Overtime August `12 Issue

OVERTIME MAG
OVERTIME MAG
TIP OFF
2012 Finals Promo Video
Must Watch (click me)
It’s finals time and there is always a buzz in the Big V air when August swings around.
For many, it’s time to pack up the bags and go fishing. For the finalists, the real season
begins now. The crowds gather, the atmosphere is electric and the nerves before
each game get out of control.
Overtime Magazine in August is the calm before the storm. There’s plenty to keep you
occupied as you ready yourself for the finals onslaught including a huge cover on
the Big V representatives that won silver at the U17 World Championships in Lithuania.
Matt Jackson, Felix Von Hofe and Jack Purchase grace our cover and rightfully so.
They are the future of our sport and the Big V is proud to have them competing in our
State Youth Championship competition.
We’ve also got an article that may crank up the pressure on Ringwood SCM’s finals
dreams, Roy Ward catches up with long standing Mildura coach James Madigan, not
to mention the great comeback story of talented Bronco Tatjana Stevanovic.
It’s going to be a phenomeal finals series and you’ve got a great mag once more to
prepare yourself for the most intense and exciting month on Big V’s calendar.
Happy reading- Ed.
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
OVERTIME MAG
OVERTIME MAG
GRANTLEY’S
AUSSIES HOOPS
BIG V REPPING
AUSTRALIA AT 3 X 3
WORLD CHAMPS
Some of Big V’s finest will suit up for
Australia’s Under 18 side in FIBA’s
exciting new 3 on 3 format at the World
Championships to be held in Seville,
Spain.
With the tournament running from the
27-30th of September this year, Geelong’s
Ebony Rolph, Diamond Valley’s Jaclyn
Smith and Bulleen’s Will Hoole were all
selected to represent our country. Isabella
Brancatisano from the Melbourne Tigers
was also named an emergency.
All of these players participate in Big V’s
State Youth Championship competition
and now have an extraordinary
opportunity in a new and spiced up
format.
Further to the player selections,
Melbourne Tigers State Championship
Women’s coach Jonathan Goodman will
take charge of the under 18 boys team.
Ths is a real coup for the Big V and we
wish all those selected the best of luck at
the World Championships!
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
FORMER MILDURA
IMPORT SIGNS WITH
SYDNEY KINGS
In 2010, Big V witnessed the domination
of a division like no other. The Mildura
Heat, then competing in the Division 3
Men competition, had quietly picked up
an import and were ready to go.
Big V Opening night, Round 1 2010
saw Kevin Smith explode for 36 points
and 23 rebounds. It was a precursor of
things to come no doubt, his season
average of 31 points and 13 boards, an
undefeated season and the given MVP
award, validation of his clear talent and
utter domination of the competition.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks
ago and Kevin Smith has just been
picked up by the Sydney Kings after
he acquired New Zealand residency
making him a non-restricted player.
The 32 year old lefty will bring a wealth
of experience to the Kings and could
provide quick scoring off the bench as
the Kings look to improve on a tough
2011 campaign under coach Shane
Heal.
POST
When the Olympic Games roll around every four
years, the topic of drugs in sport moves front
and centre. It’s a dark subject that jumps into
everyone’s mind quicker than a dope-fuelled Ben
Johnson.
But what about the same two words – drugs and
sport – with a twist? What about considering sport as
a drug? For many people involved in sport, that’s just
what it is: their drug.
Ask the Big V players and coaches whose season just
finished. Some might be glad they are done for the
year, others will be disappointed to have missed the
playoffs. But in very quick time, they will start the withdrawal process and be looking forward to the next fix.
Most players never really seem to have any or much
down time, these days. There are domestic competitions to play in and various leagues around the place
to keep the adrenaline flowing, the shot in sync and
the body in shape.
Coaches, though, probably don’t get those same
year-round opportunities, so perhaps the withdrawal
is tougher for those with the whiteboards. There is
certainly much more for a coach and his or her staff to
do before the next season starts.
There will be player assessments, reviews and meetings to conduct. There will be plenty of self-analysis
and there will be planning for 2013, assuming the
coaches still have a job.
For some coaches, there will be the process of reapplying for their positions or seeking new opportunities. Some might opt to take a rest. But sooner or later,
even if you retire to a secluded monastery somewhere
in the Himalayas, the withdrawal kicks in.
The skin starts to itch, the mind starts whirring …
What plays can we run? What do we need to make us
better? How will the team look? Who can I go out and
recruit? When will we schedule try-outs?
The funny thing is, and this is maybe why sport and
coaching is like a drug, is that all this inevitably leads
to more angst, disappointment and second-guessing
than anybody ever really needs.
In essence, most of that angst, disappointment and
second-guessing is usually self-driven by the coaches.
Any coach worth their playbook undertakes serious
introspection and examination on a weekly, if not daily,
basis.
That usually leads to angst, disappointment and
second-guessing, even for the coaches whose teams
rarely lose. Maybe some would call it insecurity or
what Jean-Pierre de Vincenzi, the coach of France’s
2000 Olympic team, called self-flagellation.
One of my philosophies is that players win and coaches lose. So that puts the coach under the hammer
right from the start, regardless of how much priority is
placed on winning. It’s human nature to want to win
and for coaches to be judged on wins and losses.
The Geelong Youth Championship Women’s program
has placed a strong emphasis on developing players
with an eye to getting one or two ready for the SEABL
team when needed in the next couple of years.
If we can push some players through to the SEABL
team, then that will be a victory in itself for everyone in
our program. But it still hurts to look back on the 2012
results and see a 7-11 record that included six losses
by nine or fewer points, including two by four and two
by two.
As our players have heard all season long, it only
takes one different outcome of a possession each
quarter to have a profound impact on a game. If we
don’t turn the ball over, if we don’t miss the lay-up, if
we don’t miss a pair of free-throws, if we don’t miss a
box out, if we don’t commit a lazy foul in the bonus 70
feet from the basket …
But as the coach, you take responsibility for all those
things and just continue trying to teach, correct and
encourage. OK, so occasionally – or often - you get
mad and frustrated … All part of the deal.
That’s what creates the withdrawal effect. That nothing
in basketball – or probably any sport – is perfect, unless you’re Nadia Comaneci. It means you’re always
striving to get better, to improve as players, team and
coach.
The day you reckon you’ve mastered all the skills or
know everything there is to know about basketball is
the day you should walk away because nobody can
do those things. It’s impossible.
When you combine the love of the game with the
pursuit of excellence and knowledge, it becomes a
heady, potent, addictive drug that some people are just
hooked on for life.
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
OVERTIME MAG
OVERTIME MAG
RINGWOOD'S
TIME TO DELIVER
Adversity before success happens in every
sport to athletes and teams alike. Suffering trials and tribulations before reaching your ultimate goal makes the achievement all the more
rewarding when you finally reach that pinnacle.
After disposing of Hume City easily in the semi
finals, the Hawks proceeded to blow out Waverley in their own gym to take a 1-0 lead, one
win from a title that had eluded them since 1999
in the then Premier Division. But it didn’t go to
plan. The Falcons turned up the heat, pulling
a game 2 victory out from underneath them,
then taking that momentum into the decider the
following day and defeating them in game 3 to
break the Hawks hearts.
Fast-forward to 2012 and the Hawks are
similarly placed. At the time of print they have
all but sealed themselves on the top of the
ladder, not just winning games, but owning
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
The man in charge is understandably
defensive on this one. The media focus on
them will only continue to pressurize as they
keep on winning in such dominant fashion.
Although 2010 would still burn, Harrington is
ensuring that the defeat works in a positive
way- through motivation rather than nervous
tension.
“For the guys that were part of it, I am sure
they will individually keep the pain of the loss
in the back of their mind as extra motivation.
A great example of this would be NBA star
Lebron James’ well-documented failings
before his triumphant vindication, winning the
NBA championship this year. Bloggers, fans,
analysts and haters loved to heap the criticism
on the megastar, and winning a championship
was the only avenue James could go down that
would put it to bed for good.
The same can be said for the Ringwood Hawks
senior men’s side. With Ken Harrington at the
helm, the Hawks have always put a strong outfit
on the floor each year. Namely in 2010 they
sported the likes of Luke McMillan, import Kevin
Ratzsch, Daryl Corletto and Matthew Snowball.
They were the best team through the entire
regular season, notching up 19 wins from 21
games. Red-hot favorites was a severe
understatement.
then it really doesn’t matter to Coaches or
players.”
“It wont be mentioned by me or any of the
Coaches, it really has no relevance to this
years team.”
them on both ends of the floor. They have the
import duo of Skylar Bowlin and Sam Belt who
have been damaging, Matthew Snowball has
returned to the fold, Adrian Sturt is patrolling
the skies and the paint along with Shaun Clarke
who has come of age this season. Although it’s
debatable whether this team is more talented
than the 2010 squad, the current circumstances
eerily resemble.
But be careful to use the word favorite around
coach Ken Harrington, you might get bitten.
“Do you get a special prize if you are favourite?
Its just a word we never use, you play a team
on a weekly basis, you try and prepare yourself
as best as you can and then its time to do the
job on the court”, stated Harrington when
questioned on whether they consider
themselves the “f” word.
“Unless the Big V are looking at giving the
favourites a 5 point bonus to start the game,
Maybe personally for Harrington the loss
has no bearing on this year, but for players it
might just be a different story. Willie Weimer,
Matthew Snowball, Shaun Clarke and Mark
Whitehead were all there in 2010 and are all
key components in the current side. 2010
really isn’t all that long ago and there’s no
doubt that when finals roll around in August, it
will be somewhere in their sub conscious- for
better or worse.
huge waves as the team struggles to gel to
this point. Ringwood’s rivals are shaky at the
moment, further cementing Ringwood as the
team to beat.
Perhaps the stars have aligned for 2012 to be
the year of the Hawk. There are few coaches
more dedicated to winning than Ken
Harrington and this might just be the year
for it to finally happen. The team plays well
together, they get along and have shown they
can beat anyone. With August on our
doorstep, it’s time to get it done when it
matters most.
“We are driven and like everyone else we are
hungry to succeed”, says Harrington matterof-factly.
“The 2012 Hawks are on their own journey,
wherever that may lead.”
Perhaps just like Lebron James, the journey
will end with a championship for Ringwood,
and in turn finally grasping the redemption
that has eluded them for too long.
But in 2012, the Hawks are a new squad that
has flourished on the defensive end.
Harrington is a self-confessed offensive
coach and defense has always come in a
distant second. They have the best perimeter
defender in the competition Skylar Bowlin as
well as the athletic Adrian Sturt waiting in the
paint to clean up the mess when called upon.
The defense they are playing might be the
component and catalyst for a long awaited
title. We all know defense wins
championships.
The other contending teams have their own
problems. Eltham have been without NBL star
Cam Tragardh for huge chunks of the season
due to a niggling hamstring problem and may
not be available until the beginning of August.
Then there’s the nemesis Waverley Falcons
who’s mid season coaching change created
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
OVERTIME MAG
OVERTIME MAG
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As Tatjana, who preferably goes by Tanja, got
older, the potential was beginning to shine
through. Current Hume City Broncos Head
Coach Joe Borg first saw her in 2009. She had
stints with the Championship Tigers squad, Borg
remembering her wearing religious crosses and
earrings, her infectious smile always on display
as it is today.
“Watching her play and train I always knew she
had the potential to play at a very high level”,
said Borg.
To an aspiring athlete, there’s nothing
scarier then the possibility of tearing your
ACL. Physically, the rehab is grueling and
can easily take 12 months to return it to the
strength it once was, although ultimately it
may never be the same. But what’s worse is
the mental aspect of it. Not only is it a huge
road back, forcing yourself to keep doing
your exercises and physio sessions, but
once you are right to return the fear of doing
it again can be the biggest hurdle to jump.
Tatjana Stevanovic was keen on hoops at a
super young age. As often is the case,
Stevanovic had an older sister who played. Her
love for the game being built off the back of
watching and participating in her trainings where
she could.
“I first started playing just for fun around the
age of 6 while my sister was actually training”,
recalled Stevanovic.
“I’d just copy the drills that they did off the court
and would join in the cool down games they
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
“Her work ethic and her skill set were excellent,
even at that age and nothing has changed.”
That work ethic and raw talent that Borg saw
then continued to shine through. Some players
are born basketballers, blessed with physical
attributes that enable them to do things that
others can’t. In Stevanovic’s case, it’s her
albatross like arm-span.
“What differentiates Tanja from most other
players is the length of her arms”, said Borg.
“They seem disproportionately long for her body,
way too long! She has the uncanny ability to get
at balls she should have no right to. Whether it
be deflecting a pass, especially lob passes, or
just picking the opponents pocket.”
Flying through the junior ranks at the Melbourne
Tigers and into the then Youth League side,
Tanja seemed destined for success.
5 games into the 2010 Big V season, playing
in State Youth Championship for Melbourne,
Tatjana slid and hyper-extended her knee. After
seeking advice from her physio, the prognosis
was it was just a mild tweak and she got the all
clear to play the following week. Subsequently,
the next weekend, with nobody near her,
Stevanovic’s knee collapsed beneath her,
requiring a full knee reconstruction.
“I constantly reminded her that life is a marathon,
not a sprint, and that she could take as long as
she wanted until she felt confident.”
For a 17 year old on the verge of taking the next
step that has given everything to becoming the
best player she can be, an injury like this can
crush you both physically and mentally.
Borg’s support was certainly felt and it has done
wonders for Stevanovic’s return to basketball at
the level she once did. Playing in State Youth
Championship, she is currently averaging a
league high 15 points a contest. At the top level,
State Championship, she is putting up 7 points a
contest, a great return, all things considered.
“A lot of time and effort had to be put in to get
it back to how it was, what felt like millions of
squats, swimming, cycling and running all had
to be done in order for my knee to be strong
enough again”, recalled Stevanovic.
“Mentally, it has been a lot tougher. There is still
that paranoia that I’ll injure it again and have to
go through the whole process once more. Also,
it happened at an extremely inconvenient time.
I was in year 12 and had to think whether it was
worth focusing on and having the surgery done
right away or have it after I completed year 12
and just have another year off from basketball.”
Tatjana ended up going under the knife that year
and recovered. Although she would have been
cleared to play in 2011, it was her first year of
University and that took priority. Sometimes it
takes a horrible injury for things to be put in
perspective.
“I would still love to be playing at this level or
even higher if I’m lucky enough, but if I’ve learnt
anything these past few years is that you have to
be able to move past unexpected turns of events.
The knee injury was a good reality check; I can’t
revolve my future around basketball, so I would
love to have completed my university degree
either in animal health/veterinary science or
zoology.”
“He (Joe) has been incredibly supportive
throughout the whole season; he knows my limits
with my knee and is always so encouraging
regardless whether we win or lose”, said
Stevanovic.
Not only does Tatjana possess a good head on
her shoulders, but she also displays ultimate
sportsmanship, almost to a fault. Aside from the
permanent smile implanted on her face, Tanja
will be the first to clap the opposing team’s good
play, pick up a player that’s knocked down and
apologize to both the opponent she fouled and
the referee who called it, dispelling the myth that
female players must have a mean streak to be a
good baller.
Tanja’s story is an inspirational one that needs
to be heard by anyone that has gone through or
going through the rehabilitation of a knee injury.
Stevanovic is living proof that you can come back
stronger than ever if you put in the hard yards so
you can return to the game you love so much.
When asked whether missing 2 years of basketball reignited the fire to get back into it, Tanja
didn’t hesitate.
“Sweet Jesus yes!“
But the here and now sees Tanja in the white and
blue of the Hume City Broncos after receiving a
call from coach Joe Borg, who called the minute
he was appointed Head Coach of their
Championship Women. Both Borg and
Stevanovic recall her understandable
hesitation to return after being away from the
game for almost 2 years.
“During the pre-season she was very unsure
how the knee would hold up and I guess the fear
that she would have to go through the pain and
frustration all over again weighed on her mind”,
said Coach Borg.
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
OVERTIME MAG
OVERTIME MAG
BY ROY WARD
It’s hard to get someone to say they would like
to whiz up to Mildura every week.
HEAT OF MILDURA
of the team through some of the club’s best
and worst times both as Mildura coach and
during his time coaching elsewhere.
In 2006 Mildura, then a stand-alone South
East Australian Basketball League club known
as the Mavericks, lost their major sponsor after
its home office moved to Sydney.
The higher costs of SEABL basketball and the
lack of a major sponsor forced some tough
decisions.
The Mildura Basketball Association took over
running the team and it was moved to Big V.
Mildura then became known as the Heat and
in their first season in Big V division 1 made
the grand final.
But the combination of players losses and
tough times within the town brought on by the
drought, left the Heat short on players leading
into the next season and they asked to drop to
division 3.
EACH year Mildura Heat play in the Big V
is the result of tireless work.
From players, coaches, committee, volunteers
and sponsors.They represent not just a logo
and a singlet but all 55,000 or so Mildura residents and many more connections around the
country.Very few clubs get that sort of responsibility and few players in Big V get to play in
front of the big home crowds the Heat get each
week.
But behind the cheers and bright lights of
game-night in the “Hot House” lies hour upon
hour of effort in developing players, keeping
players and retaining the sponsors who back
the team.
Heat coach James Madigan knows this better
than most and he has been a close supporter
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
After a losing season, Madigan returned from
coaching Albury-Wodonga in the SEABL
leading into the 2010 Big V season and his first
moves were to bring back several former
players into the club fold.
He also came upon an import named Kevin
Smith, an insatiable scorer who would lead the
Heat to an undefeated season and a move to
Division 2.
A few weeks ago Smith signed with the Sydney
Kings showing just how good a find he was.
“The move to the Big V helped us in a way,”
Madigan said.
“It gave our locals a better opportunity to play.
It’s tough but we are still working on getting as
many young guys into the team as we can but
we still have to rely on having imports.
“I’d like to one day have a full-team of locals
like Werribee do but we are in an extreme
battle here because of our size and the travel.
“But the flip side of being in a small town is that
of the 55,000 or so people, everyone knows
the Heat, we get some excellent sponsors who
have done amazing things and we get sell out
crowds, it might only be 500 or 600 people but
we fit in every person we can.”
Last season the Heat was again a title-threat
but fell to Horsham in an elimination playoff
game.
The Heat still made the move up to Division 1
this season and with veteran import Jermaine
Williams leading the charge along with some
rising local players the Heat again look good
enough for a title but Madigan won’t let his
second-placed side look past their first
elimination final against Warrandyte this
Saturday night. (aug4)
“We haven’t forgotten about last year,” he said.
“It’s still in the back of our minds; we had one
shocker and it cost us.”
The Heat expect to have a sell-out crowd for
the game and some added emotion as Williams
has announced he will leave the team at season’s end to pursue a coaching career.
“The people don’t just come along to watch a
few locals run around, they expect to see a
winner,” Madigan said.
Madigan has signed on to coach in season
2013 and while he would coach for another
decade if he got the chance, he knows new
blood will need to come through the club in the
near future.
“Losing six games this year almost feels like a
disappointment but we have moved up in
standard and really we couldn’t ask for more
from our regular season.”
The Heat also have to continue to battle for the
best young talent with football repeatedly
stealing their best youngsters with three
potential starters leaving before this season for
the “big money” local footy offers.
Madigan also paid tribute to Williams as a major
part of the club’s success for his work with
junior players around the Sunraysia area since
first playing for the club in 2005.
Yet new talent continues to come through with
the under-12 girls and under-14 boys both
recording excellent results at state level this
year.
“I honestly feel for the bloke who replaces him,”
Madigan said.
“Jermaine is a great player, I’ve coached him
for five years now and he came to Albury with
me as well.
Madigan, who coaches in the junior program
as well, said the future of the Heat was in the
development of young players.
“I’ve been involved with a lot of imports and
what he does off court is amazing. He would
know the name of every kid at Mildura
Stadium.”
“You have to look four or five years into the
future,” he said.
“In the next few years we will be looking alright
but we do lose people to school or university
when they leave town. It’s a tough gig but we
will do the best we can.”
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
OVERTIME MAG
OVERTIME MAG
But what these guys achieved just over a
month ago in Lithuania was no joke. After
cruising through the qualifying rounds, the
young Aussie’s set up a clash with
Argentina who they blew out comfortably
to make the final 4. The boys then
proceeded to upsetting Croatia in
dominant fashion, everything falling their
way; their team work a real feature of the
win.
The young stars then finally lost in the gold
medal game to the mighty USA team, who
went through the tournament undefeated.
No doubt the loss was disappointing, but
they held their heads high knowing that
everyone back at home was proud of their
achievement.
But with the Croatia win in particular came
“My next door neighbors don’t even play
or know basketball but were up at 3.30am
in the morning watching it!”
The team took the nation by storm and
these three Big V State Youth
Championship combatants were right in
the thick of it. The team came away from
the tournament with the reputation as a
hard and tough defensive unit, but also for
its sheer athleticism. Felix, in his best Latvian
accent recalled another aspect of the
Aussies game that they might have been
famous for as well.
“One of the Latvian kids said to us after
Mirko (Djeric) pushed him, “You’se are
psychos!” I think we played hard. We’d be
known for that.”
“didnt really see the USA guys down there. They were
probably looking at their highlights on the net.”
the real validation, announcing themselves
as a future force on the world stage.
“If you had of seen the change-room after
we beat Croatia, you would have thought
we’d won our 6th Olympics in a row in
triple overtime”, recalled Felix Von Hofe,
who was clearly still reveling in the
moment, the celebration fresh in his mind.
But the victory was felt 15,000 km’s away
with the news spreading of their success
like a wildfire on Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram. Non-basketball fans were even
developing a cult following, the general
public getting on board the “Baby
Boomers” bandwagon.
Young Diamond Valley Eagle Matt Jackson
was surprised how many people were
following their progress online, the best
way to keep up to date.
It was just crazy how many people
watched the Livestats”, said Jackson.
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
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OVERTIME MAG
OVERTIME MAG
As for the lifestyle in a foreign country,
they didn’t find it all that different. It was
summer in Lithuania, every second person
spoke English and the guys had a chance
to have a bit of a look around in their
down time.
“There’s nice architecture but there was
good weather all the time”, said Felix.
“We were lucky coz our hotel was near a
main street. We could sort of head down
there to relax. Pretty well all the teams
went down there, but didn’t really see the
USA guys down there. They were probably
looking at their highlights on the net.”
Not to mention another little extra that
would have had a bunch of 17-year-old
boys mistaking Lithuania for paradise.
“The women were amazing”, quipped
Felix.
Back at the photoshoot, Jack Purchase,
the son of former NBL star Nigel Purchase,
was pretty relaxed, constantly checking his
phone as a 17 year old does before heading off a tad early with his Grandpa to pick
his parents up from the airport. Purchase
didn’t truly ever think he would play for his
country until recently.
“I never thought I would of had a shot
at representing my country until last year
after under 18 nationals when I got invited
to a camp.”
Since then, Jack not only scraped into the
team, but was a real contributor in their
famous win over Croatia, putting in 12
points.
But all three are back in the country now,
returning home heroes. They now have a
job to do in the Big V as they vie for a State
Youth Championship title, this time against
one another.
Matt Jackson may have only played one
game with the stacked Diamond Valley
Eagles, but he will still qualify for finals with
the league allowing for games missed
due to national and state commitments.
Although its unlikely that Matt Jackson will
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
glide into the team and play big minutes
right away, he could very well be a part of
a championship winning side.
“It’s hard to know (his role). I haven’t been
playing a whole lot, I’ll just be happy to get
on the court and help out. They’ve been
doing well all year.”
A 22-0 regular season is hard to argue with
as the Eagles have played with an
endeavor we haven’t seen for a while.
Felix and Jack’s Melbourne Tigers have put
together a strong season as well despite a
chunk of last year’s team making the jump
to their senior side. With an average age
of just 18, Melbourne has achieved a lot
ahead of time with Felix and Jack being
key parts of their team despite their youth.
They head into the finals in second spot
and are the true challenger to upset
Diamond Valley’s applecart.
The rivalry between Jackson’s Diamond
Valley Eagles and Felix and Jack’s Tigers
date right back through the junior ranks,
having played each other in finals for a
long time.
“We’ll go at each other on the court, but
off the court its fine”, said Felix.
“We are at a point where we’re all
competitors and there’s not too much
joking around on the floor, especially
between Diamond Valley and Melbourne.”
The rivalry between the two is very real and
is felt on both sides of the fence. Arguably
two of the bigger junior programs in the
state, flexing their muscles in the VJBL
Classic and VC titles are always a feature.
From all reports, Diamond Valley always
seem to have the better regular season,
but when finals roll around the Tigers
sharpen their claws and pip them when it
matters most. U16’s and 18’s VC titles still
burn Matt Jackson to this day, Felix and
Jack having the last laugh in finals.
But whether that translates to the State
Youth Championship is another kettle of
fish. Diamond Valley has flat out dominated
the competition in 2012 and is primed for a
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championship. But will the ghosts of VJBL
finals come back to haunt them? Time will
tell.
Despite these guys going for each others
throats in August when finals rolls around,
they will always have the World
Championship silver medal together. The
achievement that these boys contributed
to is nothing short of incredible, providing a
bright hope for the future national teams.
The shoot was a Wednesday night
scheduled for a 6.30pm start. Basketballers
in general are late, running on their own
clock. So naturally I allowed a bit of time.
But when I walked in, I was surprised to see
them already in pose mode for the
flashing photographers. That may have
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been because of their parents whipping
them into shape and getting them there on
time, but I think they were also genuinely
excited to be there.
This sort of press is only the beginning for
these future stars that have ambitions of
college basketball and professional hoops
in the not so distant future. This will be
routine by the time they are in their mid
20’s.
After finishing I glanced at my watch.
Good, only 8.30pm. Better make sure
they’re home in good time, after all, they
do have school tomorrow.
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GREENE MACHINE
A quick chat with one of Warrnambools
most successful young players
Holly Greene.
Big V: Holly, how did you get involved in
basketball and what are your earliest memories of playing?
Holly Greene: My mum, dad, uncles and
aunties all played basketball and represented
Warrnambool so I guess you could say it was
in my blood.
Basketball has been a big part of my life
and I’ve loved it, I’ve made so many friends
through basketball especially when I represented Country Victoria at National Championships.
My earliest memories of basketball were when
I started playing in under 10’s with my cousin
Shelley at the old YMCA stadium in Warrnambool. I can still remember my first basket.
Big V: Warrnambool has the biggest and
loudest crowds across the Big V, what is it like
playing in that atmosphere and do you think it
gives the Mermaids a big advantage?
second in your conference apart from
getting home court advantage if you make
it to the grand final series.
Big V: What do you think your chances are
in the finals and which teams do you rate as
your toughest opponents?
Big V: Warrnambool to date have had a
sensational season and after a slow start
are now in top form coming into the
season. What do you attribute the teams
success to so far this year?
HG: We’ve done all we can do to put
ourselves in the best position to go back to
back again this year but we understand the
season really starts again now.
Altona and Whittlesea are always tough but
you can’t take any of the teams lightly
because last year we won the championship after finishing the regular season in
fourth position so you have to be focused
and come ready to play no matter who
you are playing.
HG: Yeah we got off to a slow start but
we didn’t have our full team available for
the first couple of weeks. We have a good
blend of youth and experience and we all
get on so well together. To be successful
you must have experienced players and
with myself, Katie O’Keefe, Darcy Saunders
and Kate Sewell we have the maturity and
experience to mentor our younger players
to make them better and rise to the
challenge.
Big V: How do you rate your own personal
season in 20TWELVE?
HG: I’m happy if our team is winning so if
that means I need to score then I think I do
that, if it means I have to rebound then I
focus on that. As long as we’re winning
that’s all that concerns me. The most important thing for me is going back to back this
year.
Big V: If the Mermaids again walk away as
Champions would you like to see the team
make the jump to State Championship?
Why/Why not?
HG: That’s a tough question. I’m sure we
would love to but really each year it’s a
challenge for us in Division 1. It’s not like we
thrash every team we play. Three of our
players this year are mothers with young
children, they also work so there is only so
much time available to commit to the
Mermaids. Each year we lose some of our
up and coming juniors when they finish
school and move away to go to University.
Honestly I think Division 1 is a good fit for our
club and we’ve been fortunate to have
had some success in recent years.
HG: Yeah its great playing in front of the
home crowds at the Arc. Last years game 1
final against Mildura is something I’ll always
remember. The Seahawks played as well and
there must have been about 1200 people at
the Arc, it was awesome. Hopefully the crowd
will help us again this year.
Big V: How have you found the D1 conference system this year?
HG: To be honest I don’t know if the conference system will result in the two best teams
making it to the grand final series, only time
will tell. I think if you finish on top of the ladder
you should be rewarded with the opportunity
for a second chance if you happen to drop
the first game of the finals.
Really there is no benefit in finishing first or
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DEFINE YOUR BRAND
In this edition of Overtime, Managing Director of Acorn Brand
Design and BigV Board Member Ned Coten discusses the
development of your Brand. This article is Part 2 of a threepart series on Brand Development.
In the last edition of Overtime, I discussed
Identifying the personality of your brand,
defining the Target Market and understanding
your competitors. We now move on to creating
a clear and simple message.
Create a clear, simple message to
your target market that identifies
why you are different and compels
them to find out more.
Once you have completed stages one to three
above, you will have the foundations to start
building your message.
You might be thinking :
“but I already know what my message is. We
run archery competitions and events for people
who like archery or want to learn”.
That is a not a message. It’s a definition of your
product (or service) and not good enough to
stand out in today’s ultra-competitive
environment. It is really just saying “this is what
people do when they get here”.
AUGUST 2012 EDITION
What I’m talking about is a clear and
compelling statement that sets you apart from
the crowd and makes people think ‘Wow!’
To develop a really great message, you need to
ask yourself some very simple questions, that
you may find very hard to answer!
1. Who are you?
Write down a quick, clear no frills, no spin
description of what your sports organisation
does. This should be a maximum of one
sentence.
2. Who is it for?
A simple description of your primary target
market and your secondary target market if you
have one. Again, a maximum of one sentence.
3. What are the top three problems you
solve for the market?
Why is it that people come to you instead of
going somewhere else or doing it themselves?
Write these down as three ‘dot points’, not long
sentences.
4. Why are you different?
Three to five ‘dot points’ that are very clear
about what makes you different. If you are
really struggling to find anything, it’s an
indication that you need to develop some points
of difference. These need to be things that your
competitors are not doing, or not doing well.
It’s really important here to identify things that
are truly different and set you apart. For example, saying that “we provide really great service”
or “our staff and volunteers are really friendly”
is nowhere near good enough. People expect
these things and they do not differentiate you –
anyone could say those things. In today’s world,
they are the most basic of things that you need
to have just to be in business.
5. Why should anyone trust you?
Prove your credibility. Do this by explaining your
achievements, what you have done well as
an organisation or feedback you receive from
people.
Some sports organisations dismiss this as
being unimportant. I often hear people say “Oh
we don’t have to do that because everyone
around here knows what we have achieved and
they trust us”.
This is a very dangerous thing to do. Just
because you live and breathe your sports
environment, that doesn’t mean everyone else
does too. People do not know how good you
are, or that they should trust you. It is absolutely critical to ensure you gather all the evidence
you can to provide your credibility… unless of
course you want to carry on just like you are
now.
6. What emotional benefits do you deliver?
How do you want people to feel when they
interact with your club or association? Do you
leave them feeling elated, relieved, excited,
relaxed or something else completely. Write
down three emotions that summarise how you
want people to feel when they interact with your
sports organisation.
7. What is your Big Idea as a sporting
organisation?
This is the why. It needs to make an emotional
connection with people and make them realise
that they are dealing with an organisation that
really cares about making the world a better
place?
Sound a bit ‘airy fairy?’ I’m not suggesting that
you make this your key marketing message,
but you need to have a higher purpose rather
than just churning people through, taking their
money just so you can survive until next season. How is your sports organisation going to
really contribute to the community and become
a compelling, engaging brand that people want
to be part of?
This completes Part 2 of ‘Define your Brand’.
Part 3 will be in the next edition of Overtime.
AUGUST 2012 EDITION