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Season 4 Episode 13: "Big dogs gotta eat"
44 Plays13 days ago
Mammoth episode after another entertaining Round 11 of NBL1 East and as always, there was plenty to discuss.
NBL1 East discussion points:
* No additional teams qualifying for finals…yet!
* Effect of players leaving for college on teams
* NBL1 East games keep glitching
* Player posting on Insta taping her teammates ankles before a game - how are team physios not league mandated!?
* Norths pink round jersey auction - three women’s jerseys already sold for $250 apiece!
EGG GOTW: Canberra Gunners vs. Inner West Bulls
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Transcript
Introduction and Social Media Presence
00:01:00
Speaker
Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of East Got Game, where we give you the Xs, the Os, and the insights of MBL One East. Thanks for joining us tonight live on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
00:01:15
Speaker
And remember, you can follow us on those platforms as well at East Got Game, or you can continue to find our episodes on your preferred streaming platforms.
Podcast Recommendations
00:01:25
Speaker
While you're there, check out Cut to the Jace, a podcast featuring the current Bankstown Bruin himself, Jason Caddy, and It's a Coal World, a podcast by WNBL champion, Beck Cole, both brought to you by basketball.com.au.
NBL 1 East Men's Competition Overview
00:01:43
Speaker
Lockie, another big round of NBL 1Es done and dusted, and we are really on the home stretch to finals now. We have... Hit the 75% mark of the season in terms of games played.
00:01:58
Speaker
And speaking of games played, there were some belters this weekend. ah Manly Billawarra in the men. ah Not a shocking result for Manly to get up, but definitely are a very good win for the Sea Eagles that are, you know,
00:02:19
Speaker
gives gives the Gives the Illawarra Hawks and I dare say the Norse Bears a little something to think about because those three teams are now well, well ahead of everyone else in the men's competition.
00:02:32
Speaker
Which we sometimes see in the men's competition kind of a a clear cream of the crop and then usually it's that fight for third or fourth and below in the men's competition that's always really tight.
00:02:46
Speaker
But, yeah, this year especially having Norse, Illawarra, Manly, three teams that are really cementing themselves in the top three. And usually we're used to the likes of the Canberra Gunners up there but they're s like they've slid down to fifth possession a possession position and COE is slotting in at fourth. So, yeah, it's it's looking really good for those teams. Like, North is still really strong, 13-2, Illawarra 12-2, Manly 12-3. Yeah, it's shaping up to be – it's going to be an epic final series.
00:03:22
Speaker
It certainly is. If everything – like, those teams play to their level for finals – um it's It's going to be epic one way or the other because either two of those three teams make it or someone makes an absolutely glorious fairytale run.
00:03:38
Speaker
i sigh Looking forward to it. Yes, and we've got quite a list of great discussion points tonight before we get into our East Goff game, game of the week. But yeah, let's talk about qualifying teams. Last episode, you did mention a bunch of teams from the men and women's side that are ah definitely qualified for finals. But after round 11, it doesn't look like any teams have been added to those lists.
00:04:04
Speaker
No, no. A lot of teams that, you know, if someone else loses or they get one win, they're in. And for all intents and purposes, you can say they're in, but we can't mathematically write them in. Like, it's it's merely just the fact that North Illawarra and Manly have only played, you know, like Illawarra have only played 14 games so far.
00:04:24
Speaker
And... and you know, it is what it is. I think next week we'll be able to say a few more teams have definitely made it. And so on the women's side as well, like North Manly and Bancetown are in.
00:04:37
Speaker
Oh, Theo and did I mention COE last week? I think COE are also i now in on the women's side. So that would be about it. But yeah, not ah not a lot going. Yeah.
00:04:52
Speaker
So watch this space though, because there's definitely a lot of teams we can Almost right in.
Listener Engagement and Men's Standings
00:04:59
Speaker
So we opened up the opportunity to our loyal eggheads out there to contribute a discussion point or a question for tonight's episode via our Instagram story this morning. And this one is from Jacob Farah, also ah one of the many talented photographers across our league.
00:05:18
Speaker
He wants to know who we think of the men's teams firstly and making that four to eight spots. So before we get stuck into it, I'll quickly revise who's currently in one to eight.
00:05:31
Speaker
It's North Bears, as I mentioned, Illawar Hawks, Manly Sea Eagles, Centre of Excellence, Canberra Gunners in fifth position with win-loss record of 10 and six, Maitland Mustangs, Thudlin Sharks, then the Central Coast Crusaders.
00:05:47
Speaker
In ninth position is the Inner West Bulls at eight and seven, playing 15 games, and they've just come off a weekend of beating the Canberra Gunners at home. And then we still got Comets 10th and Bankstown 11th.
00:06:00
Speaker
can So that's that's the one to 11 with a pretty solid top eight. ah Do you see positions four to eight changing in the next few rounds?
00:06:14
Speaker
um I mean... I don't really like you look center of excellence. We've already played their 20 games and they're up to 13 wins. So I dare say they'll probably slot into fourth, maybe fifth. um
00:06:31
Speaker
ah it's it It's so close. Um, Inner West, they've just shown they're on form. That win against COE, having commentated on COE on the Saturday night, where they only had six players against Sutherland, and as soon as Jai got his fourth foul, they were cooked.
00:06:51
Speaker
i think It was like a five-point game. Jai got his fourth foul and ended up 30-point game. So um probably not as much to read into that win over COE. ah win over ce But... um win over a win over the canberra gunners uh definitely i mean even without uh even without glenn is uh it's still a big big result for them um so i mean they can definitely jump up they're eight and seven the only reason they're in ninth and not tied for eighth is they played fewer games they play comets who
00:07:29
Speaker
are a tricky team to play against, but are now sitting at six and nine and are on four-game losing streak. So take advantage of that. Get to nine and seven.
00:07:39
Speaker
um This could be one of those seasons where you need to be... You know, we see some seasons where being right on the cut line at 500 gets you into eight. This could be one of those seasons where you need to get 11, maybe even 12 wins to guarantee yourself a spotlight. 11 wins might be a tiebreaker for eight because these teams all keep... our all keep hovering just around over 500 but i i mean you went one to eleven i think it's um it's only the teams in the top nine there's only i don't see comments or bankstown making making enough of a run late on here to get to uh to get to finals unfortunately um and i think you know looking at hills newcastle they can see it to 10 wins but i don't see it happening um
00:08:26
Speaker
Well, I think Crusaders are just in such good form. I can see them keeping a role and I can see this top eight staying as is and maybe Inner West just missing out, unfortunately, which is crazy work considering they just, like, they've knocked off some really good teams. But it it could just be a year where being a really good team isn't it enough.
00:08:47
Speaker
Yeah, I think, and I think a lot about this season as well in both men's and women's competition is ah about peaking at the right time. um I mean, the we'll get stuck into it a bit later, but Interwest Bulls versus Gunners, probably one of the most enjoyable Interwest Bulls men's games I've watched in a little while.
00:09:08
Speaker
um but now they're in the back end of the season, like you said, 75% of the season is done. This last 25% is going to be really important if they're able to maintain that high level of consistency um and discipline. and even give that a little bit more to make sure that they've got a good chance for this for this finals. Because looking at, ah so say, five to eight Gunners, Maitland, Sharks, Crew, Bulls in ninths, it is really, really tight. And a lot of these teams, well, few of these teams actually play each other in the last few rounds.
00:09:47
Speaker
So Maitland will play and Crew play each other. Yeah.
00:09:53
Speaker
Canberra play Sutherland this weekend down in Canberra. And then Inner West Bulls also play Sutherland. um What's interesting is that ah Maitland have got the run of Hills, Comets, Newey, Bruins.
00:10:09
Speaker
So all teams, they're playing four teams.
Final Stretch for Men's Teams
00:10:12
Speaker
that are below them currently in the ladder. So sixth spot is theirs for their for for theirs is theres for them to lose, essentially. yeah um Expecting Rain Smith to come back after his stint in China on national duties.
00:10:27
Speaker
Captaining national duties. Captaining as well, as well. Hats off to you, Rain Smith. Ooh. But inner west as well, Comets, Nui, Sharks, Norse, Manly. So they've probably been dealt a pretty a pretty draw to end their season to make the sprint to the finals. um So, yeah, they're going to have to really, really pull it together. Yeah.
00:10:52
Speaker
and did it have a quick I didn't have a quick look to see who the Gunners have got as well to finish it out, but up I can't imagine it's going to be easy. They've got Sutherland, Norths, Albury, Comets.
00:11:05
Speaker
So a bit of a mix of teams in the final spots and teams not quite there. And then, i mean, look at Crewe. Their last three games are Hornsby, Newcastle, Albury, Wodonga.
00:11:18
Speaker
So, I mean, the men's competition isn't like the women's competition where you walk in and play one of the bottom of three and just pretty much walk out with a win. But you'd still rather that draw than Norse Manly Illawarra in your past three or something like that. So take take your wins while you can get them.
00:11:37
Speaker
Yeah, that's right. That's right. So, again, like, would you rather be in that position where you're in a ninth position, you're the inner West Bulls, you're in ninth position on the ladder, you're only ninth by 1.4 point percentage.
00:11:52
Speaker
So nothing. Yeah. um And you've got to play six get five games, two of the five games are against the top two teams.
00:12:04
Speaker
or two the top two of the top three teams. So you rise to the challenge or is it the pressure of being in sixth and eighth position, playing teams that are below you on the ladder and just, you know, having a Barry Crocker?
00:12:21
Speaker
not No, no. Don't worry about the intangibles. take Always take what you can get. um It's like when teams say, like,
00:12:33
Speaker
um having the week off for finals and say, I'd rather, you know, I'd rather lose week one so we can, you know, keep our momentum and, you know, keep playing games and, you know, because we're bad after to the week off. It's like, no.
00:12:50
Speaker
Because ah buy is a 100% guaranteed win. Any game you play is less than that. So... don't Don't worry about, you know, if you win, you're in week three regardless. If you lose, then you've got to play it, even if it's against the eighth place team.
00:13:08
Speaker
Just take what you can get. Always, yeah, always the better place team is what I'd rather be. But in a West, they can go and get the split on Sutherland and things like that. so um But yeah, I think that draw that Central Coast have is just, it's going to make it tough for anyone to, um yeah, they they could really bounce up the table here. They could finish on 12 wins here easily.
00:13:36
Speaker
So that'd slot them right into the fifth or sixth place. Possibly. Possibly depending on how it falls for other teams. Would love to see that. ah So obviously getting wins on the board obviously is important, but now starting to think a little bit more mathematically given that as little as 1.4 in the points percentage is separating teams. You either have to win big, score a bunch of points, or stop the other team from scoring a bunch of points just to give yourself that edge.
00:14:08
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah.
Women's Competition Overview
00:14:11
Speaker
um so I'm feeling a big tiebreaker at the end of the season though. I mean, every year, every year, it wouldn't be an NBL 1A season without a tiebreaker for the men's finals, honestly.
00:14:23
Speaker
yeah we Last year we had a three-way tie for first, so. Yes, that's right. That's right. so we are you kind of So are you saying that you're seeing positions four to eight in the men's competition to stay as is?
00:14:36
Speaker
I don't know if the positions will stay, but I think the teams will stay. Yeah. Yeah. I think...
00:14:47
Speaker
you it's tricky. That inner West Bulls team after what I saw is tricky. um But yeah, I think you're i think I'm going to back you up and say I think the teams also in those positions, in as it stands, will stay the same, but maybe not in the exact positions as they are after round 11. And it's funny we're talking about this.
00:15:10
Speaker
i mean, I'm not going to talk, ah i'm I'm not going to have a discussion about it again tonight, but The unbalanced draw where you play five teams an extra time and not a full home and away is you'd have to do some real investigative work. But is it having an effect on this?
00:15:26
Speaker
Maybe. Yeah. Let's talk about the women's. Yeah. So the women's side, North is still clear on top, which is outstanding, 15-0.
00:15:37
Speaker
as well, 14-1. outstanding fifteen and o ah manly as well fourteen and one Manly doing manly things. Bankstown, what an absolute great story this has been this season. 12 and 2 in third position. This is the Bankstown women's team that we knew was coming. We knew it was coming.
00:16:01
Speaker
yeah We knew that they were working on it and now it's all paying off. So this is great from Bankstown. COE in fourth possession, 20 games, 15 and 5. Newcastle in fifth, 9 and 5.
00:16:13
Speaker
hornsby at 6, 9 and 6, Aubrey Wodonga Bandits at 7, 8 and 7, and the Stangers in 8th position, 7 and 8, with Hills just behind them on 7 and 8 in 9th position and Canberra in 10th position with 7 and 9. So, again, the disparity of games played at the moment may be misrepresentation of standings, but in terms of points percentage between teams,
00:16:44
Speaker
um Aubrey actually have a higher points percentage than Hornsby but they do have one extra loss so and they play each other very very soon next round next next round and Hornsby like we're looking I think we can say the top five along I know Newcastle are only nine and five at the moment but um And they play Manly, but they've got Penrith, Inner West and Crewe and then Hornsby who are decimated in their last four games. So lock the Falcons in. That's your top five. North, Manly, Bankstown, COE, Falcons. um
00:17:28
Speaker
Hornsby are the big one for me. i know they're nine and six. No Ruby Perkins, no Jesse Mayhall. They just got waxed by Hills by 27. They do play... um they do play Crew and Comets in two of their last five games.
00:17:44
Speaker
But their other three, I'm pretty sure, are really tough games. um So, I mean, you would still think they could beat Crew without Ruby and Jessie May and maybe Lucy Meade if she's gone as well. um Can they beat Comets with Chantelle Horvath in the lineup? Yeah.
00:18:06
Speaker
they've got to get at least one of those games if they want to make finals, if they don't, you know, without having to rely on beating these top, top teams. um So they're the interesting one for me. Can they fall back to the pack?
00:18:20
Speaker
Because some of these other teams like Maitland and Hills have pretty soft draws to finish the season, including Maitland and Hills playing each other. So one of them's guaranteed a win in that game.
00:18:32
Speaker
Yeah, so what what I'm looking at is Hornsby's fixture, as you mentioned, Aubrey Wodonga next round. um Not only have Hornsby lost, obviously Ruby, Jessie Mae and possibly now Lucy Mead, but Aubrey have gained last tier power.
00:18:52
Speaker
And she is balling, balling. Yeah, so she's she's almost averaging. Well, I mean, that might be a stretch for me saying that, but she's had a triple-double nearly on her debut, almost backed it up with another triple-double. So she's she's she's coming to the league like red hot.
00:19:11
Speaker
Then Hornsby in round 13 will have Crew away, which, look, they can probably still get, as you said. so is Chantelle Horvath back for Comets?
00:19:22
Speaker
Been back a couple of weeks. So her last game out was the game against Sutherland. So she played one game of that doubleheader and then she's been back since.
00:19:34
Speaker
Okay, cool. so can you see anyone in that current Hornsby roster able to limit what Chantille Horvath can do given she had such a huge debut in NBL1 East earlier in the season?
00:19:50
Speaker
yeah Look, she's not... at the same level yet just having had so much time off um but it's a tough one mean she's yeah gonna very very tough to stop her My more concern with comments is do they have the support around her? She's not going you know, other players still have to put the ball in the basket and stop Ayanna Bay and Christina Moore because they're, I mean, even though they got demolished by Hills, they both had 24 points, I think. so
00:20:25
Speaker
Of course, Christina Moore and Horvath, that's going to be the match-apple to game. Yeah. So... I keep forgetting that Christina Moore is... is slotting into that Hornsby team despite watching her go off last week against Sutherland.
00:20:41
Speaker
Ah, yes. Thanks. Thanks for the reminder. um i've I've watched Sutherland lose two women's games by a point in my last two calls for them. so That's tough.
00:20:54
Speaker
yeah Although getting to what you know getting to commentate on COE is never a bad thing. but yeah back to back to the yeah Back to the spiders. um yeah look i I think they can get past Comets and crew um and get to 11 wins and make it safe, but I've got to see it happen.
00:21:15
Speaker
for yeah um It's not one of those things where I just think they're going walk up, get both wins kind of thing. They can prove me wrong.
00:21:24
Speaker
Well, just below them, like I mentioned, in seven seventh position is Aubrey Wodonga Bandits. They're there on eight and seven, um and it looks like they have at least one doubleheader in the last few rounds for the season. So they've got Hornsby next round.
00:21:41
Speaker
Then they have a double away trip to Illawarra Penrith in round 13. Then got Canberra at home in round 14.
00:21:52
Speaker
how many that? That's four games. And they finished the season at home against Crewe. Five games to go. I'm going to be so bold and say that this is five and o for them to finish the season.
00:22:04
Speaker
don't think that's bold. I think that's pretty on point with LT in the roster now. That will put them at 13 wins.
00:22:17
Speaker
That would. and Which is, I think... you know, a reasonable end to the season for all we were longer. Um,
00:22:27
Speaker
yeah, I, I mean, I had them, I, I said minimum four. So yeah, I don't, yeah, I don't see any reason they can't get five. They lost to Illawarra. That was pre LT. Um, the other three they should be, and that just leaves the Canberra game. The, uh, the return of Katie Jones who are play her old team, which will be very interesting.
00:22:48
Speaker
Um, But, and it's also interesting for Canberra, who we'll get to when we roll down the table a bit, but yeah, a hundred percent they can. Yeah. I think sixth place is Aubrey Wodonga's to lose at a minimum.
00:23:06
Speaker
And the last two teams really fighting for that last spot is Maitland Mustangs, women and Hills Hornets. And, ah James Mullen from Waratah and BCR did ask for us to discuss if Hills have got what it takes to make that eight spot. But let's talk about the Stangers first with Casey Newbert coming off a Player of the Week honours with her huge Annelie Mayley-inspired rebound count.
00:23:33
Speaker
um So, it it you know what? Side note, it was really nice to see a couple of other players get their flowers as Player of the Week this round. Yeah. Yeah, in Elias, Tato and Casey Newbert. So I really liked that they had their opportunities to shine and hopefully get something from a Foot Locker with their voucher.
00:23:54
Speaker
m If either of them are listening, please tag us in your, what you get in your purchase when you upload it. But yeah, the Stainless Women again, next game, crew at home.
00:24:06
Speaker
That's one in the bag. But sorry, I'm sorry, crew, you know, let's be real. But round 13, Hills women and Maitland women actually play against each other at Hills. Yeah.
00:24:21
Speaker
This is the game for both teams. Yeah, 100%. Because you lose that game. you lose If you lose the split, you know, it's not just a loss.
00:24:32
Speaker
You could have to finish one game above above them as well after losing to them. it's ah Yeah, it's massive. Maitlander one team I was looking at a few weeks I was like, they're 4-8. And I looked at the draw and I was like, wow they could get to 10-8.
00:24:47
Speaker
And they'd want to be 10-8 because I'm sure you have it in front of you who they're playing in the last two games.
00:24:55
Speaker
and we go Oh, yeah. Wait, haven't got there yet. But, but yeah, they've got Comets in round 14. Round 15, they have a doubleheader. Newcastle and Bankstown. Now, I don't know who at Maitland who who up maitland annoyed someone in the cosmos to get that as your final two games of the season.
00:25:15
Speaker
That is tough. At least they're both at home. they'll have the home crowd really behind them, finish round 15 with that Maitland-Newcastle derby that everyone knows and loves at home. So, yeah, Newcastle and Bankstown, that is going to be tough.
00:25:31
Speaker
That is real tough, and I think Hills have a slightly softer draw to roll home, but still they too half to r have have to worry about beating Maitland, just like Maitland have to worry about beating Hills because before they can worry about the future.
00:25:53
Speaker
I really think on Maitland's best day, they could take Newcastle. Yeah, if they fully show up, if they, yeah.
00:26:04
Speaker
think they could. Yeah, just just depends what version of Maitland going to get that day. At home, on their best day, needing the win, stars a align, they can get it done.
00:26:16
Speaker
I just wouldn't want to rely on it. No, no. And Munger is going to do Munger things. Yes. Yes. which is which which is one thing you can count on, but you can't count on, you know, just how much ah she's going to contribute. You know, she's also essentially a walking triple-double.
00:26:37
Speaker
ah And now she's got Mia Hardy to add to that extra piece for Newcastle as well. So Newbert and Hardy is going to be a nice matchup in that game. Yeah, will.
00:26:49
Speaker
But, yeah, like you said, Hills is slightly softer on. They've got Illawarra Hawks at home in round 12. They've got Maitland, as we mentioned, in round 13.
00:27:00
Speaker
Penrith and Bankstown away in round 14, so potentially one and one for them. And then they play Illawarra again on the 15th and away. So even though on paper for Hills it certainly looks like a softer run, but I think it's the added pressure of playing Illawarra twice in four weeks you want to at least be getting a split because Illawarra, they're 12th, so they're not really in the hunt for a top eight spot. But if you drop one of those games, that could be the one game that kicks you out.
00:27:37
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I will say Illawarra, a five and nine, Hills, Comet, Hills, Albury, Comets, Sutherland, Hills again, and then Penrith on the last day, they can still – like Like you said, if if Maitland can take Newcastle, Illawarra can take some of these. They've already knocked off Aubrey Wodonga this season. I know it was pre-LT, but, you know, they're not out of getting to 10 wins and still being in the mix.
00:28:12
Speaker
Yeah, I just think this week some of these matchups, you know, Aubrey, Aubrey Hornsby, Canberra Sutherland, Hills, Illawarra, We're going to come back next week and a whole lot is going to already be a lot clearer just because of how the draw has fallen this weekend.
00:28:30
Speaker
Yeah, and I think the other thing for ma ah for Hill's run, just to compare Hill's and Maitland again because they are in that fight for the eighth spot at the moment in the ladder, they both also, then not only do they play each other, they also both play Bankstown.
00:28:46
Speaker
So it's going to be super important that each team are either going to, if, say, they both lose to Bankstown, whoever, they have to lose by the smallest of margins to give them that edge over the other.
00:28:58
Speaker
Yeah. um
00:29:02
Speaker
Yeah, you can't, if one team miraculously beats Bankstown and the other loses, call it. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, so that's going to be really exciting to see that race for that final spot between Hills and Maitland. ah Because, yeah, they are locked seven and eight um at the moment with 3.6.
00:29:28
Speaker
six How's my math? Six. I was going to say six. Oh, my math is so bad. 3.6 point percentage separating them right now. But, yeah, final answer. You said Newcastle definitely a lock for fifth.
00:29:40
Speaker
Yep. So obviously keeping an eye on Hornsby, Aubrey, Maitland, but we're going to promote, say, Aubrey will be locked in at six. Yeah, I think Aubrey will get over Hornsby, Kareen guy.
00:29:55
Speaker
And then obviously Canberra and Sutherland still aren't out of it. I think probably the loser of Canberra-Sutherland won't be mathematically. If Canberra loses, they'll be in a real trouble, seven and ten. Yeah.
00:30:09
Speaker
Southerland would drop to six and nine. And I'm pretty sure Loz Nicholson is away playing 3x3 again this weekend. But um have we can't... Sorry, sorry. I'm... Southerland, but I know Lauren Nicholson is a three-time Asia Cup bronze medalist and a two-time WBL Defensive Player of the Year and everything else. But we can't just always go, oh, Lauren Nicholson is not there. Give the Sharkies a free pass.
00:30:36
Speaker
it yeah sorry at some point we have to start winning games without it because i mean it would be nice to have it for a whole season and this season i think originally we kind of thought we would but um as you represent you're coming for your 3x3 level so um yeah but we can't just keep yeah i we can't just say oh no lauren because Got to win this one. yeah we Got to beat Canberra.
00:31:00
Speaker
They've already got an 11-point win in Sutherland, so you've got to overcome them by 12 to get the split on the season series. so There we go. And um bench for bench, Sutherland have the depth over Canberra, in my opinion. 100%. Yeah. Yeah.
00:31:16
Speaker
yeah Time to shine. Emily Garland, call up your name. Drop another 20 for us. I mean, the other week Canberra beat Sutherland. It was – Lauren Nicholson got three stitches. She was fine to play. She just had fresh stitches, so couldn't play. But Canberra played that game with obviously no Kylie McAuliffe and no Sky Reese and still got an 11-point win against a Lauren-less Sutherland. So it can be a very interesting one down there in the national capital this weekend. Yeah.
00:31:49
Speaker
So going Newey fifth, Aubrey sixth. I'm going to be so bold and say Maitland Hills. I think Hornsby's going to drop out.
00:32:01
Speaker
You think Hornsby are gone?
00:32:04
Speaker
i know that sounds really harsh because we've loved watching them play all season and Shaq Shaw is coaching the hell out of them. So you think they're going to lose the Oh, yeah.
00:32:17
Speaker
ah I think they'd have to lose. Oh, yeah.
00:32:27
Speaker
I just find it hard. i'm i we could see a three We could see three or four team tiebreaker here between Hornsby and Maitland. Three or four of those. Yeah. Or I will ah take that back and say Aubrey six, Maitland seventh, Hornsby eights maybe.
00:32:49
Speaker
fair yeah yeah i reckon i mean yeah newcastle or brie wadonga um
00:33:00
Speaker
i find it hard to believe newcastle are going to lose enough games so they could even drop to six but those two will be fifth and six and i'm gonna stick with Hornsby-Karingai in
Player Departures and Team Impact
00:33:13
Speaker
seventh. I think they're going to over Crew and Comets. I think Bay and Moore and Hartman combined with the other pieces. They brought Muffy in. um Yeah, I think they'll do just enough.
00:33:28
Speaker
So that'll be them on 11 wins and then
00:33:38
Speaker
Maitland. There we go. That's your answer. We got there in the end. It's too long to call. And as people have been listening to us for a while,
00:33:51
Speaker
we don't we we don't like to like, we we like to kind of give predictions for the fun of it, but we also don't want it to be taken as that we don't like teams. Yeah.
00:34:04
Speaker
we like all the teams. I mean, yeah, I would love the, i mean, sutherland i i keep i keep like someone just like sutherland is still going to play ah canberra this weekend with no lauren and then play banley and north so tough but to be already be six and a yeah um we've been asked on instagram live for the grand final predictions for the women's comp as in a like and i'm like that's a that for me personally that's a it's it's too early
00:34:38
Speaker
ah It's too early. mean, it's i mean i want to say, like, you kind of want to, yeah, it's it's a cop-out to do this, but we've got Manly, we've got Manly, ah sorry, Bankstown, Norse, Bankstown, Manly, Manly, Newcastle this weekend.
00:34:56
Speaker
and Too soon. Too soon, Nicole. We'll know. We'll we'll see something. We'll actually, we like we have no form for these teams against each other except Bankstown getting waxed by 50 before they had everybody by Norse.
00:35:08
Speaker
ah See, finally, we have to go on. And Bankstown beating Manila against North. We don't really have form for Bankstown-Nords. Nah, too soon. but i will be i mean I wouldn't be surprised to see Bankstown win this weekend against North.
00:35:24
Speaker
Oh, it's going to be an absolute cracker of a game. So, um yeah, the back end of the season, it's always that cream of the crop that we're looking forward to. But let's wait for all of the rest of the cards to fall before we make those kind of grand final predictions. Yeah.
00:35:43
Speaker
ah But, yeah, back to our – so thank you, James and Jacob, for submitting your questions via Instagram. Hopefully we, in the end, did answer the questions. We'd love to know your opinions, though, and who you think is going to make the – Positions four to eight in the men's and five to eight in the women's. Not just for them, anyone that's listening.
00:36:03
Speaker
you'd like to share us who you think has got those spots, send us a DM on Instagram. But getting back to our discussion points after round 11, the effect of players leaving for college. Ah, the bittersweet exit mid-season or just after mid-season exits. That really hurts some teams.
00:36:27
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, we already, I mean, we mentioned briefly COE men and Hornsby women. um
00:36:35
Speaker
These two, I mean, COE and the Hornsby Karengai women especially, they we know what they're getting into every year. It's unfortunate. And this year with the men's under 17 World Cup falling on, yeah it starts this Saturday or Sunday.
00:36:49
Speaker
It sure does start this Saturday. because you'll be commentating. Yeah. Can't wait to get trolled on it YouTube again.
00:37:02
Speaker
So, yeah I mean, between half few players leaving for college, four players getting called up to um the Crocs, players leaving. I think I saw someone in a moon boot. I didn't catch who it was because the seaweed bench is way down there at Sutherland. Yeah.
00:37:20
Speaker
You know, they only ran with six. And, i mean, it's tough. I mean, like, you post-World Cup, they'll be back with more. But it's really tough. Like, you lose guys like Alex Dickerson was putting up 30 places, and there are other players as well leaving. And it's just really tough. And it's just, like, you Jai, like said, Jai got his fourth foul against Sutherland on um Saturday night.
00:37:45
Speaker
Sutherland called a timeout. I'm sure Sean Rogers said, just put it down their throat because they can't foul. cause i can't have two players in foul trouble when you're only running with six. So Tyler Robertson just put his head down and went at people.
00:37:57
Speaker
And in about five or six minutes, it was a 20-point game. But what else were you going to do? And then with no Jai on the court, they didn't really have a floor general. um So real tight, it just sucks, you know. i really it it's like It happens with the COE program, but it really it's – It's just tough to say. I'm just glad it was only one round that it really affected them and that the women didn't have the same issue as well with their World Cup not being for a couple of weeks.
00:38:26
Speaker
Yeah, but I don't like it. I mean, but it happens. It happens around the league. You know, COE women did have Zara, Russell, Lee. Fortunately, that was only one.
00:38:38
Speaker
And then i don't know whether you think it's going to be, but I think Hornsby, Kareem, they knew what they were getting into. You know, they were like, okay, we'll have Ruby. We'll have Jessie, especially with Ruby. Jessie May been there season or two.
00:38:49
Speaker
And so has Lucy Mead. But, you know, okay, we're going to have Jessie May and Ruby. We'll bank wins as much as we can and try to ride it out when they finish. You know what you're getting into, but it's it's it's tough. And its it comes with the territory, but it's just, yeah.
00:39:06
Speaker
It's kind of weird. And I know that Ruby was really keen to play her last NBL one season for a while with you know, one of her besties, Jessie May, and they certainly made the most of it. But you're right, Hornsby definitely knew what they were getting into. That's why Shaq, you know, did the smart recruiting of not just focusing everything around those two or three players, but then went and got Christina Moore back to her home club. Obviously did the right thing to get Muffy back after she had some soul shoulder surgery because Muffy was actually signed to play for North Gold Coast Seahawks here in NBL1 North. They then had to... take care of an injury. Of course, getting Ayanna Bay back. So he's done a really good job of being able to recruit past those two youngsters. But then he also does a great job with his rotation so that people that are deeper in the bench are still getting enough playing time that in these situations when then that number is called to play longer minutes, they're ready.
00:40:10
Speaker
Yeah, 100%. And that's something that you should be doing regardless because if a player goes down injured or has national team duty unexpectedly, then someone has to step up. And if they barely touch the court, you know, it's very hard for them to ah not just, you know,
00:40:31
Speaker
get into the structure of the team under live fire, but just generally being out on court in a game situation at all if you haven't done it in a while, especially if you're not a youth league player as well. You just haven't been out on court playing games.
00:40:47
Speaker
And then ah the next topic, ah next discussion point, this is becoming one of my gripes and apparently a couple of other people as well, according to our Instagram DMs,
00:40:57
Speaker
Why are the replays glitching so much when they're uploaded to the
Technical Issues and Player Safety Concerns
00:41:02
Speaker
website? So last week we in the game that we previewed, what was it?
00:41:08
Speaker
Sutherland Sharks women and Hornsby women. That was glitchy as hell. This week we go to preview Manly Warringah Seagulls. I shouldn't say preview, review.
00:41:19
Speaker
Manly and Illawarra men. and it was so... good it was It was just as bad. They'd gone further into the Matrix than the game before, and it was so frustrating that we couldn't end up watching the game properly.
00:41:30
Speaker
And even when it wasn't jump... At the start, it would like freeze and then catch up. And Isaiah Lee was looking like Usain Bolt going up court. And then later on, it would be like smooth picture, but pixely.
00:41:46
Speaker
When it wasn't jumping, it would be smooth. Smooth up and down court, but Pixley. And obviously, i don't know if it was like that live or if it's just something with the upload. But, yeah, not bueno.
00:42:01
Speaker
the Especially when, like, I really wanted to, like, I messaged you. would normally never message you that early to pick a game. I'd be like, I was straight out. was like, manly Laura, it's got to be.
00:42:14
Speaker
No such luck. Has to be. No, no. I'm just trying to look up as well. Apparently the other game that was really glitchy. Let me see. Where did I see it?
00:42:27
Speaker
um Maitland Penrith as well. Oh, really? Apparently it was really glitchy. Maitland Home Game? Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Random. Yeah, yeah. So that's really a real shame that that was glitchy as well. It's just kind of doing not just the League but the players and their families and their friends a disservice because if they want to rewatch the game for whatever reason, then they can't enjoy it.
00:42:51
Speaker
Apparently the Sutherland Canberra game last weekend also live wasn't like loading when you go to the box score to watch the video, the like the live box score to watch the video. It wasn't there live.
00:43:04
Speaker
Like it wasn't loading properly. So yeah. Yeah. Wow. So my poor mother couldn't even watch the game because that's what told me. and its Can always rely on mom for those tips. Yeah.
00:43:19
Speaker
Uh, Yeah, just annoying, yeah. And then the next one, you mentioned you saw a player posting on Instagram that their teammate is taping their ankles before the games and the man mandating physios for all teams.
00:43:33
Speaker
Well, how is that not a thing? Like, why? I guess if the club don't have money, they don't have that kind of support. But why is it not in the league rules that you have to have a physio o at the game?
00:43:49
Speaker
like at least Like, I think they said that the opposition had a physio, so they could abuse them. But still, surely, like, I don't, I come from a multi-sport, dog sorry, not multi-sport, that's like triathlon things, multiple sports background.
00:44:06
Speaker
Like, so at NPL Soccer, you have to have a physio for first grade and at least a level two sports trainer for under 23s, which is essentially youth league.
00:44:20
Speaker
they all have to be registered with football in new south wales they have to be on the bench um so like if you've got maximum team personnel so i think you can have five team personnel if you've got five coaches one of them can't sit on the bench because the physio has to be on the bench
00:44:39
Speaker
surely that's and i was actually i got a copy of the 2026 mbo on east bylaws shout out to the person that gave them to me and i did a good trick quick control find for physio and it says we encourage the home team to provide a physio for the home team and visiting i was like encourage really encourage you gotta have some of so like what is something let's Like, what if someone has a horrific injury and just on, you know, it's the one game where neither team has a physio?
00:45:12
Speaker
But also, um wasn't it also mandatory, especially at juniors, and I'm not sure if it is at senior games anymore, to have St John's Ambulance on site?
00:45:23
Speaker
Really? Yeah, di I remember... I don't think it is... grown Well, I don't think it is in senior league. I don't know if they'd have the personnel to do it, but like, yeah.
00:45:38
Speaker
Perhaps that was something phased out a long time ago because I remember growing up and there was always St John's Ambulance on site. At least we know at the professional games, especially, you know, MBL, they're always on site. But yeah, when even when we had um primary school tournaments, St John's Ambulance were always on site. So maybe that's something that's been phased out cost maybe who knows maybe that's a big tournament thing where there's a lot of teams in one one place because i know it like at handball national championships we had just one medical personnel so teams had their physios but there was also one i don't know if he was in john's ambulance or something else but he was he was running around all day
00:46:20
Speaker
um yeah for any injury. so But, yeah, I just ah couldn't believe that all I saw was we encouraged teams to supply a physio rather than it be mandated, which seems crazy to me.
Thematic Rounds and League Initiatives
00:46:36
Speaker
Then you've got the UC Canberra Capitals and the WNBL who traditionally don't travel on their away games with a team manager. Yeah, right. Yeah.
00:46:49
Speaker
So, yeah, that's the maybe that's a story another story for another day. but is that why they once had to play in Knox Raiders jerseys because they didn't have their kit with them because they don't bring team manager? I can't remember if it was. Yes, it was something around they packed they were packed the wrong kit or they were given the wrong kit to go with. Yeah, so things things like that, yes. Yeah, righto.
00:47:09
Speaker
Yeah. and the final point here north had a huge uh hugely successful pink round so congratulations to north for their pink round they teamed up with tough for tea which is the foundation founded by inspired by tiana manga kahia who unfortunately passed away from breast cancer taken way way way too soon from us uh So the Norths did a great job putting on a pink round and they had a pink round jersey auction. um
00:47:41
Speaker
But it sounds like they were hot property, Lockie. It's still going. So there's 12 days left to bid. Three of the women's jerseys have already been sold. So you can um you can bid for one or you can buy now for $250. And three of them have already been purchased for the $250. Wow. That's It is.
00:47:59
Speaker
so wow that's awesome it is But I also want to know, so Norse had the pink round when they did it with Batuffa T. Canberra also had a pink round, slightly different shade of pink, but the same sentiment. But I kind of miss the days where NBL won, whether it was by conference or whether was nationally, were all doing the same round at the same time. Why have we stopped doing that?
00:48:28
Speaker
I don't know. Like, i think we heard around the chats that, like, Club's got to like say yes or no on each round. and For whatever reason, some rounds happen, some rounds don't.
00:48:40
Speaker
I do like to see that even if the league's not doing a round, some teams still you know put in and make sure you know you know they feel it's the right thing to do. They'll do it nonetheless, which is great to see. But, I mean, when you have such a beloved figure like Tiana,
00:49:00
Speaker
and North doing this, like, but it feels like this is, like, basketball feels like the sport that should be, like, doing pink round across the league.
00:49:12
Speaker
um Yeah, i I can't fathom why this wouldn't be a, ah why this wouldn't be at least a conference-wide round, if not a league-wide round. Certainly makes it more meaningful when you had someone that was so instrumental in our game on and off the court um obviously pass away from breast cancer. I mean, we saw the same thing in cricket.
00:49:37
Speaker
Jane McGrath Foundation, that's how that started. Obviously, wife of Glenn McGrath makes it more meaningful for one of the current Australian players to have the foundation integrated into cricket.
00:49:50
Speaker
I mean, we can certainly do a very similar thing. 100%. And it's like she was an assistant coach for Sutherland, so it's not like she doesn't have any connection to the NBL1 East itself. And, you know, she played for the Flames, but then she also was in a part of NBL1 East.
00:50:10
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. I would love to see, and it doesn't, have i think there were some seasons where we had like four different types of rounds and everyone was doing it and it was a league-wide thing or a conference-wide thing. doesn't have to be that many, but I'd like to see maybe at least two consistent,
00:50:28
Speaker
um dedicated rounds in not just per conference, per national competition done at similar times in similar ways. And maybe they can pick ah two different ones every year. So maybe Indigenous and mental health or Pink Round and Pride Round or something like that. but just so it's consistent.
00:50:49
Speaker
Yeah, I think over the years, what have we heard? We've had, we always have ANZAC Round, obviously. then we've had Indigenous, Heritage, Pink Round, Pride fat mental health round and mental health round. So we've had, so think, six different rounds over the years. So, you know, two or three a year.
00:51:09
Speaker
um Get around it. And get around the jersey auction. I know people are saying that the Norse pink jerseys are absolute fire. So put your money where your mouth is. You won't get many chances to get one. And they're game-worn jerseys.
00:51:22
Speaker
So you're going to get, like, the proper player name and um number as well. as loie Unless you're a fan of either Donnelly or Jazz Shelley because those are gone. Yeah.
00:51:36
Speaker
Those are gone. We are sorry that those are gone. Yeah. One of them is heading my way. Woo, very nice, very nice.
00:51:46
Speaker
We'll have to wait for a future episode to see what it what it is. We will, but I do have one new jersey here. Is it the McDonald jersey? It is a Ruby McDonald Illawarra Indigenous jersey.
00:52:01
Speaker
think you've been waiting for that one for a couple of episodes now, is that right? I have, and it arrived yesterday. very happy. So it's up here with my Beck Dallinger and Izzy Morgan jerseys because they are three players from the 2020 New South Wales under 20s women's team, the famous Simpsons meme era team.
00:52:24
Speaker
Yeah. Awesome. Awesome.
00:52:29
Speaker
All right. Well, that was, up there was obviously plenty to discuss there after round 11.
Game of the Week: Canberra Gunners vs. Inner West Bulls
00:52:34
Speaker
So We should probably get stuck into now our East Coast game, game of the week for round 11. And as previously mentioned, it was going to be Manly Warringah Seagulls men and the Illawarra Hawks, but it got stuck in the matrix. And listen, it was making me too dysregulated watching that. So we had to make another decision. And you ah very smartly suggested the Canberra Gunners versus the Inner West Bulls men's game instead.
00:53:04
Speaker
um Now, truth be told, I don't have a lot of notes on this game compared to some other games, but I do have a lot of stats at the end. Fair.
00:53:15
Speaker
From the outset of this game, on paper, it had so many great things I was looking forward to. First of all, broadcast, beautiful. Quality was great. It almost reminded me of the big voice media guys up here in NBL One North who do our Games of the Week and they've also done Nationals the last couple of years, like top notch. We knew that we were going to have good comms because David Jay was on the mic as per usual.
00:53:42
Speaker
Loved the tone of those pink jerseys from the Gunners. Different kind of pink that you'd normally see for a pink round, but I i really liked it It looked good. Loved how the guys were getting around matching their pink sweatbands and pink shoes and whatnot to tying with the theme of the round. So I love that extra mile.
00:54:02
Speaker
Tigranon looked great on the broadcast because it looks like a proper stadium with a big grandstand. ah But then ah had a lot of question marks, Lockie.
00:54:16
Speaker
Morrison is on crutches. Darnell Hoskins starts on the bench. Pender starts on the bench. Evan Wardlow is playing point guard.
00:54:27
Speaker
Jasper Rentoy is starting on the bench. And then I was like, have we entered the upside down as we've donned these pink jerseys? Legit. um
00:54:39
Speaker
I mean, yeah, no Morrison is is so, I mean, it's been it's been a couple of weeks without him, but. um I have to say that Ted Pig with it in the starting lineup was scorer.
00:54:54
Speaker
His first three bars came in three very, very different ways. He had that backing someone down, the baby hook early, missed three, but then got in the pick and roll with Will Mayfield on the next one. And then his third one went baseline, spun on Cooper Wilkes and had six of Canberra's first nine points.
00:55:12
Speaker
For a second there, I was like, somehow they've just magically... adapted to not having Glenn and they're just going to play completely differently and everything will be fine.
00:55:24
Speaker
And then a didn know it didn't keep going. Until it wasn't. Yeah. Well, yeah, it wasn't. Yes. Until it wasn't. Yeah. I mean, I don't have a lot of notes from this first quarter other than i just thought Canberra shot maybe settled for a lot of threes a little bit too early in this game.
00:55:42
Speaker
um I know the commentators were making comments about the speed of the game and understanding that when you're there, it is a lot faster than when you're watching it on the broadcast. But this first quarter for me, um Inner West really impressed me that they had a lot more spacing, a lot more sharing of the ball. I really like that Coach TJ for the Bulls, you know, he didn't start Rentoy for whatever reason and he started Cooper Wilkes for a change too. yeah um So being confident in for both coaches, I should say, to be fair, making those changes in your starting lineups to suit your opposition, having the confidence to say to your players, hey, this is what we're going with for this reason and not having to, um what's the word, you know, appeal to egos. I really liked. I really liked.
00:56:32
Speaker
But, yeah, balls, great spacing, great team ball, um Both teams, I feel like, were just kind of like sussing each other out in this quarter. What did you see? I definitely thought that. Especially Rentoy coming off the bench, there that was almost like flicking a switch for the InterWest Bulls. You know, we saw him, you know, it's funny, like it didn't work out at Aubrey Wodonga. And truly, it just didn't because he's continuing to show he's a good player.
00:56:59
Speaker
And he was really good um yeah He's getting downhill but still finding teammates. He's bringing energy. um And, I mean, he's this is a guy that trained with the Sydney Kings. So he's just – he can control an offense, but he moves well off the ball. he moves well, you know, getting to the rack, finding teammates, scoring when it's the right opportunity. um And, yeah, they were getting baskets in the early stages, but it looks so much easier with him out there on court.
00:57:27
Speaker
It really did.
00:57:32
Speaker
And first quarter, did you have any other real outstanding points for first quarter? Because I just feel like, yeah, both teams sussing each other out, really. Canberra won the first quarter, twenty two to seventeen um You know, players like Cam Pender coming off the bench, like I said, ended up making an immediate impact, which I really liked. I really liked having...
00:57:56
Speaker
ah Teddy in the starting lineup as well because it's obvious that he has been absorbing everything that he's learning from being in the NBL squad in the last couple of seasons and he's transferring that into his own game really nicely so he's developing really well um but yeah otherwise there wasn't really much else for in this quarter for me No, i mean what i I mean, what I noticed, especially out of the stats and when I saw it, was like, oh, yeah, that made sense, was that Canberra, eight of nine from two-point range in the first quarter.
00:58:30
Speaker
But the teams combined to be two of 12 from three-point range, and a few of them were a little bit, oh, there's not a lot going on. I'll just fire away here, which probably happened a little too too often, especially for the liking of coaches like TJ and Pete Harak,
00:58:50
Speaker
not Not sure either of them will be too happy with guys just but putting one up just because not a lot's going on. But that's also relying on your teammates to ah move off the ball as well sometimes.
00:59:05
Speaker
Yeah, that's the other thing, and I think we can probably, I'll probably talk a bit more about that when we get into the second half, particularly for Canberra. ah But the second quarter, I just noticed that for Canberra, not a lot of people crashing the O'Glass. So obviously with Glenn unfortunately sidelined, not only does that mean someone isn't consistently under the basket or contesting offensive rebounds, but it means that there's a lot of size missing now.
00:59:34
Speaker
So he's just him being there in his presence is enough to put off oppositions to even bother trying to like, well, no, I shouldn't say that they shouldn't try to go for the defensive rebound, but it's intimidating because he's so good at what he does under there. He takes up a lot of space. So in that sense, the Gunners were definitely lacking and they needed other people, two, three more people crashing that O-glass and making it more of a competition.
01:00:02
Speaker
in that respect. So they were really missing that. um And I wonder as well if sometimes when you play with someone like a Glenn Morrison in that position, you become a little bit too dependent on it. So then you unlearn. Oh, wait, rebounding is my responsibility as well. And so when the the Glenn Morrisons of the world aren't there, no one else ah is there to fill the gap.
01:00:24
Speaker
Yeah. I feel like it's the kind of thing where a coach would go, who's crashing the boards? And you like yell it in a timeout and everyone would go, Oh, is that my job? Oh, geez. It's everyone's job.
01:00:37
Speaker
It is everyone's job. But it, yeah, it's like you said, when Glenn's there, it's, you know, He is the presence. But, I mean, you mentioned Pender coming off the bench. And, i mean, yes, it's interesting that he doesn't start, but he is so good off the bench as well. And there's some players that are just so good off the bench.
01:00:57
Speaker
um Harrison Rayner at Sutherland is another one. Sutherland put him in the starting lineup one week and it was like six men. This man is a six man. um But, yeah, back to Pender. Yeah.
01:01:09
Speaker
He's, yeah, so much energy. he He was one that was fighting for Oboz a little bit. You know, he's, I think um the commentator said, you know, he's 6'5", plays 6'9", which is pretty pretty accurate. But, you know, he is only sick say only six five coming from He's not 6'10", Glenn Morrison is the thing. so But, I mean, he'll get out there and he always puts himself amongst it and that's why he's been, you know, one of the best young players in the league for a good couple of seasons now.
01:01:47
Speaker
He's, I mean, I actually wrote down that basically Cam Pender was what was keeping Canberra ahead, especially at the offensive end. Scoring, rebounding, just getting amongst it at every opportunity, which is what we've come to love about him.
01:02:04
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. And the commentators also made a good comment. Big dogs have got to eat in the second quarter. Big dogs have eat. Which I thought was great in the second quarter.
01:02:15
Speaker
But, yeah, Canberra's strengths offensively really came to fruition in the second quarter was their dribble penetration. Toohey could do what he liked. Mayfield could do what he liked. Pender was getting in there. a lot of um scoring opportunities when they get two feet in the paint. And if you have a look at the analysis stats online, you can see Canberra in those first two quarters had 16 and 14 points in the paint. And that all just came from that dribble penetration.
01:02:44
Speaker
Or if it wasn't directly from that, you know, TUI a couple of times would create something from the dribble penetration. and open up another opportunity to dump it inside to someone like Teddy and and off they go. So that was really, really working for them well. and i think But I think it did take Cam Pender coming off the bench to get it started.
01:03:04
Speaker
Oh, yeah, 100%. mean... um
01:03:09
Speaker
i mean
01:03:12
Speaker
I just think it it wasn't exactly polished all the time, but people were people were getting stuff done. Rento continued to be great. um I think Malok Majak really started becoming to come into his own in the second quarter, especially early in the second quarter. You know, he's No, not as much room protection, yet it gives him a chance to do a few more things. He had a couple of floaters where you probably expect maybe Glenn would, you know, come out and meet him just out, you know, just outside the restricted zone on a couple of those occasions. So I think they, in a West, I mean, i won't say, try by 12 at halftime, but, um
01:03:54
Speaker
yeah They didn't look like they were a team that was going to win this game, but they were doing there wouldt be enough good things to stay in it. And there were times where Canberra also didn't look like they were about to put them away either. um
01:04:11
Speaker
But, I mean, they they called a timeout late. I think it was at thirty six twenty eight And after they turned it over on the first possession out of the timeout, which ah is never good. they They did look a little better, um even if the scoring wasn't there.
01:04:28
Speaker
um It also felt like a game where, when I saw the turnover numbers, they looked low. it did It felt like the teams were turning the ball over more, but I think they were getting it poked away and saving it themselves kind of thing on a lot of occasions.
01:04:47
Speaker
Yeah, turnovers are really interesting and I might touch on it because I wrote something about turnovers. I'll touch on my point about turnovers at the end. But well what I want to add for the second quarter from the Bulls, um I mentioned that I like Cooper Wilkes in the starting line-up again for the Bulls, but the couple of times I've seen them play now, i'm like, oh, just give him a couple more minutes because if he's not scoring, he's still doing the right things. He's still setting good screens. He's still in the right position to be a receiver on the offensive end. He's someone that still has that broad presence ah for rim protection defensively. And him with Majak, that's in this second quarter when they were on together and Brefo because Brefo's got hops and lengths for days.
01:05:34
Speaker
That's when I was like, oh Gunners could be in trouble here if they don't get these matchups right because Majak, Like this kid, I have to have a quick Google. I know I've watched him play up here in the north for last couple seasons.
01:05:51
Speaker
But he hasn't had any, out from what I could see, I don't think he's had any, um not trial, but like i don't know if he's on any NBL radars.
01:06:04
Speaker
Because I know this is only one game and he had a hell of a game and he did a great job of being able to exploit some of Canberra's um shortcomings on the inside, pun intended.
01:06:15
Speaker
ah But um he has some tremendous potential and some versatility about him. So i'm like, can he get this guy on a train on squad for the NBL? Surely by now, surely. yeah Yeah. I mean, there's so many players where they never get announced and they're just training players or whatever. and maybe he's on there, but i yeah, I can't really remember him being like officially announced as a DP or extra player or anything like that. No.
01:06:42
Speaker
no but yeah this is kind of where I was like oh this is this is where inner west can really have a stronghold over Canberra is this presence inside and the youngsters of Canberra who have been part of that squad and learning from Glenn for the last few years had an opportunity to challenge them a little bit so that that that it was either you you either step up now and you challenge them and you take your own space in the key or you hide away. And I think when we get to the back end of the game, unfortunately it was a little bit of the ladder, but yeah, I balls was still really disciplined, plenty of team ball, lots of space. I think in the past when watching some balls teams, um,
01:07:24
Speaker
They've relied on some of their key players just to be generating everything. But I felt like their sharing of the ball was still really, really good up to half-time. Just maybe not connecting as much as they would have liked. Only scoring 13 points in that second quarter, of the Bulls, with Canberra winning the second quarter 20-13.
01:07:44
Speaker
But still ah a lot of room for improvement, but definitely not terrible. No, no, no, definitely not. Like you said, room for improvement, definitely not terrible. And as we'll see, after half time, they are certainly did improve to the in West Bulls.
01:08:04
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. So do you have any other notes on the second quarter before we get stuck into the second half? um No, no. i think I think I covered just about everything that I had noted down.
01:08:19
Speaker
So think third quarter is where I got a little bit more. second I think the second half in general is a very it's a very interesting half of basketball from both teams' ah perspective and not for the same reasons, unfortunately.
01:08:35
Speaker
Yes, that is correct. This is where my note-taking started to become more frequent. Third quarter, ah I will have to give another shout to the commentary team.
01:08:45
Speaker
One of the colour commentators saying, TJ needs to enter this game and knock down some threes. o Because 100% yes. Because both teams shot quite poorly from the three-point line this game. But also, TJ could knock a three.
01:09:03
Speaker
With the best of them back in the day, i still remember him watching him play for the Sydney Kings when he had the stint of being our development officer as well at Central Coast Basketball many moons ago, could still knock him down, could smoke a dart out the front, could knock 10 threes in a row when he comes back. Like he could ball. He could ball.
01:09:24
Speaker
um So this is where I want to talk about turnovers. Mm-hmm. The turnovers for the game for each team, I think Canberra ended up with 12 turnovers.
01:09:36
Speaker
Not bad. Bulls ended up with 15. Also, not bad. Not great. However, midway through the third quarter, Canberra Gunners only had three turnovers for the game.
01:09:49
Speaker
And they ended up with 12. Yeah. Guys, what's going on? Yeah, they... And some of them were just almost mind-boggling or just like lackadaisical.
01:10:08
Speaker
one I think the commentator actually used the same word to describe it. Yeah. um I think a lot of them, I don't think a lot of these turnovers either came from a significant change in defensive pressure from the Bulls.
01:10:26
Speaker
it came from people perhaps playing a little bit out of position different combinations that maybe weren't used to playing with each other or didn't have quite have the chemistry down yet and a lot of miscommunication in the stretch of this game Evan was still playing point guard he kind of threw a turnover away and a miscommunication, I think, on a Will Mayfield cut, and you could see he started to get frustrated, which, um look, I wouldn't expect Evan to really be in that point guard position, but also the Gunners aren't really one to get that frustrated with each other either, so they were definitely having an off day.
01:11:03
Speaker
they They certainly were, and, you know, there was um it was one where I think it was Angus Byatt just caught the ball up high, and he's ball just threw his hand. was just like, as soon as he caught the ball, he went to go up with it and the ball just kept going. I was like, oh, okay.
01:11:19
Speaker
So, you know, it's just just little things like that. And then um I think what was most emblematic of um Canberra having an off day was Mayfield attempting to set a screen on the left wing and running Brefo straight in to the guy with the ball and getting called for an offensive foul. was like, yeah, okay.
01:11:45
Speaker
This, yeah, this this is an off day. But I also wrote down that point of play in the third quarter for a different reason. Because after Mayfield was called for that foul, he goes off and signals people are mouthing off. but It looks like he's doing the chicken dance down down the court, which I thought was really funny. So he's gone he's going to fake the screen. He shoved off Brefo. He's got called for the offensive foul.
01:12:12
Speaker
Mayfield and Brefo are having a bit of ah a bit of a chat and Mayfield's walking down past his free throw line, kind of waving it chit-chat, chit-chat motion with his hands flapping and it looks like he was doing the chicken dance and I thought that was hilarious.
01:12:28
Speaker
Oh, I wish I'd have to go back and watch that now. Or not now. Yeah. It was so funny. ah If I remember to, maybe I can clip it up and just meme it somehow. um But, ah you know, West Bulls, they just kept doing what they doing.
01:12:47
Speaker
Clark was cutting like a knife on the offensive end. Jeez, Louise, he is a knife through butter when he's at full speed. i was I also kind of thought maybe the more scoring opportunities could have been created for him.
01:13:03
Speaker
especially in this second quarter, kind of quiet in the first in the first half. But then again, when you have other people in your team stepping up and getting the job done anyway, it doesn't matter who's getting points on the board as long as you get the win at the end of the day.
01:13:17
Speaker
um And the other interesting thing I thought from Gunners was that Mayfield and Tuohy were off at the same time. that's Yeah, that's an interesting one.
01:13:29
Speaker
Just for the, not even for the playing, just having one of them out there to, know, control things, to like just the lead in general.
01:13:41
Speaker
You know, when you huddle up, who's talking? yeah Yeah. Yeah. They need an anchor. They need some leadership on there. um So, yeah, that was interesting they're off at the same time.
01:13:51
Speaker
But then coming back to Clark, just when I thought, hey, this guy needs some more shooting options, he hits that huge three with 30 seconds to go in the third quarter. Again, i would clip that up for a highlight reel personally, but it's probably not going to get priority over some of the big dunks that we get week in, week out.
01:14:11
Speaker
Yeah. and And then you want to talk Canberra turnovers and lackadaisicals. Straight off that three, Mayfield just puts it out just too far in front of Pender.
01:14:25
Speaker
And it goes all the way across court and into the middle of nowhere. And that's yeah not even being really defended. It's just, you know, misplaced but misplayed pass.
01:14:38
Speaker
This is why I think they were just a little bit out of sync, little bit not on the same page this game. Like they just it was they just entered the upside down somehow because it was the same but different, but not good different. So this third quarter i was a low score quarter for both teams.
01:14:55
Speaker
Wasn't Audi? it Wasn't good different? No, it definitely wasn't Audi. I won't hear a bad word about Audi. Love that place. Yeah. Yeah, low scoring quarter for both teams. Gunners lost this quarter eight points to 16. That's messy.
01:15:13
Speaker
And I went back with this eight points. So yeah here in the third quarter, the Gunners only took four shots.
01:15:24
Speaker
And I thought that was wrong. I thought that was wrong. I told the shot chart. No, it is wrong. The Gunners misses are in white circles.
01:15:35
Speaker
on the shot chart. is wrong. Okay, that makes a lot more sense. Because i hope there was two shots on the shot chart in one quarter that intersect each other. And I was like, why is this circle like broken? It's like the miss next to it was a white. Yeah, they use white circles on the white background for the gunners misses.
01:15:51
Speaker
yeah okay that makes a lot more sense because i'm like surely i'm not going back to watch the third quarter because i ain't got time but surely they didn't take only four shots in that quarter because i recorded it ended up being a two or two a three and a free throw to make the eight points yeah um but the other thing is i know in the fourth quarter it looks like on the shot chart they shot only six shots but I know that James Tui had a corner three and it's not recorded at all on the shot chart.
01:16:20
Speaker
That was what I went looking. As soon as I saw that James Tui corner of three, I was like, so something about I wanted to see the shot chart for some reason. And I was like, where's Tui's corner three?
01:16:33
Speaker
It's just not there. <unk>s Yeah, I think it's in a white circle. Yeah, it's very, very frustrating. I'm hovering my cursor over that area right now to try and find the Miss James 2E3, and I don't think it's actually even recorded.
01:16:47
Speaker
oh okay. So was like four shots in the third from the Gunners. ah Yeah, roll the tape. Roll the tape. Yeah. So the Gunners as well. Maybe that's something we should have had in discussion points. Can we get contrasting colours for the shot chart, please? Please.
01:17:05
Speaker
Please. Small things make a big difference. They do. um But, yes, we talked about, you know, the Gunners had 30 points in the paint in the first half and then only two come the sick that come the third quarter and only six in the second half in total. So they just completely went away from What was working from them was that dribble penetration we spoke about before. um But inner west, again, they just kept grinding it out. They just kept sticking to their game plan, doing what they were doing, 10 points in the paint in the third, 10 in the fourth quarter, 40 of their total, 67 points were in the paint this game.
01:17:48
Speaker
Mega.
01:17:50
Speaker
Recognise that there was a ah a certain Brindabella beacon not there causing havoc for them in the paint? took advantage. Yeah. And I've got some stats to share with the fourth fourth quarter for the inner West bulls when we get to that. um But other than that, for the third, that's all I had for the third. Have you got any more notes for the third?
01:18:12
Speaker
ah My final note on the third quarter was that was a train wreck. It was absolutely captivating. okay
01:18:22
Speaker
You know, when you say you see a car crash or a train wreck when you drive by, you just got to look. Parts of it were that. Unfortunately, out most of it was the Gunners.
01:18:33
Speaker
Oh, it was just so unlike them. was so bizarre. It really was. But I just think I do You go. think Inner West kind of keyed into it as well. Like, they started like, especially as we roll into the fourth quarter, I think they started realising that,
01:18:50
Speaker
Camper's passing is just not good today. Let's actually, like, they weren't even really jumping passing delays to start with and didn't do it a whole lot. But they started to, like, creep up on things and, you know, put them under a little bit more pressure. I think they really started noticing. yeah These guys are not passing the ball well today.
01:19:09
Speaker
No, not at all. Not at all. And I really admire the Inner West Bulls for sticking to their game plan and their team principles. No one was playing hero ball. But their mentality just looked really calm and collected the whole
Game Highlights and Analysis
01:19:22
Speaker
game as well. Maybe it wasn't like that on the court.
01:19:25
Speaker
There was that little momentary chicken dance with Mayfield and and Brefo having a a bit of a chit-chat after that offensive foul. But otherwise, everyone looks like they really cool head from the Inner West Bulls. So credit to them.
01:19:41
Speaker
Let's get stuck into the fourth where the Inner but West Bulls, for me, statistically really started to shine. um For the game, the Inner West Bulls had 19 second chance points.
01:19:54
Speaker
you know Seven of those 19 came in the fourth quarter. So the hustle was real for these guys, and I think exactly what you said before, um they started to pick up that, you know, Canberra's not really on the game, getting a little bit sloppy with their passers.
01:20:10
Speaker
This is our time to make lemonade out of their lemons. They also shot 71.3% from the two-point range in the fourth quarter, which I think certainly made up for their 23% overall from the three-point line.
01:20:26
Speaker
um Yeah, and they just apparently shot 19 shots in the third and 12 shots in the fourth. But as we discussed, who knows with the shot chart. Hopefully their shot chart's a little bit more reliable given that they're You can see um their burgundy color a lot more clearer on online.
01:20:48
Speaker
um But, that yeah, so their stats were really outstanding in this fourth quarter. In terms of notes, ah Yeah, i had I had no other notes for Bulls. They just really got it together.
01:21:04
Speaker
Statistically, was great in the fourth. um For the game as well, I think one of the stats that is really going to probably sting Coach Herrick for the Gunners is not only the 19 second chance points, but the 17 offensive rebounds that the Bulls got. 17 over four.
01:21:23
Speaker
Five of the 17... ah Yeah, five of the 17 O boards were just Majak alone.
01:21:36
Speaker
he's That's a lot. Yeah, you and he's the one you need to be aware of. Yeah, that's a lot. That's a lot. um Credit to Inner West as well. They got to the line 16 times, so four more times than the Gunners, and the Gunners only getting to the line 12 times is a little bit lower for them as well. um And 51 rebounds overall to Canberra Gunners, 39 for the game. so dominating possession at that end as well. Both teams having pretty low assist counts with 13 and 12 for Gunners and Bulls respectively. but yeah, statistically...
01:22:15
Speaker
It all went really well for the Bulls and this is how they really closed out the game. Gunners stopped scoring. Bulls just kept doing what they were doing and doing it even better than what they did in the first. I mean, even early in the fourth, I wrote down that it just didn't feel like Canberra were going to do enough to win unless Inner West suddenly didn't take advantage.
01:22:35
Speaker
And like you said, Inner West kept doing their thing and eventually they took advantage. It took, I mean, it came right down to the wire. Yeah. what the hell was that tech foul on Max Clark?
01:22:49
Speaker
Yeah, I think maybe he was just talking a little bit too much, getting a little bit chippy. um I think maybe just in the heat of the game. But I actually wrote down that tech for also another reason.
01:23:01
Speaker
Because i thought the commentator said that he broke the plane, but he was defending like, i don't know, he was like 30 feet away from the play. So was he standing like... ah like he Was he standing just really close to the line or stepping back in? And he you know he broke the plane while the ball was being thrown. up i But I've never seen anyone do that. So i wasn't I'm not aware of the intricacies of the rule. If you actually have to be actively guarding the man but an inbound to get called for you know reaching over the line. Or if you just if you reach over the line, that's reaching over the line. Doesn't matter where you are.
01:23:37
Speaker
That makes a lot more sense because the commentator said, oh, the referees haven't been calling that all game. So it was a little bit uncharacteristic for them to call it all of a sudden now, especially in the context of that fourth quarter to call a tech there and then.
01:23:52
Speaker
Yeah, it was very, yeah. And I mean, it was obviously the cameras on the close-up shot of the inbounds too. And there was no Inno West player within Kui of it. So, yeah, i new one for me. Yeah.
01:24:05
Speaker
Yeah, it was it was very interesting. It tied the game up when Canberra hit the free throw. but But that's what, are similar to Will Mayfield's foul in the third, i actually wrote down this tech foul in the fourth for a different reason. i don't know if you noticed, but by the time the camera, you know, we saw the tech foul called, the camera was Max Clark, the commentators made a comment about it.
01:24:29
Speaker
That was all happening. Tui was already lined up for the free throw. he was he had He had pitched a 10 at that free throw line. He was so quick. As soon as the tech was called, it's like he was there. He was ready to go, lining up his elbow. I thought that was hilarious where we've only just learnt of the tech foul and Tui's already ready to shoot and shot.
01:24:52
Speaker
The man knows his role. He does. You and you mentioned 17 offensive rebounds.
01:25:04
Speaker
Very next play, Louis Bleachmore. Put-back jam, offensive rebound off the missed basket by Max Clark.
01:25:13
Speaker
Gunners, you had your opportunity. Max Clark missed the shot and you let the guy in to throw it down.
01:25:23
Speaker
and And the Canberra Gunners tried to make, they picked up the defensive intensity, but only in the last 90 seconds. They were scrambling. They had a lot more high energy. They were really kind of rattling. I'm like, it's too late. i suppose you lived dad on Five minutes ago. i think that's what I wrote down. I was like, where was this? This is, you know, where has this been all game?
01:25:45
Speaker
And even the commentator made it, one of the commentators made a really good point saying, oh, I would have liked to have seen the Gunners back into that 1-2-2 press after the James Toohey free throw or maybe even a free throw before that just to try and generate some more turnovers, some more layups, something. Because we know that the Gunners are really good at closing out fourth quarters usually and it's because of their defensive intensity. you know, they've been able to keep teams to 10 points in the fourth quarter and they go and score twenty six yeah It's just the upside down today.
01:26:19
Speaker
Not happening. It's not happening. The other thing I know. Sorry, yeah you go ahead. No, you go ah Sorry, i was just going to say the other thing I noticed as well was the personnel that was on for the Gunners at this part of the game.
01:26:34
Speaker
So Angus Byatt, Teddy, great starts to the game. They looked a lot more confident playing in those four five spots, being a present under the basket, taking their scoring opportunities. They went on to close out the game though.
01:26:50
Speaker
I would have liked to have seen them back on and maybe putting a little bit more reprint pressure on the rim or a bit a little bit more rim protection and being another scoring option for the likes of Pender, Mayfield, Toohey off the dribble penetration because there was even one possession where Cam Pender drove. He probably had a shot, but he also saw Will Rice was maybe open. Mm-hmm.
01:27:13
Speaker
And Will Rice could have been open had he stepped into it and backed himself. And then he just kind of hid behind the and defenders and it was another turnover. So kind of like this is an opportunity of who's ready to step up and close this game out.
01:27:28
Speaker
um Yeah, I kind of thought like the the the combo at the end was an interesting choice. No, that's 100% fair enough because i especially Teddy early early doors was so good. and um Yeah.
01:27:47
Speaker
But um I did think it was very fitting, though, that i Jasper Rentoy had the final free throws. I thought he he he deserved to go out on like that game on a high.
01:27:58
Speaker
Coming off the bench, 13 points, controlling the offense, had i had a late late three to actually give the inner-west the lead before that um tech foul free throw, which...
01:28:12
Speaker
um I thought was beautiful. He's off the ball moving on that play. I just followed him. It was like player camp. Just gave the ball off, did basically a lap of the court and shot over James Tui. He's at the three that put put in a west up.
01:28:26
Speaker
So four very good quarters for Jasper Rentoy. Yeah, and think he only played 17 minutes. Yeah, 17 minutes, seconds, points, two rebounds fifty four percent from the field um Yeah, he's a player that ah he's super quick.
01:28:51
Speaker
I think he needs to find a team that's willing to run with him. Fair, fair. Because sometimes, like, his strength is that you get a defensive rebound, you get it to him, you run together. He's going to get it to you in the right spot. He's going to set the tone and the pace.
01:29:09
Speaker
But he needs a team that's willing to do that with him. isn' it Isn't Inner West's slogan run with us? I mean, if if they're the Bulls, then yeah, that sounds right. That sounds right.
01:29:24
Speaker
so yeah, let's come on, guys. Get together. um But other outstanding performers, yeah, Majak played nearly the full game, 19 points, 16 rebounds. As I mentioned, five of those 16 rebounds were offensive.
01:29:43
Speaker
Also two assists. He shot at 40% overall, um just having that presence on the inside. And only one foul, so managed to stay in the game, which is good.
01:29:56
Speaker
yeah And then Cooper Wilkes, only 16 minutes, four points, two rebounds, maybe some room um for a few more minutes. But obviously Corbana Breffo,
01:30:11
Speaker
10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 5 from 6 from the field. Like just doing a little bit of everything right and just playing so well on defence and really making life difficult for Will Mayfield.
01:30:25
Speaker
Yeah, no, he was he's been great and he's been good for a long time and he deserves that captaincy next to his name as well. because That's what you want from Alita. Come out and do your job well.
01:30:38
Speaker
Yeah, and set the tone for the rest of your team. Yeah, I really enjoyed This is probably one of the most enjoyable in a West Bulls men's game I've watched in a while, probably since the CB Blake Morrow era, I will say.
01:30:52
Speaker
um It was really nice as well that nearly everyone from the roster, it says James Kodak, he didn't get on. Yeah, James didn't, but Joseph did. Yeah.
01:31:04
Speaker
yeah So nearly everyone on the Inner West Bulls roster got a run. Nearly everyone got on the score sheet as well. So as soon as some of the bench players making the most of their minutes, put Chippen in those extra points, that was really, really nice to see. Nearly the whole Gunners bench as well got a run. You had Cam Pender leading the way for them with 19 points and 10 rebounds, seven from 11.
01:31:28
Speaker
Probably could shot a few more, just being the good team player that he is and trying to share the ball around a bit. Yeah.
01:31:37
Speaker
And then, yeah, Angus Byatt putting in some good minutes, 9-4-2. James Toohey had a really great start to this game, 12 points, four rebounds, two assists, and just being the good leader that he is as well. um But, yeah, it was ah a little bit of an unexpected game from the Gunners, but a really solid win and consistent win from Bulls.
01:32:05
Speaker
think that's a very, very good way to our sum it up. And interestingly, I'm just looking at season stats, which I'm not sure if ah I have to go back and check but last season would be a good check cons considering they are won it all last season to see what they're... So last season, the Gunners shot 36.6% from range as a team.
01:32:32
Speaker
They shot 15% in that game, but they're also only shooting 29% from three-point range as a team for the entire season.
01:32:40
Speaker
Yeah. that um That's a surprise. And I'm not too sure. have you Have you got the stats in front of you of attempts? Like are they just shooting more this season and perhaps increasing their chances of more misses if you're shooting more?
01:32:58
Speaker
So last season 29 attempts per game.
01:33:05
Speaker
This season 32 attempts per game. So don't know, maybe they're putting up some lower percentage looks, whereas Maybe with having had Glenn out for, you know, he he was out at the start of the season as well and now a few weeks. Are they, you know, sometimes where they'd be throwing it into Glenn, are they now putting up a lower percentage three-point look instead? Something like that?
01:33:33
Speaker
Definitely a possibility. But, you know, got guys that can shoot on this team. We know that. Yeah, it just was not their shooting day. Even Darnell Hoskins Jr. couldn't really get his motor running this game, unfortunately. Right.
01:33:47
Speaker
But we'd love to see some high-low action maybe from the Gunners. They've got guys like Teddy and Angus who can play those stretch ball positions or can play inside, maybe use that to their strength. But, ah yeah, in the West Bulls, I really hope they can make a ah solid run to the finals. But, yeah, like we mentioned earlier,
01:34:11
Speaker
They have North and Manly to finish their season, which just seems so unfair. And Sharks. Sharks, North, Manly are their last three games of the season. That's messy.
01:34:22
Speaker
Oh, going out with a bang, but that is tough. Yeah. Hey, look, if you're not if you're not playing them at the end of the regular season to make finals, you're going to have to play them and beat them in finals. So either to have to face these teams if you want to... ah you want to make it all the way so just beat them whenever you face them beat who's in front you that's what we say we say this so often just win just like just win just go out and win gosh come on guys it's not that hard it's not that hard norse norse women keep doing it
Upcoming Coverage and International Basketball Discussion
01:35:00
Speaker
just be like them
01:35:04
Speaker
But, yeah, round 12, we already went through some of the games to look forward to in both men's and women's competition for round 12.
01:35:13
Speaker
I think we'll have a tough time or a fun time picking our next East Scott game of the week. But, Lockie, where can we hear you commentate this weekend? I will be at the home of hoops, Alexandria Basketball Stadium, calling Comets versus Inner West. Is it not? It is Comets versus Inner West. So men at 5.30, women at 7.30. So, you know, thanks, Squin. We've just done my half my research for the week.
01:35:41
Speaker
Oh, I live to give, mate. No problem. ah um I've got a game the week. Oh, you've got a game of the week and fever stuff to do. Yeah, because I like to make life harder for myself.
01:35:55
Speaker
So I've got a game of the week on Saturday at Orkinflower. We've got the Brisbane Capitals and the Gold Coast Rollers, so I'll be covering the women's game. And then I'll be racing home to get ready for my first game of the FIBA Men's u seventeen World Cup in Turkey. I've got Venezuela and Corte d'Ivoire.
01:36:19
Speaker
Two nations we don't see a lot in basketball circles. I was discussing this um during the Southern COE game, because I think the Aussies have got Cote d'Ivoire in their group in men's and women's.
01:36:32
Speaker
um Yeah. Yeah. Which, you see when we think, like we see Mali a lot, we see Nigeria a lot, but don't know if I've seen Cote d'Ivoire much before.
01:36:46
Speaker
I've only commentated their games when it's like FIBA Afro Basket tournament. no I've definitely covered them a couple of times in those types of tournaments, but not at a World Cup. I've never commentated Venezuela at a World Cup, so I'm really keen to see what they what they bring.
01:37:04
Speaker
um but yeah, you're right. When it comes to African nations at World Cups, regardless of the age group, it is usually Mali, Nigeria, Canada, Who's the other one that I was going to mention?
01:37:17
Speaker
um Angola. for Yeah, angon Angola have had a long history of being in the Men's World Cup back in the day because their president or prime minister was a huge basketball fan and intentionally put lots of money into the men's basketball program. Yeah.
01:37:37
Speaker
But, yeah, so Cameroon as well is making an appearance at this men's FIBA Basketball World Cup as well. so A nation that's developed a few players over the years.
01:37:48
Speaker
Not all of them play for Cameroon, but.
01:37:53
Speaker
but we We won't hold that against them. So, yeah, and I've also then on Sunday I've got Serbia and Venezuela in the men's too. So looking forward to getting some of those names down pat.
01:38:07
Speaker
What people don't know about FIBA Games is that we don't have the roster until a day before the tournament starts. So we have 24 hours not only to learn the correct pronunciations but also to try and do any kind of research on who these players actually are.
01:38:24
Speaker
ah About 16-year-old Venezuelan basketball players. Correct, correct. Get ready to learn Spanish, buddy. Yep, and lucky I did Spanish 101 in 2007, so I'm going to bring that out of the back of my brain. But, yeah, that's where you can hear me. So for the next couple of weeks I'll be on fever duties here and there. So um listen out or I'll try and put them on my personal Instagram if you want to stay up to date. But, yeah, looking forward to getting trolled by all the men when I do these men's games.
01:38:57
Speaker
Yeah. FIBA, just turn off the live chat on the YouTube site. Well, no, ah our part of our job is to engage with the live chat, so it will never get turned off. Oh, deary me.
01:39:11
Speaker
There we go. Yeah, that's okay. Look, we've got lots of NBL 1A still to look forward to. weve got some FIBA to look forward to. Make sure you tune in to the FIBA Men's and Women's U17 World Cup over the next couple of weeks because our COE athletes will be on display on the world stage. And you can watch all of the games on the Phoebe YouTube channel. so Beautiful. If you you can't watch them live, they'll still be up there that you can watch later.
01:39:37
Speaker
Excellent. But otherwise, my friend, enjoy your weekend, round 12 of NBL One East. And what's the good word that we need to tell the punters out there?
01:39:49
Speaker
Look, I keep telling you, don't sleep on the East.