BENDIGO Braves’ 2018 Big V campaign is officially underway with the announcement of the club’s coaches for the upcoming season.
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Cameron Wilkosz will lead the Braves youth league women’s team, taking over after Megan Moody coached in 2017.
The Braves youth league men will again be coached by Tom Thorn, who is in his second season with the team.
Wilkosz brings an extensive basketball coaching resume to the position, which includes time spent in Canada coaching junior teams and involvement in the Braves junior program.
He is currently the head coach of the Castlemaine Cannons’ CBL team.
Wilkosz said he was thrilled by the opportunity to work with a talented group of young Lady Braves basketballers.
“It’s exciting to come back to Bendigo as a head coach after my time as an assistant coach overseas,” he said.
“This is my first senior role in Bendigo and is a great opportunity.
“We have a really talented group this season with a couple of older girls coming back.
“Caitlin McLachlan is one I am really excited to work with. She’ll come back in between the Lady Braves and the youth league Braves group.
“Another couple I am excited about with their experience are Molly Greetham and Jess Mangan, who both play for the Kyneton CBL team and were recommended as All-Stars in that league.
“They will be very important as the 20 and 21 year-olds to help out with the 16-year-olds, who we want to be the next generation of our Lady Braves.
The female Braves finished last season 11-11, with a large percentage of their losses coming by single digits.
Wilkosz succeeds Moody, who has been appointed coach of the Lady Braves SEABL team for 2018.
Meanwhile, the youth men’s team will look to consolidate after a competitive 2017 season campaign under Thorn.
“We missed out on the playoffs last year by two games and we’ve kept the core of that group together, so now it’s about building and improving what we did last year,” he said.
“The youth league men have actually never made playoffs, but particularly with SEABL, this club has a very strong history.
“There’s definitely a focus on translating that success to youth level.”
Thorn said he was expecting two of the stars of last year’s team, Jake Lloyd and Tanner Rayner, to get extended opportunities at SEABL level this season.
But that would open up opportunities for the likes of Jack White, Rhys Brown, Tremayne Hurst, Ben Dalton and Liam Ly to develop their game.