COMPETITION for spots on Bendigo Braves junior teams has never been keener.
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More than 350 aspiring basketballers have attended try-outs on the first three Sundays of August, with a final chance to impress selectors set-down for this Sunday.
The Braves have already announced their eight ‘first-choice’ teams for 2017-18, with second, third and fourth sides across four age groups to be released following Sunday’s final try-out.
Bendigo Basketball Association director of coaching Jonathan Goodman said he was thrilled with the turnout at last Sunday’s third try-out.
“We had over 350 kids, which is record numbers for our junior squad tryouts,” said Goodman, who will lead the Bendigo Lady Braves into SEABL grand final battle this weekend.
“We’re potentially looking at filling 27 sides across the age-groups, which is a real exciting time for our junior program.
“We are drawing kids from all over – Shepparton, Echuca, Melbourne, Macedon, Sunbury – kids who have decided they want to play for the Braves.
“The program is going from strength-to-strength and we are going to be very competitive again after a lot of success last year.
“Based on our results, we are probably the number one ranked country association.”
The Braves had two sides involved at this year’s National Junior Classic, which is the peak elite junior basketball tournament in Australia – its under-14 and 16 girls.
Coached by Nick Salm, the under-16 girls were crowned Victorian country champions in February.
This year’s line-up will include three of those championship players, including recent Victoria Country under-16 representatives Piper Dunlop and Meg McCarthy, and Sophie Pica.
Six players from that team – Jazmine Dole, Brianna Harris, Olivia Noter, Sahara Rodda, Annabel Strahan and Ruby Turner – have made the step up to the under-18 team, to be coached by Lady Braves guard Bianca Dufelmeier.
TEAMS
Under-12 boys (coach Jack White): Seth Anderson, Lachlan Borchard, Zane Connick, Dash Daniels, Thomas Davie, Finlay Lockhart, Llogan Mayman, Rossi Stevens, Dimitri Todorovich, Logan Wescott.
Under-12 girls (coach Ben Harvey): Matildah Brown, Amalia Crouch, Zara Daykin, Amelia Grist, Charli Hamilton, Mia Harvey, Jessica Smith, Jana Steen, Holly Swatton.
Under-14 boys (coach Don Coulson): Matthew Beatty, Patrick Byrne, Malik Gordon, Harrison Kelly, Darcy Lawler, Josiah Pattinson, Joshua Smith, Lachlan Somerville, Martin Steen, Zachari Tarr.
Under-14 girls (coach Charlie Smythe): Isabelle Allan, Zoe Aldridge, Kaleah Bonnano, Lavinia Cox, Paige Currie, Mikeeley Hufer, Ronell Masiboy, Phoebe Radford, Taylah Rennie, Amaya Schmidt.
Under-16 boys (coach Ben McCauley): Dyson Daniels, William Beagley, Xavier Cole, Macey Eaton, Jackson Fletcher, Zachary Frye, Dylan McCauley, Jordan Michel, Lachlan O'Brien, Harrison Welch.
Under-16 girls (coach Nick Salm): Abbey Clohesy, Piper Dunlop, Angelica Jack, Holly Lockhart, Madeline Marks, Meg McCarthy, Maddison Nash, Sophie Pica, Ellie Vlaeminck, Tayha Watkins.
Under-18 boys (coach Justin Cass): Tyler Barnett, Caleb Connick, Kai Daniels, Trent Leech, Carlos Ly, Connor Mayman, Fraser Millar, Kobe Schmidt, Zack Shelton, Nicholas Skinner.
Under-18 girls (coach Bianca Dufelmeier): Tess Barnes, Madeline Condron, Maddison Dobeli, Jazmine Dole, Kate Douglass, Brianna Harris, Lily McMahon, Olivia Noter, Danielle O'Toole, Sahara Rodda, Annabell Strahan, Ruby Turner.