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.
A mate of mine from work was kind enough to create a new logo for me. I thought it was a ripper! Keaton Ferguson is a very talented artist from Wodonga who can breathe life into an idea, not only with a mouse and PC but with pen and paper. Within minutes of my request he had a number of ideas running around his head, committed them to paper and went from there. This is the final cut we both felt best represented my current photographic efforts.
With all the training and a big trip away last weekend I haven't had the chance to blog lately.
The big trip was up to Illawarra for round 2 of the Southern Junior League basketball comp. I took the Albury Cougars 16 women 2's away aiming at a perfect 4 from 4 result. Up against teams like Illawarra and Canberra the weekend was looking tough. The weather had closed in on us, with some wild winds overnight almost putting a hold on our beach plans, however a small group headed down Saturday morning for some fresh sea air prior to heading off to Berkley Stadium. Then it was time for business! With the first win taking place in overtime it was obvious this was going to be a tough slog. A solid second game helped us on the way to that elusive spot in the second round of state. However, Sunday came and things changed. A 3 point loss saw our plans fall to the wayside and a big defeat in the final game relegated us to just the SJL rounds only. While disappointing, overall the girls played some of their best basketball this season. The team began working well together and we can take some positives into the next comp which happens to be the Country Championships held in Maitland on the upcoming long weekend. We're hoping for something special at Country, with the aim of bringing back the title as we did last year. Time will tell. With the job of coaching taking much of my time I wasn't able to do a lot of shooting. The chances I had weren't helped by the darkness of Berkley Stadium, as can be seen on the back wall in the final image.
PS: Don't forget to click on the images to view them larger.
What a big night of basketball on the Border! The Lady Bandits faced off against Frankston Lady Blues Saturday night with the opportunity to take yet another win for the season. The Albury girls are becoming quite a formidable opponent for any team in the league and with stars such as Toni Edmondson and Lisa Wallbutton it's no surprise! Toni had a big night again with 26 points and 10 rebounds topped only by Lisa who hit 28 and 10. Of course the young local girls are stepping up to the plate as well with Alex Duck finishing on 14 and 5 while Ellie Gleeson, with some good court time chipped in with 5 and 4. The home side took the points with a strong 75-51 score.
The men faced a tall outfit from North West Tasmania and from the first buzzer it was apparent we were in for a physical game. Tempers flared many times with Fernandez providing some light entertainment via skipping, dancing and even sitting on the edge of a corporate box after a number of these skirmishes. The Bandits were on top throughout the game and weren't about to be upstaged by their female counterparts finishing with a good solid victory 106-96. Once again the local boys stood up and kept the score ticking over, Matt Gange with another solid game, 26 and 4, Matt De Koeyer on 17 and 4 and big Tony Ferris chipping in with 6 and 2. All eyes have been on the latest addition to the team in Jermaine Williams. He managed a game high 27 points with 8 rebounds for good measure! And as for Fernandez, another top all round game finishing with 20 and 20. No doubt about it, Fernandez can jump! His rebounding at both ends of the court are giving the Bandits the opportunities to take the ball away from opponents and score via several quality outlets such as Gange, De Koeyer and now Williams, just to name a few. Once again another great night of basketball on the Border and with our own Lauren Jackson watching from the sidelines, a very apt result.
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.
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.
teams are still putting in big efforts, the opposition has simply been too strong.
