as well. We started on Friday night with a very physical encounter with a tall Blackburn 1 team. Our intensity was great after a long break, fitness was always going to be an issue and we started to get very tired by the end but managed to hang on for a one point victory. After a hard Friday night match we had to front up at 8am for our next match at Kilsyth, the girls were excited to arrive early and get to see the SEABL women practice before our game. Again we were up against a bigger team in Ringwood 2 and again we prevailed by 6 points.
I would like to extend a big thank you to Sarah Parsons who stayed on after her practice to sit on the bench with the girls and provide them with much valued advice. Thanks Sarah, the girls loved having you there! Our next game was against Waverley 2 and the girls were very lucky to have another Women’s SEABL player, Rebecca O’Donnell on hand to lend assistance. Waverley 2 was fast and it was a fast transition game, the girls were starting to tire but kept giving it their all and as always never gave in. We hit a 3 point shot with 5 seconds left and held on to win by 2.
Our Last game for Saturday was against Hawthorn 3. Our legs were heavy and we struggled against an opponent who had played one less game than us and we ended up going down by 23. Sunday we had two games and we lost the first against Whittlesea 2 by 6 points and drew our last round game with the visiting South Adelaide team. We made the Semi Final where we would have the chance to avenge our loss to Hawthorn 3. We made some changes to our defensive structure and with 2 minutes to go were down by 4 points. A couple of turnovers by us let them score quickly and we ended up losing by 8. It was a great turnaround from our previous meeting with them, which was fantastic. The girls got plenty of time to enjoy each others company at a team dinner and a swim at the Hawthorn centre, which was great.
Thank you to Kerryn, our team manager who once again did an outstanding job in having everyone and everything organized. Thank you to Sarah and Bec for lending a hand, the girls really look up to you guys and aspire to be everything you are. To the parents, thank you for your continued support of the girls and me as we move forward through this long season. Finally, throughout the tournament the organizers were giving out awards to players who they thought captured the spirit of basketball. We were proud to have two recipients of those awards, Jenna Edwards and Summer Thomas. All of our players were worthy recipients and is representative of how we want to conduct ourselves on and off the court.
Rick Foley – Head Coach
14.4 Boys
The Cobra 14.4 boys played 6 games over the three days with a 3 and 3 record. This is great for the team’s confidence considering we haven’t won a game in grading yet. The team has 2 training players Angus and Ethan who will only play in this tournament, both put in a great effort and worked well in the group. The teamwork at times was amazing while at other times was not. We lost our first game when we were down by 1 point with 3 minutes to go and kept Warrandyte scoreless while we had 6 foul shots and a simple layup in that time to win the game, but we couldn’t make any. So consistency will be a focus point for us along with foul shooting.
We improved over the tournament in our team offense and defense, so I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. Great effort by all the boys! We need to thank the families for their support, my Team Manager Dave and Assistant Coach Megan for all their help over the weekend. Well-done boys and Families.
Head Coach – Mark Fowler
14.5 Girls
The 14.5 Girls started the tournament on Friday night against Camberwell 3 and unfortunately we played like we were still on holidays. Saturday started a lot better with a win over Warrandyte 3 with much improved the girl’s spirit and attack on the ball. This was followed by another good win over Camberwell 4 later that day. Unfortunately our start to Sunday was a one sided game with the ball not dropping at our end and rolling in at the other. Our lunchtime game was a bit sloppy but we came out with a win so we ended up fourth and playing first in the semi-final on Monday morning. Our game was much better and our defensive pressure was fantastic but their pressure on our shooters was good and the open shots did not fall. For the second tournament in a row the girls have made finals whilst playing even minutes throughout. I am very proud of a great team effort and a positive start to the year ahead.
Jeremiah Bader – Head Coach
16.1 Girls
It seemed that the ‘holiday break’ proved to be a bit too long for us to maintain the teams pleasing form achieved during the preseason. This meant that we were slow to get going and finish off our shots. Even though we didn’t get a win there were signs of what our potential is once we get into our rhythm. We are looking forward to showing more of our best.
Will van Poppel – Head Coach & Karen Dover – Assistant Coach
16.2 Girls
The 16.2 girls won 7 out of 8 games in their tournament making it a great weekend.
1st game against Oakleigh, we won – 24-11.
2nd game against Coburg, we won 6-14.
3rd game against Hawthorn, we lost 16-23.
4th game against Eltham, we won 31-26.
5th game against Collingwood, we won 24-23.
6th game against Whittlesea, we won 28-23 – but scored a few injuries in this game.
Semi final we played against Hawthorn again, we won 26-22.
Grand final we played against Collingwood and we won 26-16.
The girls had a great weekend, despite some injuries.
Alison Tough – Team Manager
16.2 Boys
The 16.2 Boys kicked off their tournament with an easy win on Friday, followed by two consecutive one-point wins in the final seconds over Bulleen and Norwood. The guys showed great composure in the final minutes of these two, gaining valuable experience to carry on into grading and the regular season.
After beating Waverley comfortably, we faced a massive Sydney Comets team who manhandled us. Luckily we would get a second shot at them, as we defeated Collingwood in the semis with a huge second half.
Our rematch with Sydney in the grand final was the toughest physical challenge we’ve had all year. Despite playing against the U16’s equivalent of the Minnesota Timberwolves frontline, injuries to two starters, three players in foul trouble the entire game and another fouling out, the guys hung tough and did not back down. Facing a 14 point deficit in the second half, the team was able to claw their way back to make it a 5 point game with less than two minutes to go. Unfortunately, missed free throws and key turnovers were too much to overcome, as we ended up losing by 7.
A great effort by all members of the team, in particular the Monday finals in which we showed great grit and determination. Once again a special mention goes out to all the parents for their outstanding support, commitment, and encouragement. Finally, a huge thanks to Sharon for keeping everyone organised throughout the weekend and the whole year so far – greatly appreciated!
Zach Moult – Head Coach & Joel Naburgs – Assistant Coach
16.3 Girls
The 16.3 Cobra girls had a fantastic Australia Day weekend competing in the Eltham Dandenong Tournament. As expected after holidays, the girls were a bit rusty in their first two games but managed to post a win and a draw. They then proceeded to play a good brand of team basketball for the remaining three pool games, finishing on top of the ladder with 4 Wins and a draw. The semi-final was very fast paced, and the girls hit the court running, putting their Eltham opposition on their heels from the very first minute. They came away with a good win, and Emmerson Woods earned the referees ‘Most Determined Player’ award. This left them with only one game remaining, the Grand Final. After 40 long hard minutes and a total of 46 fouls between the teams, the Collingwood 2’s managed to convert more free throw opportunities and so came away with the win. A big thanks to the coaches, team manager, players and parents for making the weekend so successful and more importantly lots of fun!
Warren Searle – Assistant Coach
16.3 Boys
The Australia Day Tournament was long tournament for the 16.3 boys starting on Friday night at 8:00pm and finishing around the same time on Monday night. We played 8 games, with 7 straight wins. Unfortunately, we went down to Waverley on the buzzer, losing by 2 points.
This group of boys deserved to be grand finalists and each one of them can be as proud of themselves as I know their coaches are. The boys consolidated as a team this weekend, supporting each other both on and off the bench and collectively playing with an intensity that we had yet to see this season. We may not have won the grand final but this tournament showed us what we are capable of. We are looking forward to an exciting season. A big thank you to our coaches: Jacko Brazier and Regan Grimwood.
Sharon Dekoning – Team Manager
18.2 Girls
Coming back from our Christmas holidays we knew the tournament was going to be a great test for the girls to see how they kept up over the break. Having 3 tough games on Saturday it was going to be a big test of fitness. As expected it took the girls a while to get their feet and a handle on the ball. After a great fight back in the second half we couldn’t quite cut the margin enough to come away with the win against a strong Nunawading side.
Much to the frustration of the coaches, the girls seemed to like coming from being down at the half and making a game of it in the second. This time however we were able to pull off a great win to get our confidence going. Fitness and fatigue became a big factor in our last game of the day and the girls couldn’t quite find the energy and intensity as in the previous game, going down to a strong Camberwell team.
It was a new day but still 3 big games ahead of the girls on Sunday. We started off against a very tall Altona, the girls fought very hard and played one of the better games of the tournament so far. We didn’t quite pull off the win but they showed the coaches and everyone else that we could play a quality style of basketball when we wanted to. After a great performance earlier there were some expectations from the coaching staff that the girls would have a repeat performance. To their credit they continued that form and were able to come away with another win. Unfortunately in our last game we came up against a very strong Waverley team. Despite our great efforts they were too strong. The girls finished the tournament with 2 wins and 4 losses. Well done girls.
Gemma Kerr – Head Coach
20 Boys
Our weekend started of the Friday night with a win over Nunawading 2, 42 to 21 with the guys gelling well together well and showing great defensive effort. We continued our defensive pressure into the start of our game against Warrandyte and accelerated to 40 points by half time. We were still able to restrict the flow of there points but gave away a few open 3 pointers in the last 5 minutes which closed the gap to 18 points to win 62 to 44. On Saturday night we came up against Ringwood, which we had already scouted to be a tough team. We got off to a slow start and were a completely different team on the court as to how we showed up for the last 2 games. They had a great inside outside game that destroyed us against both man on man and zone. We got back to within 7 points with 4 minutes left but once again gave up open 3 point shots and they knocked them down to win by 37.
On Sunday morning we showed up to face a very mature bodied Whittlesea unit. Opposition point guards ran the ball at us all game and killed us on transition. It was close towards the end of the game but we gave up fouls trying to get the ball back and we just couldn’t make our shots and lost 41-47.
We finished off our round with a win over Nunawading with our bigs demanding the ball inside and scoring 90% of our points from within the key, making a massive difference to previous games. Once again our defense gave us plenty of opportunity to run the ball and make some contested lay ups in a physical game to win 40-23 and make it into the elimination final.
The elimination final started of horribly with the team coming out after 7 minutes 12 points down. We got back into the game but were always that initial 10 points behind. Throughout the course of the game we probably gave them at least 10 turnovers, which lead directly to fast break points and an eventual loss (37-57).
Matt Shepherd – Head Coach
