Lauren

Sometimes I really love this job!
Through NewsWeekly I get the chance to chat to a few high profile sports-persons that have connections to Albury Wodonga or are visiting the area.
I've chatted to AFL stars, V8 drivers, Olympians, Australian cricket players and so on.
Lauren Jackson would have to be my favourite so far.
Being a basketball nut it's something I've been wanting for a while.
The fact that she hails from Albury meant it was only a matter of time really.
I was lucky enough at this junior tournament to have been given five minutes to speak with her.
After she'd just spent quite some time with fans seeking autographs and photos I was happy to have that chance.
And while five minutes doesn't go a long way it was still an opportunity I wasn't going to miss.

Trevor.

Cool Hoops Video.

I found this looking through Peter Robert Casey's blog.
Peter had mentioned Rucker Park to me in an email so I Googled the name, discovered some history and ended up finding this going through his older blogs.
Some great stuff on that blog!
Go check it out.
Peter Robert Casey

Vince Carter at Rucker Park.

T-Bone hits a Hundred!

Local sportsman Tony 'T-Bone' Ferris joined the hundred club last night at Albury Stadium when his Bandits faced Sandringham Sabres.

With the Sabres coming off a spate of victories the home side were always going to be up against it.

However with T-Bone knotching up his hundred there was something special to play for.

Early in the game the Bandits were looking the goods and it was only after the first break that Sandringham started to apply the pressure.

With Nathan Crosswell calling the shots on court the experienced Sabres began to wear down the Bandits and take control of the game in the second term.

Having said that the boys from the Border weren't about to let them have it all their own way and put in some big efforts to keep pace with their more fancied opponents in the last half.

Young Jack Duck took the court to the pleasure of the crowd and immediately set about getting hold of the ball, showing he's a player to watch in the future.

Although a dissapointment to go down on T-Bones big night it still shows Albury/Wodonga has some great young players who'll benefit from playing against the likes of Crosswell.

It can only be a good thing for basketball in the region.

Trevor.

Half Time Entertainment

While the NBL teams have their own dancers we've been treated to some of the same in recent weeks.

The DMB Dancers were at Albury Stadium again last night for the Bandits v Sandringham game.

Once again they put on a high energy set keeping the crowd entertained at the long break.

Some great colours and sounds helped showcase the young up and coming talent this region has to offer, not just on the court but off of it as well!

Trevor.

Bandit's at Home...

Friday night saw another big night of basketball on the Border with the men and women facing a Tassie challenge.
The women were first up taking on Launceston and as has been the case so many times this season set the pace from the word go.
Launceston weren't about to waste a road trip and fought well but the girls held on for a good win.

The men had it tough from the outset but put in a determined effort throughout the game.
They couldn't however send their Tassie challengers, Hobart, packing and despite some big efforts went down by a narrow margin.

The big excitement for the game was the half time shoot out with a young local player hitting the shot from the centre and taking home the big dollars.

All in all another entertaining night of basketball.
The fans here on the Border can certainly not complain about the level of competition they've been witness to this season.
A few more wins would be nice but hey, it's been anything but dull!

Trevor.

In Pink!

Well the Men and Women of the Border Bandits have had a tough couple of weeks here in Albury with defeats at the hands of Knox Raiders and Brisbane Spartans.
Regardless of win or loss the teams are still putting in big efforts, the opposition has simply been too strong.
Jermaine Williams has settled in to his new role with the club and the younger players for the women are getting court time.

Of course tough games of basketball are one thing.
Life can be a lot harder for many.

Friday night helped to reinforce such an issue with the Brisbane Spartans turning up... in pink!

Of course they are raising money for breast cancer and their uniforms certainly make a big statement!
So for a good cause I'm simply adding some images to this page to document the plight of those suffering this affliction via the generosity of others in the community.

Good on ya' Spartans!
Keep up the good work.

Enjoy.

Trevor.

Bandits' Road Trip

While I was unable to make the trip down the Hume on the weekend to see either of the two games the Bandits faced I was compelled to write something considering the outcomes.
Now, according to the box scores from the games the boys had a hard time against Bendigo, going down by 14 points.
Of course there are positives in any defeat, Broady Mills getting some more court time and scoring a few points, Matt Gange with another solid 15 point game and, although probably quiet by his standards, Fernandez Lockett chipping in with 18.
All eyes would have been on new import Jermaine Williams who hit a big 26 points in his first game for his new club.
Overall not a bad effort by the Bandits considering their position on the ladder compared to that of Bendigo.

Sunday they faced Ballarat and while the Miners have had a hard time of it lately they appeared not to show that form, leading at all but the first break.
The Bandits had a big final term however hitting 38 points to take the game by 7.
It was another strong effort by Matt Gange, who's proving to be quite a handful for opposition teams, with 18 points.
De Koeyer added 12 and Williams had another solid start to his term on the Border with 26 points but Lockett once again stole the show with a massive 42 points and 22 rebounds!
How I would have loved to have seen that!
The boys are showing they are a capable team with many players notching up solid scores.
With the disappointment of Smith behind them and the new injection of firepower via Williams hopefully they can go on and provide some quality entertainment for their many fans here on the Border.

Down the road a bit further the Lady Bandits faced one of the top teams in Dandenong and by all accounts it appears to have been a tight game all the way, the girls going down by 2 points.
This is a young team who are achieving some great things this season.
With some good coaching from Ken Kereema they should go on to bigger and better things by season's end.

Trevor.

Fernandez Lockett Slide

Fernandez Lockett has been a revelation for the Albury Wodonga Bandits this SEABL season.
He's an excitement machine providing athletic entertainment to Border fans.
Here's a few images to showcase his efforts this season thus far.

SEABL. Bandits v Gunners

Albury Wodonga Bandits hosted the Canberra Gunners on Saturday night with big expectations of another home court win.


The first quarter saw a fast and furious start with the Bandits taking the smallest of margins to the break.
The Bandits pulled away somewhat in the second with some great work from Lockett, much of that by way of defensive rebounds.



Going into the last half with an 8 point lead the Bandits were looking good, outscoring their opponents yet again.
Canberra however, weren't quite done and began the last with a desperation they hadn't showed to that point.
With only seconds to go the Bandits were holding on but a last effort saw the Gunners take a gutsy come from behind win by just a solitary point.



Although a disappointment for the Bandits they take solace in the fact that their new import was present for the game and should be on court soon to add that spark they've missed since the illness of previous import Eric Smith.
Hopefully he'll give the boys something extra up forward and be a support for high flying Fernandez Lockett, who once again impressed with some great areal plays.


Trevor.

SEABL, Bandits v Frankston, Lady Bandits v Ballarat.

Saturday night saw a double header at the Albury Sports Stadium with the Lady Bandits first up against the Ballarat Lady Miners.
Given their respective positions on the ladder, win loss ratio and so on the Lady Bandits were always going to be a chance to notch up another win at home.
However they didn't have things all their own way.
After they lead by a couple of baskets at the first break the Miners came back and took a 2 point lead going to half time.
Big efforts from Toni Edmondson, (28 points, 13 rebounds) and Lisa Wallbutton, (19 and 16) kept the home team strong in the final half.
With support from Alex Duck, (13 and 3) and Tara Blair, (11 and 3) the girls were able to hold on for a well earned victory, 77-64.

The men had a tougher proposition ahead of them when they faced Frankston with an unbeaten record.
The first term saw some physical work both under the basket and around the court and the Bandits went to the break with a handy 9 point buffer.
From there however the Blues stepped up the pace.
Their big men in David Gruber, (31 and 15) and Rob Kampman, (26 and 7) cut loose and caused some real headaches for coach Madigan.
The physicality of the match brought tempers to a head in the last term but by then the Blues had the score on the board and took the win 103-87.
Top performers for the Bandits were Lockett, (24 and 13) De Coeyer, (18 and 7), and Gange, (18 and 3).
Overall not a bad effort from the Bandits given the strength of the opposition.

Trevor.

Bandits v Kilsyth

Easter Saturday saw the Bandits host Kilsyth at Albury stadium and while a disappointing result for the Bandits the game still provided it's fair share of entertainment.
Local radio presenters Matt and LC called the game in the dry witted style that has made them so popular in the region.
A healthy crowd attended offering support for both the home side and the visitors.
And of course the usual physical encounter provided ample opportunity to cheer and jeer.
Fernandez Lockett once more provided entertainment with the athletic prowess we've already welcomed here on the border, pulling down some great rebounds and slamming a magnificent 'oop' that left the crowd roaring.
(Bit of a shame this photographer hadn't caught it...)
Overall it was great night out.
Of course it would have been better with another Bandits win but it wasn't to be.
Kilsyth simply started too hard and held their ascendancy, pulling away for most of the game.
Next weekend sees a double header at Albury Stadium with the Lady Bandits taking on Ballarat Miners while the men host Frankston.
Here's looking forward to another great night of basketball.

Trevor.

Bandits Big Night.

Albury/Wodonga Bandits faced another night of home games with the Lady Bandits facing Nunnawading and the men facing Mt. Gambier.
The women started hard and performed solidly throughout the game to take a well deserved and much overdue victory.
The star NZ imports performed well again as did local Alex Duck returning to her usual aggressive form.
Elle Gleeson found her feet again and overall the whole team lifted to take the win to resounding applause from the home crowd.
The men faced the Pioneers and ex Bandit Andrew Rice in what may well have appeared to be a foregone conclusion.
The Bandits, however, were quick out of the blocks and looked in control for the most part of the match.
With the Pioneers closing the gap several times and looking like pulling ahead import Fernandez Lockett was inspirational yet again claiming some big defensive rebounds.
Of course the highlight of his game in his short time in Albury has been his athletic dunks and Saturday night was no exception.
With plenty of support from DeKoeyer and Gange etc the boys were able to hang on for a great win.
It's been a while since the Albury stadium has heard such an ovation as received by both these teams.
Here's hoping to more of the same this season!

Trevor.

SEABL, Bandits, Lady Bandits.

SEABL basketball began a couple of weeks back and Albury/Wodonga Bandits played their first home game last weekend.
With a new look team and coach for both the men and women a big season awaits.
In recent years the Bandits have struggled to be competitive in what has become a strong winter fixture.
Last week's game saw new recruit Fernandez Lockett take the court and show his style.
With some great athleticism he stole the show for the local crowd however he wasn't the only highlight for the evening.
New Zealanders Antonia Edmondson and Lisa Wallbutton took the court for the Lady Bandits and of course the usual local stars chipped in to show some promise for the season ahead.
Go Bandits!

Trevor.