The new-look Bendigo Spirit have taken to the court for the start of pre-season training.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Coach Simon Pritchard made sweeping changes to the squad which finished on the bottom of the ladder last season.
He has six weeks to gel the squad ahead of the WNBL season-opnener against Melbourne Boomers on October 13.
"This week is a really light week because experience tells us that if we go too hard, too early we end up with injuries,'' Pritchard said.
"We have a (practice) game on Saturday against Melbourne Boomers in Ballarat on Saturday.
"We have eight pre-season games which seems a lot, but it's by design. We want to be humming for the first game of the WNBL season against Dandenong."
None of the Spirit's eight pre-season matches will be in Bendigo. The club will travel to Traralgon, Dandenong, Shepparton and Perth to prepare for the start of the regular season.
"Part of the reason why we're on the road a lot in pre-season is to accelerate their development and get the girls together,'' Pritchard said.
"Team chemistry is everything. We need the girls to tolerate each other, share and work together and that takes time. That's why we're putting so much energy into the pre-season, so that we can have a good start to the season."
Candian import Jamie Scott is the only player not in Bendigo for pre-season training.
The 23-year-old guard has commitments with the Canadian national team until early October.
Pritchard was hopeful Scott would arrive in Bendigo in time for round one.