Saturday August 26 SEABL SOUTH CONFERENCE FINAL! GMHBA Ballarat Miners v Dandenong Rangers @ 7:30pm Today’s game is proudly brought to1 you by: 2 Post game presentations will be held on Court 1 and everyone is asked to please stay in their seats. Your GMHBA Ballarat Miners will be available for autographs at the conclusion of the on court presentations. Both teams will then head up to the Sovereign room for their after game meal. Saturday August 26 Everyone is welcome to join the players in the Sovereign room as we dissect the game and provide details on the SEABL Championship game to be played next Saturday, September 2nd. 3 By Kasey Cornwell On that occasion, Ballarat were able to keep Lucas Barker to only 4 points, shooting 2 from 11. Dandenong’s top scorers in the first clash were Brennan McElroy with 25 points and Joshua Oswald on 24 points. Kasey Cornwell, caught up with Eric Hayes and Chris Smith in the lead up to Preparing for a final, this time as a coach, the SEABL South Conference Final. Hayes said there were some similarities within the preparation, focusing on the The Conference Final against fact that there is nothing new to introduce. Dandenong this weekend, is the Miners To “make sure that everything that we do, first appearance at a Conference Final were doing it more consistently and just since 2001, and that was when Head that little bit better and simply going a lit- Coach Eric Hayes suited up. tle bit harder. Just working a little bit bet- ter together,” is all-important leading into Coming up against a tough side, the the final, said Eric. Dandenong Rangers, who have a 16 - 8 record this season, only below Ballarat As a player, Eric was focused on getting on the ladder, due to Ballarat’s superior some shots up, still getting to the gym and head to head record. The in form Dan- making sure you are eating and resting denong are coming off two playoff wins, well during the week. This was important and are shooting the ball well, 61% from to him as a player, and he is instilling the field, 14-24 from beyond the arc in these values in his team, this finals last weeks game against Hobart. campaign. In their previous encounters, round 15 Hayes said he wont know the full benefit saw the Ballarat Miners hold their home of having the week off, until they are all on court advantage over Dandenong the court, but with a few small injuries to beating them by 13 points. Marvin King- sort out, he was pleased to have that Davis was outstanding with 33 points week off. “It was nice to have that time and Ash Constable made 20 points in the win. Garett Jackson top scored for Dandenong with 27 points. In round 6, the Ballarat Miners travelled to Dandenong and were 16 point win- ners. Pete Hooley was impressive with 25 points, 8 assists. Davon Usher had 20 points, with 5 rebounds, while Craig Moller top scored on 27 points. 4 off, to just focus, what we need to do”, said Eric, that way if rest their bodies the team gets off to a great start and we a little bit and do those things and we’re clicking, then even give their it's a bit easier to flow on and get up for minds a bit of the rest of the game. We don’t want to break as well.” start off poorly and then have to fight to get ourselves back into it, said Hayes. Hayes noted that while Craig Moller “We want to win this conference champi- is clearly an asset onship” said Hayes, it would be an awe- to the team, some reward for the work the guys have being without him put in, “but it’s not going to be given to f o r t h e them, they are going to have to go out Conference Final there and fight, we are single minded should have no impact, he said it about what we need to do, and that's play strengthens his belief that you win as a a great game against Dandenong.” team, and it “means that guys now have a chance to step up do a little bit more than The players have noticed a lot of what they've done in previous games, excitement in the air, with the MARS which is great and we trust that the team MINERDOME® sold out and being the can do that.” Miners first conference final for a very long time, but Chris Smith noted that Chris Smith, in his last home game for the while there is lots of excitement around, Miners noted, “obviously Craig is a big there is also “a lot of focus getting ready part of our group, but we've performed for the challenge ahead” from the team. without Craig in the past when he’s had other commitments. The last game we Playoffs are an exciting time at the club, played against Dandenong we were but Smith is remaining grounded, he said without him and Pete Hooley and we were “You have to take it week by week. able to get the job done, just by working Otherwise there is no game next week - together as a cohesive group”. Playing as The main focus is Dandenong, nothing team is the vital element to getting the else, whatever happens in the other game win, and Smith said they wouldn’t be happens but it making any excuses, “we're coming to win won’t matter if we a basketball game.” don't win this weekend.” Reflecting on the win over Hobart in week one of the finals, Hayes said we started the game really poorly, but we certainly improved - we had a poor first quarter and then after that we probably played some pretty good basketball, and pretty consist- ently. So, the Miners are being guided to “start with some real energy and focus on 5 POS TEAM P W L LAST5 PC 1 Ballarat 24 16 8 WLWWW 105.46 2 Hobart 24 16 8 WLWWW 115.35 3 Dandenong 24 16 8 LWWWL 104.45 4 NW Tasmania 24 13 11 LWWLW 99.95 5 Bendigo 24 11 13 LWWLL 99.24 6 Frankston 24 7 17 LWLLW 86.11 7 Melbourne 24 7 17 WLLLL 92.27 Ladder Note: Melbourne have head to head Head to head advantage between Hobart, Ballarat, Dandenong advantage over Frankston 1-1 (+14) Ballarat 3-1 Hobart 2-2 Dandenong 1-3 POS TEAM P W L LAST5 PC 1 Dandenong 22 15 7 WWLWW 115.05 2 Bendigo 22 14 8 WLLWL 107.56 3 Hobart 22 12 10 WWWLW 102.92 4 Launceston 22 12 10 LWLLL 97.23 5 Ballarat 22 11 11 WWWWW 95.35 6 Frankston 22 7 15 LLWLL 91.09 7 Melbourne 22 7 15 LLLWW 90.10 6 7 8 Tonight as our curtain raiser we have two of our U/14 Thrifty Rush teams, playing in a fully timed practice match, as they both plan for some exciting weeks ahead. Our U/14 Rush BLUE made a clean sweep of Basketball Vic Country Champs in April this year, winning 9 from 9 over a three day event in Ballarat and taking out the Division 1 title. This qualified them for Basketball Australia U/14 National Club Championships in October at Dandenong this year. The girls are currently playing in Victoria Championship Reserve in VJBL on Friday nights with great success, having 12 wins and 5 losses for the season and remaining on top of the ladder. Meanwhile our U/14 Rush GOLD team made it to the Preliminary final at the Bendigo tournament this year before getting knocked out to the eventual winners in Wangaratta. The girls currently playing in VJBL 4 holding their own with 10 wins and 8 losses and looking forward to a big finals series. 9 INTRODUCTION INTO THE BALLARATBASKETBALL HALL OF FAME 16/08/2017 ROBYN MAHER (nee GULL) This is a transcript of Pam day she was used as a fill in. competing in her own age Mann’s speech from the Her tenacity, ability to read group and those above, Basketball Ballarat Awards the play and decision quickly moving into A grade dinner held on Wednesday making were evident from where she could hold her August 16 at St Patricks this early age. Robyn was a own due to her endemic College. Pam was Robyn’s highly skilled netballer and brilliance. first coach and a founding could have made her name Robyn played with the member of Exies Amcy in that sport. Ballarat representative sides Basketball Club A junior girls’ basketball from under 12 to under 18, competition only started in winning the Victorian Ballarat with the opening of Country Championships in the current basketball most age divisions. On stadium in 1970. Robyn, at several occasions Robyn aged 10, played in this first was nominated to the All competition in a team Star 5, elite players in that called Robins. Exies junior age group. I am very privileged to be teams emerged from this Even at training, Robyn set part of the induction of beginning with the her standards high. In an Robyn Maher into Ballarat legendary Dawn Jose effort to improve her jump Basketball’s Hall of Fame. coaching the girls, as well as shooting, Robyn asked Ken Robyn is the most me. Robyn also played a Mann to work with her at decorated and influential season with a team called the stadium, in the early basketball player that ever Gulls.