Tara Murray
Wyndham might be the defending champions, but its focus is one week at a time in the Big V men’s state championship competition.
With the core group of last season’s squad returning, Wyndham will again have a strong side out on the court.,
Wyndham coach Gerard Hillier said they had continued to stick with the processes they put in place last season.
“Title defence is one thing, but for us we’ve got a few new kids coming in and our focus is on making those young kids comfortable with the group,” he said.
“Making them part of a senior environment, round one against Hume City is the focus and anything past that is irrelevant now.”
With the club having a strong junior program, most of the new additions to the team have come through the clubs’ pathway.
Hillier said they wanted to reward those younger players who are coming through and give them opportunities in both the senior women and youth league sides.
“They did a really good job last year, the youth league women,” he said. “We’ve had a number of our junior, under-16s and under-18s really maximise their opportunity to train with us last year, as a reward, as pathway we’ve promoted three of four to the senior program full time now.
“They’ll still drop back and play youth league when there’s no clash, so with the new ones in to reinvigorate our senior squad, we’ll have an even more youthful look.
“Holly Dolny is now now full time with the women’s team. Maisie Corcoran has been promoted from our juniors up to our seniors, Admira Ali that has been promoted from our juniors up to the seniors and Nyapath Machot another one.”
Several of the younger players have been part of pathways and state side’s in the off season, which Hillier said would benefit the team, especially later in the season.
Wyndham’s biggest signing is American Sarah Bennett
Hillier said while they were looking forward to seeing what Bennett could do, it was how she would help the structure of the side that would be really important.
“We don’t really have traditional post players,” he said. “We’re a really fast sort of team and like to get out and run both ways.
“Sarah is a 5’11 under size post who can shoot the three, but has a really high IQ and uses her body really well, against bigger players.
“Essentially what it does for us is allow our younger players to play their natural position and instead of playing them out of position.
“Sarah not only produces defensive pressure and obviously offence with her shooting ability and IQ and she’ll take on some of those tough assignments so then free us up to play the younger kids in their natural positions.”
Wyndham is in the middle of its pre-season games ahead of the season kicking off on March 18.
Hillier said they didn’t sense any pressure on them being the defending champions.
“We don’t really talk about winning and losing,” he said. “For us it’s about getting better each week.
“We did a really good job last year focusing on the next round, improvement on from the previous round. It’s the same this year.
“Each week about getting little bit better, working some of those young kids through to get a bit of exposure. Hopefully a by product of that is enough wins to make finals and when you make finals, anyone’s game.”
