It all comes down to this! Ringwood or Ballarat? Nunawading or Keilor? Not too mention our Youth League 1 Grand Finals and a huge weekend of Youth League 2 semi-finals! What a weekend it is set to be across the state and we've taken a deep dive into who is starring and what the coaches think heading into these Grand Finals!
VYC Men Grand Final Preview
Ringwood vs Ballarat
Game 2: Saturday 13th August 3:00PM at The Rings
Game 3 (If needed): Sunday 14th August 12:00pm at the Rings
It was Ballarat who came out on top in game 1 of this intense best of 3 series. Taking care of their home court advantage in game 1, Ballarat’s constant activity on both sides of the floor including crashing the offensive glass, lengthy pressure in the paint and forceful drives to the ring proved to much for the Ringwood unit. Ringwood were in a good position at the half up 2, generating good offence and playing to their strengths they soon struggled to hold off the battle of the boards giving up too many offensive rebounds and second chance points. Ringwood will need to focus on this area whilst continue to find their open shots. Will this make a difference playing back home at The Rings? Ballarat on the other hand is one game up looking to hold up the championship trophy Saturday. Can they keep this momentum going into what always seems to be a tough place to win in? We reached out and got some feedback from Ballarat and Ringwood coaches Kyle Slack and Russell Lee about game 1. Here’s what they had to say!
Ballarat Head Coach Kyle Slack had this to say:
Great opening game to a final Series! both teams came into the game in great form and Ringwood capitalized on their opportunities early. From our point of view, we knew we had to step up and stop giving so many open or uncontested looks as Ringwood are a quality team and always going to knock them down. In the second half I feel our defence got back on track and we started to make things a little more difficult whilst keeping our scoring on track. Both teams looked after the ball well and it was our ability late to make things difficult for them in offence while keeping the score board ticking over slowly on our end of the floor which allowed us to get a great team win. We know moving forward to game 2 we will need to play a lot better this week to get a win on Ringwood's home floor! Ringwood are a quality team but I absolutely back my guys in to step up in a big game and get the job done!
Ringwood Head Coach Russell Lee had this to say:
In what can very well be described the best game of the entire VYCM season last Saturday, Ballarat stepped it up in the second half to take game 1. It was a high-intensity, efficient, and well executed game at Selkirk, no doubt wowing a healthy crowd. Although we led at the half by 2, the game changer was Ballarat’s generation of second chance points that proved our undoing, along with the Miners making shots down the stretch that we could not match. The boys are set to rectify this ensuring hard block-outs and greater contest off the glass, along with executing structures down the stretch to ensure high-percentage looks. We will look to leaders Lachie Ahale and Sebastien Lees to set the tone at both ends, and do our best to nullify the broad impact that William Hynes had last weekend, just missing a triple double.
VYC Women Grand Final Preview
Nunawading vs Keilor
Game 2: Saturday 13th August 3:00PM at Nunawading Basketball Stadium
Game 3 (If needed): Sunday 14th August 12:30pm at Nunawading
Basketball Stadium
Home court advantage in game 1 saw Keilor take the win over Nunawading by a slim 10 point margin. It was neither team’s shooting night, Nunawading hitting 16.67% from 3pt and Keilor 9.09%, but it was the dominant 64 to 43 rebound game which saw the difference for Keilor. Pulling down 26 offensive rebounds, Keilor took advantage of their second chance opportunities to take the win. Bella Peterson finishing with a 16-point and 13-rebound double double to go along with 5 steals, found too much for this Nunawading uniform. Nunawading will need to look to generate more offence whilst holding off Keilor’s length and physicality on the glass. If Keilor can find their shooting this week and keep up their aggressive force inside the paint, this series might end on Saturday night! Here’s what Coaches Trevor Burnette from Keilor and Nick Jackson from Nunawading have to say.
Keilor Head Coach Trevor Burnette had this to say:
"Our game last week was a tough battle. Neither team shot well from the 3pt line. We just got lucky and had a few more shots fall. Nunawading are clearly the team to beat and have been the top team all year. We have such a young team compared to them we are just happy that we are still playing. “We just want to go out and compete, winning a championship never has been a goal. We just want our kids to develop for whatever’s next for them, college, NBL1, or more VJBL!”
Nunawading Head Coach Nick Jackson had this to say:
"Obviously, we were disappointed with how we played last week. We know we didn’t play the way we wanted to, but credit to Keilor. Fortunately, we get another chance this week to build and learn from the week before."
Youth League 1 Men Grand Final Previews
Frankston Blues vs Camberwell Dragons
Game 2 - Saturday 13th August 6.00PM at Balwyn High School
Game 3 (if required) – Sunday 14th August 2.30PM at Balwyn High School
In one of the biggest upsets of the season, the previously undefeated Camberwell Dragons went down in Game 1 of the Grand Final Series. The atmosphere down at Frankston was electric with the pots and pans causing havoc. It didn’t rattle the Dragons though who came out and imposed their usual calm and controlled style of play during the first half, taking a 15 point lead into the half time break.
However, it was a few hard-nosed defensive plays from Frankston to start the second half that brought them some momentum and got the crowd back involved in the game. Frankston simply would not allow anything easy for the Dragons and it was led by Vincent Monaghan (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Henry Pierce (13 points, 11 rebounds). For Camberwell, it was Jay Mackenzie (19 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Tim Angus (18 points, 2 steals) that kept up the fight for the Dragons but it wasn’t enough as Frankston pulled away and took the upset victory.
Will the Dragons bounce back on their home floor this week? Get down to Balwyn High School this weekend to check it out.
Camberwell Coach Ross Wignell had this to say:
“Frankston's second half against us in game one was outstanding. Their defensive intensity, offensive player and ball movement was exceptionally good. Lead by Vincent Monaghan, their starting line-up did a great job. We will need to provide a better defensive effort to curb Monaghan this weekend if we are to reverse last Saturday's result. Coming back home for Game 2 and hopefully Game 3, fingers crossed, will give us an edge in what should be some entertaining basketball.”
Frankston Coach Duncan Berg had this to say:
“Game 1 was a pleasing result for our team and our club. A lot of work went into trying to match the levels of excellence that Camberwell had displayed all year long. They were head and shoulders above every other team this season and it was really important that we played well in Game 1. The Frankston supporters came out in force to produce an outstanding spectacle and our players were good enough to get a massive win. However, we know that we will see a different team in Game 2 - one that is driven and motivated for revenge with a raucous crowd cheering them on. Camberwell are outstanding at punishing opposition mistakes, so it will be critical that we look after the ball and keep their guards out of the lane and their bigs off the glass. Beating Camberwell is the biggest challenge in our league, and if we can take care of our business we have a chance to do something very special.”
Game 1 Leaders |
||||
Camberwell |
|
Frankston |
||
Jay Mackenzie |
19 |
Points |
Vincent Monaghan |
22 |
Jackson Dean |
12 |
Rebounds |
Vincent Monaghan |
13 |
Sam Veitch |
4 |
Assists |
Ben Perry |
10 |
Jai Scales |
+8 |
Best +/- |
Ben Perry |
+25 |
Youth League 1 Women Grand Final Previews
Frankston Blues vs Wyndham
Game 2 - Saturday 13th August 7.30PM at Frankston Basketball Stadium
Game 3 (if required) – Sunday 14th August 2.00PM at Frankston Basketball Stadium
Frankston exerted their dominance of this competition with an impressive Game 1 win, winning all 4 quarters of this one. Frankston’s starting 5 took control of this game, led by superstar Eliana Bravington who contributed 19 points to go with her 16 rebounds. She was well supported by regular contributors Mackenzie Mitchell, Kassie Boorer and Bonnie Deas who all scored double figures and crashed the boards hard.
Wyndham will need to find a way to keep Frankston off the rebounds to minimise the damage done by the 16-rebound differential from Game 1. Whilst Ayuen Akot was big with 12 rebounds, she simply didn’t have enough support inside to handle the extra size of Frankston. Expect Wyndham guards Holly Dolny and Lucy Oakford to come out firing in this one looking to guide their team to a win this weekend.
Will Frankston continue their season dominance and take out this series in 2 or will Wyndham adjust and respond to Frankston’s game 1 performance and take this series to the 3rd game? Head out to Frankston to find out!
Frankston Coach Kerryn Mitchell had this to say:
"It was great to get the first up win away from home, spurred on by so many of our Blues supporters who made the trek over to Wyndham. We need to tidy up in a few areas from game 1 in preparation for game 2. We were a bit loose with the ball and our defence wasn't quite where I like it to be. I thought Bravington was outstanding for us, well supported by Mitchell, Deas and Boorer. Oakford hurt us getting on the rim early and Kerr troubled us with her active hands and fast breaks. We are looking forward to hosting Wyndham on Saturday night, with the full force of the Blue army behind us, as we attempt to end the series."
Wyndham Coach Corey Michailidis had this to say:
“Last weekend was a tough loss, but unfortunately we couldn’t connect on our 3pt looks and struggled to string consecutive stops together. It was excellent to see Rachel Kerr and Aleks Connolly bring relentless defensive pressure, and Lucy Oakford did a great job aggressively looking to score. We know Frankston will come out strong on their home court, continuing to move the ball well and crashing the offensive glass as a team. Keeping Eliana Bravington under control will be key for us, as well as pressuring Bonnie Deas, Tori Jackson and Mackenzie Mitchell more defensively. Game 1 was an excellent learning opportunity for us and we cannot wait to head down to Frankston this weekend with a great chance to turn the series around!“
Game 1 Leaders |
||||
Frankston |
|
Wyndham |
||
Eliana Bravington |
19 |
Points |
Lucy Oakford |
19 |
Eliana Bravington |
16 |
Rebounds |
Ayuen Akot |
12 |
Zoe Schonfelder |
6 |
Assists |
Lucy Oakford |
6 |
Eliana Bravington |
+20 |
Best +/- |
Aleks Connolly |
-1 |
Youth League Two Men Preliminaries
Pakenham vs Sunbury
Saturday 13th August 6:00PM at Cardinia Life
First of our preliminary finals, we see the Pakenham Warriors take on the Sunbury Jets. Pakenham made quick work in round 1 of the finals whereas Sunbury had to do it tough, playing on both the Saturday and Sunday, making a statement on the Sunday. Finishing 1st and 2nd in the Terril conference, this will be the 3rd hit out for the year. The last time these two matched up it was Pakenham who came out on top, running over the Jets with a 23 point win.
Pakenham got the job done last week defeating Whittlesea by 7 points, giving themselves the Sunday off and extra rest in what is a tiring season. Michael Johns continued his amazing season finishing with a big 21-point and 11-rebound double double to go along with 5 assists and 2 blocks. Whittlesea were able creep back into the game in the 3rd quarter, yet this veteran Warriors outfit proved to strong and unable to take over. Averaging 91.5 points per game for the regular season and holding teams to 73.3, it’ll have to be on the defensive end where they’ll need to focus. Offence is no problem as they have a variety of scorers capable to do it all, it will come down to keeping Sunbury off the line and limiting second chance points.
Sunbury had a roller coaster of a weekend, dropping their first to Keysborough but then rallying quickly to dominate Melton in a do or die. Key star, Josh O’Connell came up big on Sunday finishing with 24 points off 34 minutes. 5 Jets players ended in double figures to round out the game, reaching the 100 point milestone. Making it count at the penalty stripe all year long, Sunbury have come away with some big wins to put themselves in a great position to make the big dance.
We expect a big game from both Michael Johns and Josh O’Connell, consider this to be a match up to watch!
Keysborough vs Whittlesea
Saturday 13th August 7:00PM at Rowville Secondary College
Second of our two preliminary finals we see the Keysborough Cougars battle it out against the Whittlesea Pacers. Finishing 1st and 2nd place in the Watson conference, this too will be the 3rd time they’ll have come up against one another. Back in round 15 it was Whittlesea who took down Keysborough by 5, finishing with a huge 25 to 8 4th quarter.
Keysborough have had an incredible year and have continued this into the finals. Taking on Sunbury last week and running away with it in the 4th quarter, the Cougars scored over 22 points in every quarter. Their ability to play through multiple players and create shots all over the court has warranted them as possibly the toughest team to face up against. With 6 players finishing in double figures last weekend with Dylan Moore being one of them, they’ve been able to gel extremely well throughout the year. Moore has been their go to guy on many occasions, stretching the floor for the Cougars shooting almost 44% from 3pt. Coach Simon Phillips will look to get Moore hot early and open the floor for the rest of his Cougars outfit.
Whittlesea had a tough weekend, getting nothing easy from either match up. Losing to a strong Pakenham side to then just get over the line against Albury on the Sunday, they’ll need to bring their best this weekend to take over the Cougars. Holding Albury to only 6 points in the 1st quarter gave the Pacers enough momentum to close the game out. It was a team effort on the Sunday with Taj Pilapil, Max Stojanovic and Chayse Pinono all reaching double figures getting the ball moving through hands, drawing help, and finding open players. This will have to be a key area for coach Sam Halpin. Averaging 95.5 points per game for the regular season, there is no doubt this group and score the ball. Will they be able to generate the stops to then create opportunities for themselves on the offensive end?
Youth League Two Women Semi Finals
Bellarine vs Albury
Saturday 13th August 5:00PM at Bellarine Sports Centre
First of our two semi-finals for Youth League Women we have the Bellarine Storm match up against the Albury Wodonga Bandits. Bellarine finishing on top of the ladder earned themselves a week off last week while the Bandits took on Mornington Breakers, coming out on top by 4 points. Round 15 was their last encounter where Bellarine dominated the game ending with a 72 to 27 score line.
Bellarine had a great season dropping only 2 games for the year, taking home the top seed. Carly Sanders at the helm on court had averaged 18 points per game in the regular season, dominating every opponent they faced. She wasn’t the only one making an impact for this Storm group with Alannah Northam averaging 13 points and 11 rebounds per game for the year. This combination has been deadly all year and we look forward to what they produce in the finals. In their hit out against the Bandits, 4 out of their 5 starters finished in double figures, 3 of those combined with 10 plus rebounds for the game. With players who can score, rebound, and facilitate like this Storm outfit do, there aren’t many teams who can complete for 4 quarters.
Although it wasn’t their best performance the last time these two matched up, we all know the Bandits are capable of some big games averaging just under 70 points per game in the regular season. Every one of them can go off which makes it very hard to scout and guard on the day. In their hit out against Mornington last week, it was Georgie Salinger who put together 15 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals shooting 83% from the charity stripe. Jazmine Holdsworth also came to the party and had 14 points shooting 2 from 4 from the land of plenty. With a smaller rotation comparted to others, this Bandits group are prepared for anything and are extremely resilient. They’ve kept teams 60 points per game for the season and will look to keep a defensive focus in this great battle!
Coburg vs Wallan
Saturday 13th August 6:30PM at Coburg Basketball Stadium
The second of out two semi final match ups we have the Coburg Giants take on the Wallan Panthers in what will be a great game! Coburg took out 2nd place in the regular season, earning themselves the week off last weekend, whereas Wallan battled it out against Whittlesea to progress through to the semi-finals. The last time these two faced off, it was Wallan who came away with the win 56 to 52.
Coburg dropped just the 3 games for the year which was an awesome effort and massive confidence boost heading into the finals. They have been the best scoring team all year long, averaging 87.5 points per game shooting just under 40% from the field. Jacqueline Torrini has been their best performer all year long, averaging 17 points per game, shooting 52% from the field which is a great achievement. Coburg have put together an experienced group capable of spreading the floor and making outside shots as well as taking it inside and finishing through contact. They’ve been a tough team to pay against every week and will be no different in the finals. Earning the week off, no doubt they’ve gone to work in trainings and been able to rest up for its still a big tiring finish ahead.
The Panthers have been extremely competitive all season long, making no contest easy. Battling Whittlesea last weekend and coming out on top, this Panthers outfit are ready to make the charge for the finals. We saw some great performances from Melissa Buckley and Olivia Dalmau over the weekend combining for 34 points and 21 rebounds. Dalmau had a huge game individual pouring in a triple double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 38 minutes of action. With the momentum moving into this hit out against the Giants, we will look to see the Panthers reconnect from the arc as they shot 0 from 12 against the Pacers last weekend. Can coach Benjamin Whyte bring the group together and install motivation to progress this Panthers unit any further in the finals?