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Season 3 Episode 19: He's gonna eat! NBL1 East 2025 QF and EF
34 Plays19 days ago
News, headlines and reviews from he NBL1 Eas 2025 EF and QF - were there any surprises?
Discussions about the announced NBL1 Eas 2025 Awards
NBL1 SF previews - who you got?!
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Social Media Engagement
00:00:38
Speaker
Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of East Got Game where we give you the X's, the O's and the insights of the NBL One East competition.
00:00:49
Speaker
Thanks for joining us tonight live on YouTube and Instagram and remember you can subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram and Facebook at East Got Game.
00:01:02
Speaker
or you can continue to find our episodes on your preferred streaming platforms.
Finals Season Preview and Discussions
00:01:07
Speaker
On this week's episode, we'll be covering the first round of finals and the controversies surround controversy, the chat, the gossip surrounding the season awards and also some of the players included or not included in the finals series that has happened in the last week. It's been a very, very...
00:01:31
Speaker
ah A very eventful week, Lockie. A very eventful week. I feel like there's enough for, i don't know, a double episode of your favourite TV series. Isn't this everyone's favourite TV series?
00:01:45
Speaker
Yes, that's true. It's everyone's favourite TV series. Yeah, that's true. That's true. You're right. and It really has been an eventful week. I mean, in addition to finals, I mean, um might just get a little bit light on
Devo Hickey Debate and Finals Mode
00:01:59
Speaker
the subject.
00:01:59
Speaker
um Yeah, in addition to it just being finals, yeah, we just, ah yeah, dropping the player reward, the end of season award player and coach awards. And then, of course, the... ah The Devo Hickey saga debate storyline, which we will get into in a bit. But yes, a lot going on outside of just the the eight games that were played.
00:02:23
Speaker
Well, before we quickly get into the headlines from the round, we've got a sport for our ah for our viewers that are watching us live on the streaming platforms. Let's just show off our jumpers that we've got right now.
00:02:36
Speaker
ah tell the Tell the fine folk what jumper you're wearing. I'm wearing my 2022 NBL one finals, ah national finals jumper, which was the inaugural national finals that Squin and I, we both got to commentate at.
00:02:51
Speaker
Squin, what hoodie are you wearing? Yes, and I am wearing the NBL1 National Finals hoodie from 2024, which I was lucky to commentate at last year when it was held on the Sunshine Coast. ah It's something that you wouldn't think you'd need living in Queensland, but it's definitely come in handy.
00:03:11
Speaker
I think the first time I wore it since I got it last year was this most recent winter. It's still got the the good fluff.
Sutherland's Performance and Game Strategies
00:03:18
Speaker
ah But yeah, just so happens that we're in finals mode.
00:03:21
Speaker
We certainly are. And, yep, first headline at the top ah for this first finals round, upsets in Bankstown and Bruce, or were they lucky?
00:03:35
Speaker
I don't think so. Especially the one in Canberra, or in Bruce. I didn't want to know whether to go Bankstown and Bruce or Condell Park in Canberra, but... Because ah the Bruins Lair is in Condell Park. But yes, definitely are definitely not the game at the AIS. that was I think that was always, despite who was hosting, I think that was always a Canberra Gunners favourite.
00:04:00
Speaker
um The Bankstown one, maybe a little more, partially because of how packed it got there. The atmosphere was absolutely rocking.
00:04:12
Speaker
And... um for Sutherland to get over Bankstown with their sixth rallying behind them. That's massive. And Sutherland, they've had their skids and now are they having one of their good streaks? I mean, I think they're up to four wins on the trot now after having a terrible, terrible couple of, ah well, they dropped three games and then they dropped, well, they dropped one and almost and lost others. They almost lost others. They should have blown teams out. So,
00:04:43
Speaker
maybe Maybe Sutherland just like finishing in the bottom half of the eight. They make it really hard for themselves, don't they? I feel like they've done this a couple of years now in the NBL 1 East. We spoke in an earlier episode about how Sutherland, I think, finished sixth or eighth.
00:05:00
Speaker
I would have been sixth at the time ah in the year that they went on to win the championship. So it's almost like they love the...
Bankstown Atmosphere and Player Analysis
00:05:07
Speaker
Well, they don't love, but they happen to put this extra extra pressure on themselves to perform at the right and time and peak at the right time to get themselves to finals. But looking looking back at our run sheet from last week, we also did try and tip who was going to win each final. You did tip the Sharkies in that clash against Bankstown, and I tipped Bankstown.
00:05:30
Speaker
ah So yeah you've got one on the on the board there, Lockie. That's awesome. Yeah, that's that's one. But ah if we look at the game at the Snake Pit, it definitely didn't get which we'll touch on a bit later. But, that yeah, that game at Bankstown, I feel like ah if they had the opportunity, it could have done with a bigger venue.
00:05:53
Speaker
But at the same time, the atmosphere with the huge crowd, people standing on the neighbouring court adding extra crowd, it had a really, really unique atmosphere and it looked amazing.
00:06:05
Speaker
Yeah, it had like one of those, you know, the old school packed out venue kind of thing when, um you know, maximum occupancy limits were we're not invented yet.
00:06:18
Speaker
No, no. It would almost be worthwhile getting to the stadium an hour early just to park your, just to reserve a seat because they there's no tickets. There's no ticketed seats at these things. No.
00:06:30
Speaker
And, yeah, so we also both tipped Canberra to win against the COE in that quarterfinal as well. So we we we both picked that one right as well. But, yeah, Canberra just, I mean, when they're at their best, they're really hard to beat regardless of who you got.
00:06:48
Speaker
Yeah, and now that Campenda is back and – back to full fitness, full strength, 17 and 13 in that win. And then you just get, it feels like every so often they just get one player who just steps up. And on this occasion, it was um Derek Emelifonwu who had 19 points in this game.
00:07:07
Speaker
And sometimes it just takes that one extra player to step up each game. doesn't have to the same guy every game. But on this occasion, he stepped up with 19 points and helped them over the line. Yeah, it was a convincing win too, 72 to 88.
00:07:23
Speaker
Big 25-point fourth quarter for the Gunners. And I know that Cam Pender was certainly missed during the regular season, but ah i bet you Coach Pete Herrick is ah very happy that he is back at the right time as well.
00:07:37
Speaker
Oh, yeah they yeah, they've got a humming now. I mean, yeah, those, yeah, Tui, Mayfield, Emily von Wur, Morrison, and Pender
Elimination Finals Recap and Team Dynamics
00:07:45
Speaker
all played 29 minutes or more. So you can tell that that's ah that's the that's pretty much the ah the team that's going to get it done with a little bit of help from the rest.
00:07:58
Speaker
And as for the other so the other elimination finals, you know, Centre of Excellence had Canberra Nationals in the women's competition, COE winning that one. We had the Bankstown Bruins women versus the Maitland Mustangs. So it was really going off at the Bruins lair with the men and women playing in finals.
00:08:16
Speaker
um both elimination finals. Bruins getting up 77 to 73. And then in the other elimination final for the men, it was Norse Bears 81, Manly Warringah Seagulls 73.
00:08:31
Speaker
Any surprises in in those three games in terms of results? ah I don't think any surprises. yeah but The thing with how the finals are set up where you don't play like 1v8 and it's like, you know, massive seating differences.
00:08:46
Speaker
So a lot of times these games are like, oh, that's not a surprise, but you wouldn't have been surprised either way kind of thing. Yeah. so we were We were in the fire at the Eagles' nest watching the end of Manly versus North's men ah on Saturday night.
00:09:02
Speaker
um We were keeping tabs on Manly were up for a bit in that and that men's game. um I think, yeah, they were up 45-36 at halftime, but big quarter, 28-15. And think it's big third quarter twenty eight fifteen and i think thats There's a thing with these elimination finals, and you said it you said it about Bainstown-Sutherland, man, but he just there's a lot of teams there that you're like, oh, can they just have one more game? you know Maybe it was a bad matchup for them. Oh, can you just give them one more chance?
00:09:36
Speaker
Yeah, especially with that that manly men's team or kind of like the Hills Hornets women's team for me where they were just kind of clicking at the right time. They had some ups and downs they were coming good towards the end, but it was perhaps just a little bit too late.
00:09:48
Speaker
ah But, yeah, we also spoke last episode as ah when we were previewing these finals games. ah What version of Iggy Mitchell were we going to get in this matchup? And we got...
00:10:01
Speaker
The traditional, the original, the OG Iggy Mitchell. He had 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. So probably one of his best performances of the
Semifinals Strategy and Player Insights
00:10:11
Speaker
season. Yeah, really good. And ah they're going to need it again from him against COE in the semifinals down there at the AIS.
00:10:21
Speaker
Yeah, that is going to be one tough matchup as well. And so just having a look at our predictions, ah we both predicted the COE to win the women's final against the Canberra Nationals, and that was a bit of a whitewash.
00:10:34
Speaker
When it came to the Bankstown women versus the Maitland women, um you picked Bankstown, I picked Maitland. So we did well there. You picked right. And then we both picked Northmen.
00:10:47
Speaker
Oh, actually, no, I think I... You flaked on this call. Oh, I flaked. Oh, I flaked hard. Yeah. Yeah. um Yeah. So you picked north and you you you picked right again. So yeah you're on a roll here, Lockie, with your predictions.
00:11:02
Speaker
ah I went pretty chalky, to be honest. Yeah. yeah that's like That's fair enough. In these circumstances, I think that's fair enough. But i will I will say that I did pick Hunter Goodrick to dominate and he did not lead the points or the rebounds. So shout out to Iggy Mitchell and Lachlan Bofinger because Bofinger got 11, 16 and 6 off the bench in that one. So that was huge for him.
00:11:29
Speaker
Yeah, that's amazing. That's really, that's what I like about finals time as well is that there's a different kind of atmosphere around it, a little bit of level of unpredictability, and you'll just have those kind of games where someone from the bench is just bursting to have like a breakout game and happens it happens at finals time.
00:11:49
Speaker
Yeah. And then in the qualifying finals, as we mentioned, the COE men defeated by the Canberra Gunners. In the women's side, the Norse beare Bears played Newcastle Falcons and won 77-67.
00:12:05
Speaker
Manly Warringah Seagulls women beating Aubrey Wodonga Bandits women a hundred to eighty four Lights out in that game. And then in the men, the Hawkeys dominating the Sydney Comets, 116-76. Any surprises, anything outstanding in these qualifying finals results for you, Lachie?
00:12:27
Speaker
Not the result, but the 66-24 at halftime in the snake pit? I know noalli no Bawali, no Devo, but come on, guys. I mean, you better bring something better than that on Saturday night because um I'm calling Comet Sutherland, so I'm going to a big game that in that ah week two game there at Alexandria. Yeah, 66-24 at halftime of a finals game.
00:12:53
Speaker
um Yeah, that is. ah that is That's a statement. That is. Yeah, that that's the thing that sticks out is the, yeah, less than the result is the first half of I mean, the result itself is massive, but it was all built on, yeah, at halftime. That is just insanity.
00:13:13
Speaker
um I mean, I was up at the Eagles' nest calling the Manly versus Aubrey-Wodonga game. um I mean, the thing with Manly-Waringa is they – so what happened? Nate Curlin called a timeout with 55 seconds left in the first half.
00:13:29
Speaker
You know, can't take them with you. Draw something up. Let's finish the half strongly. I think they went on an 8-0 run after that timeout to end the quarter. So they were up 13 at halftime, 53 to 40, I think it was.
00:13:41
Speaker
And the thing with that Manly-Waring side is you can't let them get 13 ahead because they don't play bad enough for long enough stretches to pull back that margin.
00:13:54
Speaker
You have to be hanging with them the entire time. Because... Then they got it out to 20. All we got it back to 11 couple of times and it pushed out again and then ended at 16. So, yeah, you just can't let Manly Waringa get away from you.
00:14:10
Speaker
You have to play them close the whole way.
00:14:15
Speaker
Yeah, I totally agree. They're too good of a team for you, yeah, like you said, just to to get such a healthy lead. um And I think there's very few teams – in the women's competition that are able to the chip away at that lead to try and ah contest the lead and get it back to ah to even at least.
00:14:35
Speaker
ah But, yeah, it was ah really dominant performance from... from Manly. um I think Alex Delaney was back obviously in time and ready to go.
00:14:48
Speaker
Sounds like some supreme coaching from Nate Kerwin as well, ah but also from Sammy Mack given the high scoring of this game, 184.
00:15:01
Speaker
And obviously the stars were out as well for both teams with Taylor Wirtz. She's just peaking at the right time too. She had 27 points. And um Honey Badger with a big double-double of 18 and 13. Yeah.
00:15:14
Speaker
yeah I mean, she didn't play. So there was no Bullman, no Dickinson, no Zoe Miller in their last regular season game against COE. All three of those back, different beast.
00:15:26
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Shout out to Josie Buhlman for walking off the court after absolutely um legs came out on a rebound, jumping for a rebound and hit her back really hard.
00:15:39
Speaker
So if you've seen her, she's, she's up in training because we see her, see her videos on Insta and yeah.
Devo Hickey's Eligibility Controversy
00:15:46
Speaker
she She took a real hit. well It was straight up one of the scariest things I have seen whilst commentating a game, and she walked it off.
00:15:54
Speaker
Took a minute, she walked it off. I could not believe it. Oh, gosh. And she is arguably one of the strongest, if not the strongest, person in the conference.
00:16:05
Speaker
um So it must have been a pretty heavy hit, so I'm glad she was okay. um I just want to quickly – oh, actually – ah we're probably like We can probably and use this maybe to segue into the next kind of headline that we have um got scheduled.
00:16:24
Speaker
Just going back to that Illawarra Hawks-Sydney Comets men's game, it was really a bit of a statement as well in the stat lines with Anthony and Mundine III with 29 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
00:16:38
Speaker
Given that there was a lot of chatter and – outrage online that he wasn't nominated for Youth Player of the Year.
00:16:48
Speaker
ah So just some context as well around that. ah Understandably, his omission from the nominations is disappointing. Totally understand that. He's definitely improved a lot this season.
00:17:01
Speaker
He's gone up a level. He's contributing heaps more to this Comets team. ah Even before Bawali came back, And then way before we even knew Devo was coming back, he was already starting to establish himself as a bit more of a leader and contributor to this comments team.
00:17:18
Speaker
But Intel tells us that when you are nominating players for those types of awards like Youth Player of the Year, you can only nominate one person from your team. Mm-hmm.
00:17:33
Speaker
And someone has told us that from that Comets team, they didn't nominate him to be eligible for Youth Player of the Year. They nominated someone else in the team.
00:17:45
Speaker
So if it's coming from inside your camp that you're not putting a particular player forward to be considered. We can't then be upset that that said player is not in the final list of nominees because they weren't put forward in the first place.
00:18:02
Speaker
Fair. that's That's fair. Yeah, yeah. So I think sometimes, which, you know, it's just and off the record as well, i I'll do my little like do-moi kind of speech where I say this is all kind of alleged. Someone has just brought this to us. It's not confirmed by the club or the players or anything.
00:18:20
Speaker
But that's just to add some context when it comes to these awards because there are quite a few that have been – caused a little bit of outrage online. But before we even got to the war awards, Lockie, there was some other outrage from the Comets camp.
00:18:36
Speaker
um Yeah, there certainly was. ah Of course, we were all very excited to see Dave O'Higgie down in his old stomping ground at the Snake Pit in different colours, turning up for the Comets.
00:18:51
Speaker
And then we weren't because his...
FIBA Regulations and Player Movement
00:18:55
Speaker
waiver, exemption, whatever the correct terminology is, was denied. So he played five games, wanted an exemption for the other three that would have got him the eight games that is enough to qualify for finals in a 20-game season, and that was denied ah by BNSW.
00:19:13
Speaker
ah Squin, do you have the statement to post, or do you want me to just go through it? Yeah, no, I'm going to do a share screen and hopefully bring up the right one.
00:19:25
Speaker
Yes. So just sharing on screen. Hopefully you can see it. ah This is the official Instagram post that was ah posted by Basketball New South Wales on their Instagram page.
00:19:41
Speaker
Just a statement around the NBL 1 Easter Finals pat player eligibility. And they go as far as to um listing the rules under the FIBA Internal Regulations book.
00:19:52
Speaker
They use Dave Ohiki as the specific example that they're referring to. So full transparency from BNSW. ah There isn't kind of any indications or anything. It's very transparent and very direct.
00:20:07
Speaker
Very professional sounding because i calling him William Hickey, which is bit of a spin out. Well, I guess, you know, you have to, you you I imagine ah billable hours came into ah came into effect here.
00:20:23
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, i think I think so as well. ah But, you know, also being the governing body, probably having to maintain a level of professionalism as well. But, yeah, basically under the FIBA internal regulations, book three, players and officials at states, at states rule number 60, rule number 106, and BNSW abides by the FIBA rules, so which pretty much everyone does other than the NBA.
00:20:52
Speaker
but And, yeah, they turned turned off the comments, which is fair enough, but I think there are some comments on other posts about this particular matter. Yeah. So essentially what happens, as I understand it, is they applied for an exemption for two games that occurred after he'd already received his international clearance, at which point he was no longer a Comets player and therefore unable to be cleared for Comets games.
00:21:18
Speaker
ah Correct. Yeah. Yeah. That's they put in the statement. That's right. Yeah. I'll stop sharing that now. So, I mean, as I can tell, it sounds like the rules have been applied correctly the annoying thing is that they're and it's i mean it's nbl1 it's not like you're expecting a guy to up and leave for the summer league rules
00:21:49
Speaker
rules please um applied correctly, but do we need a provision for you know extraordinary opportunities or ah you know a word of that caliber?
00:22:00
Speaker
Should an NBA Summer League or yeah that's probably the only thing that's on, you know an mba an NBA, an NBA Summer League opportunity, should that fall in the same category as a a national team exemption if you're getting an opportunity like that?
00:22:13
Speaker
Because I mean, Debo said it in himself. The league was more than happy to big up the fact that one of their players was going to Summer League.
00:22:25
Speaker
But it's not a, you know, so obviously you can't just go and institute a rule now, but is it something to think about for the future? Yeah, I would agree on that point. It's um very similar to we had two young players at Brisbane Caps this season who missed one or two NBL 1 North games because they got to go to the basketball without borders camp in America during the WNBA All-Star weekend and then they could come back.
00:22:51
Speaker
Now I would have to check. if they could get an exemption for missing those games because of that camp. But um in my eyes, if someone's going to say basketball without borders camp, summer league, it's not like they're not ah ah playing for their home club anymore. It's just they're taking a break in the same way as you mentioned, as they're taking a break to go on Opal's or Boomer's duties.
00:23:15
Speaker
So I feel like those opportunities are just as important or equal like equal to going to boomers camps. So CJ Moran as well. It be interesting to see if he got exemptions for the games he missed because he was at his FIBA Asia Cup camp with Syria.
00:23:33
Speaker
I think he would have he would qualify for finals anyway. all but Anyway, yeah. He's played enough. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. um And I also wonder that because there's a statement kind of implied, don't know.
00:23:48
Speaker
two games requested for the credit after the date. So I wonder if you were able to say, oh, look, Devo's going to miss these and this amount of games in so and a month's time.
00:24:01
Speaker
i wonder if they applied for the exemption before he left rather than asking for credit, if that would have made difference. I think it it reads to me like they asked for his injury exemption to be for one game before and two games after, but you can't credit him for those two games after.
00:24:19
Speaker
um It's a very, yeah, it's it's a very messy situation. um And, yeah, it kind of, yeah, it is an unexpected, i mean, and if, yeah, the thing is, if Devo doesn't get injured in the first place, he probably plays eight games and we're not having this conversation because he's, you know, he's he's qualified anyway.
Impact of Transfers and League Rules
00:24:46
Speaker
But,
00:24:49
Speaker
there's ah There's a lot happening here that we can't go back into the past and fix, but I think we can certainly um make changes for the future. the only the only yeah The only sticking point with Summer League is that you you know you technically are no longer your club's player or you're no longer registered while you're away at Summer League, which believe.
00:25:13
Speaker
I do not have the legal mouse to understand if you could even institute a rule that would allow you to do that. Yeah. that whatever know yeah Would NBL1 even be allowed to say we're crediting a player because he was overplaying for the Chicago Bulls or because he was doing basketball without borders camp? Probably camp is fine because you're not going to another club, but yeah, going to play for a legitimate other team in another league is bit different.
00:25:43
Speaker
Yeah. i mean we see yeah We've seen players jump from between NBL one clubs, conferences in the same season. I don't think we've seen anyone go and come back and miss enough games to not qualify for finals. I'm thinking like um Lauren Nicholson went down to kill Scythe for a couple of games a few seasons ago when two or three of their players were in the three x three team.
00:26:10
Speaker
and she covered them off and then came back to and then um came back, but she never missed enough games for it to matter. Well, didn't you have someone in the men's Sutherland men's team that was started the season in West and then finished in East?
00:26:25
Speaker
Yes, Taylor Young. Yes, he played a few games in Perth and joined us with about 10 games to play. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So ah and unfortunately, sometimes these things are...
00:26:36
Speaker
Needed as an example of some rules that maybe need to be reviewed or changed or better considered by clubs in the future. But it's really unfortunate it happened to be Devo and especially for for the Comets while they were coming so good this season and such a promising berth for
League Awards and Player Impact
00:26:55
Speaker
finals. obviously They're still in it, obviously. yeah But I think yeah it's really unfortunate that it's someone of that calibre and especially in the context of his team season.
00:27:05
Speaker
Yeah, and it's just you know, all the circumstances conspired, you know, the timing of the clearance, the timing of the injury, the timing of when he started in NBL 1 East, you know, it all just conspired for him for it not to work out, which is really unfortunate.
00:27:23
Speaker
Yeah, definitely, definitely. um But causes a lot of chatter and puts some more eyes on the league, even if it's for a sad story. I will also make one point that I think is a good learning point for the league for the future is if you've got to make a decision this massive, you've got to put your statement out before the club does. You have to control the narrative on this thing.
00:27:47
Speaker
you can't You can't let comments and anyone who wants to have a say put out whatever they want because I'm going to say, you know, the this isn't a truth-lie thing, but it's the same thing it's the same um kind of vibe is that a lie will go around the world before the truth has time to put its shoes on.
00:28:11
Speaker
You know, whatever whoever gets out there first, if it's the club, if it's the player, whatever they say is going to get around before the official league statement is even written. So you've got to put that out.
00:28:23
Speaker
First thing you do is email comments and literally as soon as that email is sent, you're hitting post on Instagram with your statement.
00:28:34
Speaker
Yeah, I think, yeah, you've got to be a little bit better prepared for for those types of things. I think that's a really good point. And then the last headline that we have listed here is everything goes to chalk even if Maitland did their best to upset the apple cart.
00:28:49
Speaker
Higher seeds won but did anything surprise? And I think we kind of covered that one pretty well. I think we did. And no no, not entirely. And no. No.
00:29:01
Speaker
So I guess touching on it a little bit before, how we mentioned the omission of Anthony Mundine III from the Youth Player of the Year nominations ah caused a bit of uproar.
00:29:13
Speaker
um There have been some league awards already announced well ahead of finals because I think, say, two years ago, think I think it was the couple of days before the grand final that they announced the awards.
00:29:30
Speaker
And yeah I think I've said it a couple of times on East Scott game where i just feel like sometimes there's a bit of a cosmic pattern between whoever's getting named MVP and coach of the year isn't going on to win the championship.
00:29:47
Speaker
And that's not a proven thing. I just you know sometimes see the coincidence in it. And that's not me wishing those awards recipients not to win the chip either, just to be clear. But for me, when you are preparing mentally, physically, as a team, as an individual for the grand final, the last thing you want to be seeing is the awards being announced, the added pressure, the added speculation, the added hype or whatever of, oh, hey, it's the morning of the grand final and you've just been named MVP.
00:30:20
Speaker
Like, come on. That timing is awful. Yeah. Yeah, it really Yeah. yeah So thankfully we're being a little bit more proactive this year announcing some awards and the first ah two that have been announced and then a third one was announced just, you know, minutes before we went to air with the Youth Player of the Year awards.
00:30:45
Speaker
And the winner was Jacob Furphy from the COE. Pretty worthy recipient. What do you reckon? ah Oh, 100%. I mean, i don't think... lot of these, i mean, yes, we're going to talk about... um Yeah, talking about Anthony Mundane not getting nominated. And I have heard and talked a lot about Annie Henderson not getting nominated for Defensive Player of the Year. But I don't think anyone can really take anything away from...
00:31:14
Speaker
Jacob Furphy. I mean, there's some there some other good, solid players there. I mean, i think Kobe McDowell-White would be the the other really solid option. Cam Pender doing a great job just to get nominated, to be honest.
00:31:28
Speaker
um Charlie McBeth, great player, probably maybe a little bit overshadowed in that Bankstown team, but really, really does a good job for them. And Jonah Perez, he's come on in leaps and bounds playing for Penrith this year, really been given an expanded role in that team. He hooped against Sutherland and Comets, I'm pretty sure.
00:31:48
Speaker
um I think Furphy, yeah, Furphy, I mean, you've written down his stats here, you know, dropping 17 points per game. 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists.
00:32:01
Speaker
Yeah. And I mean, he's probably, you know, the true leader of that COE team in a team that has a lot of guys stepping up. But I think Furphy stands tall. I mean, the fact that he even got nominated as the COE, you know, nominee for Young Player of the Year is is massive in and of itself.
00:32:20
Speaker
Yeah, i I totally agree. And like he he took time away from the COE this season to make his Boomers debut during the Trans-Tasman Throwdown. So that's a pretty pretty high honour as well. I think he's only 19.
00:32:36
Speaker
um But he has had three seasons with the COE and according to the NBL One website, one season with the Northwest Thunder in Tasmania.
Youth Player of the Year and College Prospects
00:32:44
Speaker
So he's certainly he's certainly come a long way. He's been guided by lots of very good coaches to refine his skills. And he didn't play on the weekend because I'm guessing he's already gone off to start his college career.
00:33:00
Speaker
That's a possibility. um can't say i actually follow him on Insta. That's a problem. I think the East Gold game account follows so many players that I miss following him on my personal.
00:33:13
Speaker
But ea if he's not there, he's going to be missed. Yeah, i'm I'm pretty sure he didn't suit up. I'm pretty sure he was a graduate being 19 and he has committed to UConn for his college career.
00:33:26
Speaker
We can see other Australian players like Laura Somphire, who was part of the COE two years ago. yeah She's gearing up for her freshman who was Stanford, so I'm guessing Furphy. Maybe Furphy's just not a boy for social media. Yeah, maybe.
00:33:41
Speaker
I'm pretty sure he... he would be getting He would be over there at UConn right now. Yeah. But yeah, massive congratulations to him. It certainly is the time of year when players start leaping, especially freshmen.
00:33:55
Speaker
Freshmen buy to get there real early. Yes. ah But yeah, the other nominees you mentioned, big congratulations to them. i think for me with the Youth Player of the Year, I'm still really astonished that some of these players are still technically youth, being 23 and under, like Kobe McDowell-White and Cameron Pendle. was like, how are you still 23? You're still ball balling like that and still only 23. Like it's a massive surprise.
00:34:24
Speaker
Yeah.
00:34:27
Speaker
And equally as talented was the group of young women nominated for the youth player of the year that was awarded to Satya Fagan from the COE.
00:34:38
Speaker
Like undoubtedly. i mean, it was ah ah was a really, really competitive category. You had... ah ah Jesse May Hall loves seeing Claudia Hocking getting a nomination ah for the Aubrey Wodonga Bandits.
00:34:53
Speaker
Obviously, Fagan. And then again, I was astonished that Carla Pittman and Zoe Miller still qualify as youth players, where I feel like they're veterans of this league already because they've had such a great impact in their NBL 1E's career so far.
00:35:09
Speaker
Yeah, i because im actually, I was talking... talking about on a call that um you know Manly Warringah Youth League are top of the table. Zoe Miller could be playing for them, and she's not.
00:35:23
Speaker
That speaks to Manly Warringah's program that they're still top of the table. And Zoe is basically a graduate of that youth league program as long as well as 90% of their current roster. They just keep pumping out pumping out the good young players doing Manly Warringah.
00:35:38
Speaker
You got three players there in Hall, Pittman, and Miller who are running the offense for their respective teams. And i mean, for Pittman and Miller, they're the top two teams in the league.
00:35:55
Speaker
Yeah. yes That's amazing. Absolutely amazing. ah But yeah, Fagan this season. ah Now I remember Fagan last season and she definitely had had to get her legs under her.
00:36:10
Speaker
ah There were some games where she was a little bit shaky, um but remembering that last year she was only 16 sometimes a little bit like Bambi, but in 12 months her development has been astonishing.
00:36:24
Speaker
ah So, yeah, now she's only 17. So she will be going to college 2026, 2027. Her stats this season for NBL One East were 22.88 points per game, 10.71 rebounds per game.
00:36:40
Speaker
She had double figures in points for every game that ranged from 11 points to 32 points. And that 32-point game was versus the Comets, where she also had 16 rebounds.
00:36:51
Speaker
Hmm. ah Like that is for 12 months of development. That is incredible. Yeah. And I think we, we said it probably last year is that once she actually, you know, grows into her body, she's going to be crazy good.
00:37:05
Speaker
And hey a broken clock's right twice a day. And she's still got a lot of development to go ah She's also she also suited up for the gems and just won a silver medal at the World Cup.
00:37:18
Speaker
Again, only 17 and was starting for the U19 team. And she's got 18 offers from the best D1 schools in the NCAAW, including South Carolina and UConn and UCLA.
00:37:32
Speaker
Now, Lockie, you know a lot more about colleges in terms of the best fit for players and things like that. You take the NIL out of it. Where do you think Sataya Fagin is going to flourish the best?
00:37:46
Speaker
Oh.
00:37:54
Speaker
so Something tells me South Carolina. I feel like it comes back to when we had um Herbie here. talking about her um we we haven't had an Aussie at South Carolina definitely have all these looked at by South Carolina um
00:38:14
Speaker
and I feel like um yeah I feel like South Carolina might might actually go well for Sataya Fagan I think she'd she'd go well I think she'd do well anywhere um it's It's a pressure cooker environment. That's a hundred percent. Sure. They packed that building in Columbia. They expect championships, but I mean, oh you've already got a coach who's in Dawn Sally, who's quite obviously enamored with her because Herbie got those stories about her.
00:38:44
Speaker
Um, And i think I think South Carolina will work will work really well because I think that Sataya is going to be really – like she'll play physical ball. She's got athleticism. um You know, she gets up for the – she reads the ball really well on deep defense, which is foreshadowing.
00:39:04
Speaker
um And gets – you know, she gets blocks. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, she'll go well anywhere. i wouldn't yeah i would like to see South Carolina, but I mean, she's got, what did say, 18 P4
Coach of the Year Nominees and Achievements
00:39:18
Speaker
offers. I think she's got 15 of last year's Sweet 16 or something offering her at this moment.
00:39:25
Speaker
And it might be 16 by now. um She's got her pick of wherever she wants to go. um And it but doesn't always just come down to basketball. Um, what does she want to study? Uh, where does she want to live?
00:39:41
Speaker
um yeah, a lot to, uh, I mean, Spending all that time in Canberra, do you want to go to another inland mid-sized city or are you done with that being from Melbourne? ja wo See, that's the thing. These kids that have played at COE, they've got experience, especially the ones that come from capital cities, have got experience living in a regional center, which I know it's the national capital, but it is still pretty much a large regional center.
00:40:10
Speaker
um Sorry to all Canberra-related people out there. Yeah. you know, they've they've got experience living in a lot of different or at least two size different environments. So their their eyes are open to exactly, you know, what kind of city they want to live in.
00:40:27
Speaker
Yeah, I think South Carolina as well would be a good fit. You know, Sataya spoke to basketball.com.au not too long ago about her college offers and mentioned that her mum is a teacher, so education is going to be equally as important in making her decision, not just the basketball side of things. But yeah,
00:40:46
Speaker
South Carolina, you know, Dawn Staley is known to take care of her players as people and invest in them as people as well off the court and make sure that's looked after. So a more holistic standpoint compared to some other college programs. So I think that would be a good fit.
00:41:02
Speaker
Even seeing what the likes of... Someone like Chloe Kitts has been able to do for so under Dawn Staley at South Carolina. i can see some similarities between Kitts and Fagan.
00:41:14
Speaker
ah but yeah, it would be great if she could be the first Aussie to go there. um But ah time will tell. And Dawn Staley was actually at the U19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Czechia in person checking up on some players. So, yeah.
00:41:32
Speaker
Doing the extra mile. Always interesting. Always interesting to see at what stage in the tournament each coach shows up. yeah Yeah, I think i I've had players talk to me and say, well, you know, this coach was here from day one. This coach showed up for the semifinals.
00:41:51
Speaker
i was like, where you been? Yeah, I think Dawn was only there from the final stage, but you never know. She has a lot on, though. She are very yeah she has a very a lot on her plate, a lot different. And she's also been obviously talking to Sataya for a long time.
00:42:08
Speaker
It's not like a coach that flies in on the last day and notices a player, you know, six months before they're about to, or even shorter before they were going to announce their commitment. So, yeah.
00:42:21
Speaker
And then, yeah, moving on the Coach of the Year Awards were also announced. And in the men's competition, Coach Peter Herrick from Canberra Gunners was reigned Coach of the Year once again, also sparking a little bit of outrage in the Instagram comments on that post. But it was absolutely drowned in nothing but praise for Coach Herrick. Yeah.
00:42:48
Speaker
uh just congratulating him again on another consistently good season you know finishing in the top two purely relying again on the core of his local players and emerging talent and uh our friends wnbl pulse actually commented on our instagram live saying that campander's only 21. so he's gonna be youth player of the year nominee for another two years that's ridiculous But, yeah, honestly, I feel like this coach both of the Coach of the Year awards are very much deserved, particularly ah for the Canberra Gunner season. What were your thoughts, Lachie?
00:43:26
Speaker
um Well, i think we've we've noticed over the years ah because, I mean, yeah, there were some calls for, um you know, Matt Flynn, Illawarra to to get it. But think they are the coaches around the league have pretty much nailed their colours to the mast on this one that – um It's going to be ah really high-performing coach, ah really a coach of a really high-performing team doing it with a group, a core group um that stuck together for a long time.
00:43:56
Speaker
um
00:43:59
Speaker
I say it every time we talk about coach of the year, but recruiting is half the battle. And um I don't especially feel like Matt Flynn should be... his his performances should be negated for recruiting Blanchfield and McDowell-White and getting an import in Matt Mims.
00:44:21
Speaker
Lucky Dent is a local, so he's just, you know, that's one that you're, it's the same with Sutherland, Warren Nicholson. You're just lucky to have someone of that caliber come through your program. um But at the end of the day, they all the top three teams all finished 15-5.
00:44:36
Speaker
So it's not like Illawarra were blowing Canberra out of the water. So, um yeah, i I think this went the way I expected it to when I saw the the nominees.
00:44:52
Speaker
um I would have no qualms with many of the other coaches, especially Flynn getting it, but I'm not going to argue against Pete Herrick winning coach of the year. That's ah it's just silly.
00:45:04
Speaker
That's just silly. That's just silly. ah The other nominees were Robbie McKinley from COE, Matt Flynn from Illawarra, Tom Garland from North Bears, and Will Hill from Sydney Comets.
00:45:16
Speaker
ah So, yeah, again, it was a really, really tight race. um I think as well... Perhaps with Matt Flynn, it was like the similar curse that our friend Sammy Mack from Aubrey Wodonga Bandits faced last season ah where they had the the perfect, the undefeated regular season with a loaded team and then he didn't win coach the year because it seemed like the attitude was, well, you've got the roster to do that so you should be winning kind of thing when, youre like you said, they don't take into consideration the efforts made in the offseason for recruiting and chemistry and managing.
00:45:55
Speaker
strengths and egos and things like that to make sure it's all harmonious i mean that's the other part of coaching next to the x and o's that people don't consider but uh i'm really glad that will hill was nominated for the sydney comets uh i i made it known last season in east scott game that i felt like the sydney comets men's team with the roster that they had which is very similar to this year underperformed last year there was too many frequent rotations i didn't know what they were running it was very confusing to watch and incomes will hill similar roster just lets them thrive and they are having a great season um you know adversities aside so i was really glad that he was nominated yeah
00:46:39
Speaker
And obviously the coach of the year nominations for the women's competition were the usual suspects, to be honest. All right, Casablanca. Yeah. Round up the usual suspects.
00:46:53
Speaker
round it we'd rather not the usual suspects we had nate curwin from manly warringa renee garlup from north bears and australia and opals and just the goat uh sammy mack from albury wodonga christie bultitude from newcastle falcons but this edition i loved Lauren Curtin from Bankstown Bruins. Yes. yeah Yes. That's what we love to see. Love to see the nomination for Lauren Curtin.
00:47:21
Speaker
Also a team that has had some serious adversities in terms of changes in their roster, whether it be late additions, injuries, whatnot, and now being able to make the finals like big green tick for Lauren and her squad.
00:47:40
Speaker
100%. I mean, you know, took Jada Rice a couple of weeks to get here. They took him six weeks to get a replacement. for Well, they had to wait to see if Davida Dale would be able to get here. Because her injury didn't even occur until after mb one season had started.
00:47:59
Speaker
So then they had to find replacement for bring Shiloh in. Shiloh goes down after a few weeks. And they still got through, I mean, week one of the finals doesn't count to this award, but it's just more proof getting through week one with no Shiloh.
00:48:17
Speaker
Yeah, and I think as well, like that's that's another example of what we were talking about before, what a head coach has to take on is all of those adversities and the management of players and then the management of like contracts and logistics and legalities to make sure people qualify.
00:48:35
Speaker
Like that kind of stuff is really hard to manage. And remembering that a lot of these coaches, they're not it's not their full-time job. Yeah. Like we all got to do other jobs plus be a head coach. So it's a hell of a task. Um, and, and I mean, even if working for the club is your full-time job, it's probably as a coach slash high performance manager.
00:48:57
Speaker
So you're still not fully focused on coaching, but I mean, we all know Lauren Curtin has, cause Lauren Curtin's a teacher. So, which I guess but looking at her coaching, yes, I can see that those would overlap.
00:49:13
Speaker
Oh, definitely. And being able to get bring the best out in people. But she's got a wealth of experience coaching a lot of in the state team program for a long time and usually as an assistant. So as to see her as the head coach this year and get nominated was a bigger big milestone to her.
00:49:31
Speaker
But we need to remember it was Nate Kerwin that took the gong. Forever the bridesmaid is finally the bride. He certainly is. um And much the same as Pete Herrick,
00:49:42
Speaker
um Really strong local core, extremely high-performing team that plays as a team. Maybe, you know, one import, just like Canberra have got Evan Wardlow.
00:49:56
Speaker
um Manly have got Taylor Wirtz, who is, you know, a far big bigger part of their rotation. But still, it's very much ah are a local group. um And put them on top of the table with an eighteen and two record.
00:50:11
Speaker
And have they've beaten every literally everyone this year. The only team they hadn't beaten was Aubrey Wodonga. And then they went out and beat them in round one of the finals. So they've beaten everyone already.
00:50:25
Speaker
And we do have to have a side note there with Sammy Mack being nominated again ah because ah still core group of local Aubrey talent, some young talent coming in.
00:50:36
Speaker
He's recruited really well. He's made a lot happen with a new roster in a short period of time. So also worthy of a nomination. But, yeah, Nate Kerwin. ah Now, is this the first or second time that Nate's won? Because I did call him forever a bridesmaid, but I feel like he won two years ago.
00:50:57
Speaker
you might be right.
00:51:00
Speaker
Anyway, hopefully Nate or someone from Manly surely will listen to this. Please DM us and correct us because my instinct is like that Nate won perhaps two or so, two or maybe it's two years ago, I think.
00:51:16
Speaker
Anyway, so I shouldn't call him always the bridesmaid because I think he's won before. But it's great see him win again because for all those reasons that you said. And you can tell that those players, that core group of manly superstars, love playing for him.
00:51:33
Speaker
He did win it two years ago. Yes, he did win it two years ago. as and yeah, and Robbie McKinlay won men's coach, which I thought was, I think it's very high i think it's highly impressive any time a COE coach gets an award because they've got the ultimate, oh, they've got the stacked roster.
00:51:53
Speaker
Yeah, that's right. That's right. Oh, they've got all this, this, that, and the other. But, yeah, so massive congrats again to to Nate. And you can see, yeah, the the team loves playing for him because they celebrate with him. You know, they're tagging him.
Defensive Player of the Year and NBL Prospects
00:52:09
Speaker
They're posting him on his stories. Like it's, ah yeah. Yeah. he gets He gets in he gets in the ah the instaper the Insta reels on the Manly Basketball Insta. Yeah. He gets amongst it.
00:52:21
Speaker
He gets amongst it. Yeah, he's not shy, which we love. um But yeah, and then in the... 30 minutes leading up to us going live on air tonight, the Defensive Players of the Year were announced and Sataya Fagan has gone and got another gong winning Women's Defensive Player of the Year, beating the likes of Jessie Mae Hall, Mia Heidi, Nicole Munger and Matty O'Hare.
00:52:49
Speaker
Outstanding. It says defensive rating was 62.1.
00:52:57
Speaker
averaging 1.8 blocks per game and 2.1 steals. that is That's pretty damn good. That is really good. That is real good.
00:53:08
Speaker
And in the men's competition, I think this is one that... I'm really, really happy about. ah so the men's nominees were Obi Che, Hunter Goodrick, Madin Kawane, Ryan Beastie getting a nomination.
00:53:25
Speaker
Love to see it. And Will Mayfield and the winner for, he's also crowned the winner, ah Will Mayfield from the Canberra Gunners as men's defensive player of the year.
00:53:36
Speaker
Defensive rating is 78.3%.
00:53:39
Speaker
averaging 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals. He is having his absolute monster season this year. ah Perhaps a chance to go defensive player and MVP in the same year. I think it's hotly contended.
00:53:54
Speaker
But the thing the highlight that sticks out for me with milt Will Mayfield's defense is that game we reviewed against the Illawarra Hawks where he had to have Blanchfield on lock.
00:54:07
Speaker
Yeah, I mean...
00:54:11
Speaker
he is, yeah, I mean, he's up there for one of the best two way players in the league. There's absolutely no doubt about it. He's just gone. i mean, he's just gone to another level and it's, yeah, like you said, he could be deeper, deeper MVP double.
00:54:26
Speaker
And I mean, that, this that game was just a microcosm of how good he really is. And the fact that like, I feel like the fact that it wasn't blocks and steals, the stats you read out, shows how good he is on the ball as an on-ball defender because it's easy to just go, oh, nominate the guy who got four steals and two blocks a game or, you know, or vote for the guy who got the most steals and blocks.
00:54:55
Speaker
The fact he won it despite not having massive numbers in both those categories, I think, speaks to his level. Yeah, absolutely. And given the results he's having, you know, like you said, as a high-quality two-way player, surely there's got to be some NBL teams looking at him at least for a DP or a train-on spot. What do you think?
00:55:18
Speaker
Come on, Hawkeys. Let the man drive over Macquarie Pass three times a week. And, da you know, train train with you guys, DP spot. Or maybe you can head up the head up the Hume to Sydney.
00:55:34
Speaker
Come on. Or just bring back the cannons. There Problem solved. Bring back the cannons. Well, I mean, the Canberra are hosting the NBL1 Nationals and the Blitz back to back.
00:55:45
Speaker
The AIS arena has been rebirthed with the renovation. Maybe it's time. i think it's time. Time to bring back. and Imagine that, though. They bring back the Gunners, and they have the likes of Glenn Morrison and Will Mayfield as two of their marquee signings.
00:56:02
Speaker
There we go. There we go. Done. We're just writing history at this point on this podcast. We are giving you these ideas for free. For free. For free.
00:56:12
Speaker
All we ask in return, if you feel generous enough, is a T-shirt, and we'll be happy. That's right. We love a bit of merch. Ha, ha. So, yes, they were the
Semifinals Preview and Key Matchups
00:56:24
Speaker
awards. Now, I am aware of the time, so let's get through these semifinals happening this weekend.
00:56:31
Speaker
The women's semifinal is Newcastle Falcons versus Bankstown, who finish third and sixth consecutively after the regular season. what What are you thinking here, Lockie? Talk me through it.
00:56:45
Speaker
Well, I know... Bankstown, Bankstown defeating Newcastle 87-68 in the regular season was kind of a turning point for the whole season. Bankstown beat Newcastle, everyone went, who can beat North?
00:56:59
Speaker
And then Manly went off and beat North. And then, you know, everyone it was like, yeah oh, Newcastle, unstoppable. North, unstoppable. Oh, wait, now it's Manly or unstoppable.
00:57:11
Speaker
So at that meeting, though, Shiloh Hill had 29 points and 13 rebounds. She came out and she was balling. And it was also one of Nicole Munger's worst games of the year.
00:57:27
Speaker
She was five of 19 from the field, 16 points. um So don't know how much stock you can actually put in that result.
00:57:38
Speaker
If there's no Shiloh there, don't. It's just one, one really big piece. Um, and I don't see Nicole Munger having a game where she shoots five of 19 from the field in a semifinal again.
00:57:52
Speaker
Um, but as long as Jada Rice, Juju Redmond are out there and they get support from, you know, Keanu Davis, white, uh, Sienna to tiny, the rest of the bankstown roster, they can put up a hell of a fight. This bankstown team.
00:58:09
Speaker
Um, I think that that's shown in the fact that they're still rolling along pretty solidly, even in the post-Shila weeks.
00:58:20
Speaker
Yeah, they really are. And wasn't it Sienna Titani who was guarding Munger for a lot of the game and was just yeah was doing a fantastic job on that? We absolutely raved about Titani in that game, both of us.
00:58:35
Speaker
Yeah, so and it's interesting that they're having a rematch. It's going to be again at Newcastle. And as you said, without Shiloh, and I only mostly mentioned that as well because Shiloh, something about that main court at Newcastle just lights something in Shiloh because she's had really, really good games on that court.
00:58:55
Speaker
um But, yeah, this is going to be... Really, really good one to watch. And we know that the Newcastle Falcons fans are just going to be out in absolute force because being the biggest club in country, New South Wales basketball, they already get, um you know, loyal fan base. They already get a lot of numbers to their home game. So this being ah ah must win final, it's going to be rowdy.
00:59:20
Speaker
Oh, 100%. It's going to be massive. Just looking. i think the Knights actually have the bye in the NRL this week as well. So they won't, you know, there won't be anybody going, oh, should i go to the Knights game? Should I go to the basketball?
00:59:35
Speaker
No excuses up there.
00:59:39
Speaker
No, it's just the basketball. That's it. That's it. And then in the second semifinal, we've got Aubrey Wodonga, who finished fourth, playing the centre of excellence, who finished fifth.
00:59:51
Speaker
So another huge home game, which ah which also a massive big country New South Wales club. ah Yeah, down at Aubrey.
01:00:02
Speaker
This one is going to be really interesting. Walk me through your thoughts with with this matchup. Very interesting. um Again, a game where the lower-seeded team won the regular season meeting at the same venue where the semi-final is going played, albeit on a very different court.
01:00:23
Speaker
Because they that new floor at Albury. They have a sprung floor at Albury on the show court now, Sammy Mack was telling me, rather than just hardwood over concrete. so Wow, I didn't realise that court for that long was literally hardwood on concrete. When did sam Sammy Mack was like, we finally got a sprung floor, I'm like, what other kind of, but what did you have before?
01:00:48
Speaker
ah So, yes. So, as I was mentioning, yes, their previous meeting, COE got over Aubrey Wodonga, 82-72, back in round five. ah Fagan, 27-13. Izzy Smith, eighteen and six Lopfer, 24 points, but shot three of four teams from three-point range.
01:01:06
Speaker
Bryn Maskowicz, 20 points on nine of 20 shooting. And I think, like... um Oh, and my favorite is that I get to say, no Jay Crook in this game for center of excellence?
01:01:24
Speaker
Yeah, had that would have been worlds colliding for her. Yes. um But much like Munger having, I mean, I did say it was one of Munger's worst games. That was shooting-wise because she had 19 rebounds and 7 assists in that Bankstown-Newcastle game in the regular season. But by the same token, Riley Looker was 6 of 8 from 2-point range against COE, 3 of from And for a player who shot over 40% for the season from three-point range to shoot three of 14 in one game, that is a rare night off.
01:01:57
Speaker
And much like Munger, Bankstown can't bank on Munger shooting five of 19 again. COE can't bank on look for going three of 14 from three-point range again because she has been in hot form.
01:02:11
Speaker
She was shooting it really well, even in the loss to ah to Manly Warringah last weekend.
01:02:18
Speaker
Yeah, but she's going to have the likes of, oh, actually, let me just check. I was going to say Emilia Darkich wearing the Likens club, but I think Emilia has gone.
01:02:30
Speaker
Darkich played on the weekend. Okay. And Russell. They were all there.
01:02:38
Speaker
one One last hurrah? Well, Russell's not going anywhere because she signed with the UC Caps, so she can just stay in Canberra and go back to mum and dad's house.
01:02:50
Speaker
Oh, nice. Yeah, yeah, which I think is kind of nice. But... but I mean, is it really to Aubrey's advantage to install a spring-loaded for floor when you're about to play Sataya Fagan?
01:03:06
Speaker
Does she need any more springs under her that with that athleticism? she going to dunk it? she going to dunk it this game? No, Bryn won't let her. Bryn won't let her.
01:03:17
Speaker
No, Bryn definitely won't let her. Bryn's also been consistently playing and producing really good numbers the last couple of weeks. And I think this will be, she's in in a prime kind of position and and conditioning to limit Fagan this game. I think that's going to be a big key for Aubrey to win this one.
01:03:35
Speaker
yeah it's Yeah, it's going to be about you know the the size and the strength of Maskowicz against the speed of Fagan. And it's basically going to be what will win out.
01:03:47
Speaker
um
01:03:51
Speaker
I usually go for speed, but I feel like Bryn's got a bit of a point to prove here. Yeah, yeah. You can't get it. You know, you you you went to UCLA, the school that is still, ah you have any you know, this kid hasn't even, she's got a UCLA offer.
01:04:10
Speaker
She hasn't even got to college yet. and Yeah, but I think Bryn's got a point to prove here. Yeah, yeah. it's gonna be It's going to be really, really fun matchup to watch.
01:04:21
Speaker
And now in the men's semifinal, the first is the centre of excellent versus the Norse Bears, finishing second and sixth respectively. the Norse Bears will be heading down to Canberra for this one.
01:04:36
Speaker
ah don't know, Lockie. Norse seem to be rolling. Tom Gallop is an excellent coach. This one... This one could go to Norse. i You know what? I was just thinking i they're a sneaky.
01:04:50
Speaker
They are a sneaky chance here. Again, like... again like There's something about grown man basketball in the finals.
01:05:02
Speaker
And I know that COE, they got a lot of good kids, but they you know they fell fell by 16 in the first finals, in the first finals week. And the big thing for me is that when COE played North last time and got the win, Hunter Goodrick DNP.
01:05:20
Speaker
And Hunter Goodrick is the player who can best compete and dominate COE. He's going to eat them alive. He's going to eat them alive. You know, if they lost, you know, ah shifty guard, you know, have got shifty guards anyway, but they don't have a lot of players that really, i mean, it's just a it's just an age thing.
01:05:46
Speaker
and Yeah, that's right. it's it's a it's a It's a physicality thing in terms of size, strength, but also the maturity and the height. It's like, well, I can't say height.
01:05:57
Speaker
IQ always, to be fair. The COE teams are i mean they are so very very smart, very well drilled, and very well disciplined. ah But yeah, size, physicality, ah that maturity of being able to play maybe a couple of mind games and and things like that.
01:06:14
Speaker
But those COE boys, they're pretty good at holding their own. i think the fact that Goodrick DNP'd last time... ah Yeah, he's he's just ready to eat it up, I think. And then COE likely won't have Furphy. ah So the likes of Shea Brogan and Nash Walker are going to have a... Dickerson will have a job on their hands as well, especially if they have to then play two-way and guard Patterson.
01:06:40
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, I think that was pretty early in Patterson's stint as well. So, you know, he got 19 points and that guy in that regular season game. Yeah.
01:06:51
Speaker
But he was still kind of easing his way into things. And once again for COA, same name I brought up last week, Che Brogan. Once again, he had 20 or 25 in both games against Canberra.
01:07:06
Speaker
He had 26 against North in the regular season. So he just keeps coming up against teams he's already played well against. So maybe you can take a bit of confidence into that.
01:07:17
Speaker
And we've got to get that elimination final version of Iggy Mitchell too. Yes. Yeah. I mean, i mean yes, North's got a sneaky chance in this, but they've got to, everyone's got to bring it the way they brought Bayer. Whatever you did in your best game of the season, they've got to bring.
01:07:34
Speaker
But yeah, they need they need that. They need that week one, Iggy Mitchell. Yeah, I think COE might have the edge in the guard spots it slightly, but I think Norse will have the edge in the power forward and center spots.
01:07:49
Speaker
Norse got that guard depth, though. We have been told. We have been told. Well, let's see it on the weekend. ah And then the final matchup, the absolute barn burner, the...
01:08:05
Speaker
The epitome of your season, Lockie.
01:08:11
Speaker
It's the Sydney Comet and the Sutherland Sharks in Alexandria, fourth place, eighth. Round three. But the first two rounds don't matter anymore.
01:08:22
Speaker
The first two rounds don't matter anymore. Ding, ding, ding. I mean, a regular season, were they one and one? No. Comets, two and oh. Defeated Sutherland at the Shark Tank in that, you know, you know, those Comets boys got scared. So they got reinforcements.
01:08:41
Speaker
Of course. That was that first game. Of course. How could I forget? Who could ever forget, but Wally Bale shot to take it into overtime at Alexandria. Um,
01:08:53
Speaker
They won that 86-82 in round 12. But Wally Bales, 35 points at the Shark Tank and then 41 in Alexandria in the regular season, in the two games.
01:09:07
Speaker
Kuat Noi, 34 in the first game, 23 in the second game. The thing is this year, in the first game,
01:09:20
Speaker
The Sharks had everyone. Comets had everyone, including Devo. In the second game, Sharks didn't have Spurgeon. Comets didn't have Devo. This week, we know Comets don't have Devo. We're not 100% sure if they have Bawali. I hope they do.
01:09:37
Speaker
Sharks have everyone. So for the first time this season, the Sharks actually have, you know, a personnel advantage, so to speak, in terms of who they've got available.
01:09:48
Speaker
Yeah, part of me hopes that, ah because you did see Bawali at Summer League go off one game looking like an injury. um i think I did see, though, on the comments pages a little while ago that perhaps they were he was due to come back. But I hope it's kind of left a mystery up until warm-up time or up until tip-off for everyone to know. Like, yep, he's here. He's here.
01:10:13
Speaker
Bawali's here. That's great for my research, Gwyn. Love it. Thank you. ah You've already got enough of of Bawali's stats and facts and knowledge. You don't need to add too much to the research. but um But yeah, this one is going to be huge. The context around what's happening off the court as well, um especially between these two teams that chit chat online.
Closing Thoughts Before Semifinals
01:10:39
Speaker
The fact that it's the third time they're going to play each other, it's going to be huge. It's going to be absolutely huge. It's going to be massive, and it's the only game in all of Sydney this weekend.
01:10:52
Speaker
Ah, interesting. It is too. The other games are in Newcastle, Albury, and AIS Canberra. Canberra. Come on, country. Yeah.
01:11:03
Speaker
This is the first country. Yeah. Represent. Yeah. Awesome. So do we do we dare ah try and make predictions? ah
01:11:15
Speaker
No. No, i I kind of want to after last week, but God, it gets so difficult now. buts um Maybe we'll maybe ah take a break from the predictions this week.
01:11:27
Speaker
I mean, it's a Yeah, it's it's so tight. I mean
01:11:36
Speaker
i mean, if I had to rank them in order of confidence of pick, it would be... No, the only pick I would go in there feeling remotely confident about is Newcastle in the first women's semifinal.
01:11:50
Speaker
Okay. And even then, I'm not 100% bang on. Because... because so There's something about no Hannah Chicken for Newcastle that just irks me with Bankstown's roster.
01:12:05
Speaker
With Keanu Davis-White and Jada Rice, they got a little bit of size and one less big for Newcastle. It just gives me the heebie-jeebies. Yeah, yeah. It it is unsettling.
01:12:18
Speaker
yeah Her absence is felt. Yes. ah Yeah. Yeah. um All right. Well, ah with that said, we have some semifinals to prepare for for the weekend.
01:12:30
Speaker
ah Have you got any final thoughts, feelings, theories before we wrap up, Lockie? ah After all the talk over everyone being mad about all the games being at 7 o'clock last week, they're all staggered this week.
01:12:49
Speaker
So... If you're not at a game, sit down. The only time you'll need to have two screens is for the five o'clock and six o'clock tip-offs. No excuse.
01:13:01
Speaker
Get streaming or get to your local? Get streaming, get to your local, get to the Homer hoops at Alexandria, buy your tickets. if if If Alexandria is not packed with Comets and Sharks fans, I'm um'm calling for a Royal Commission.
01:13:21
Speaker
I'm pretty sure. Are the Sharky's not organising a bus of supporters? but don't know if we need a bus. It's only like 25 minutes up the road. Yeah, it's still fun. It's still fun to go with a bike. is fun. It is fun to have a bus.
01:13:33
Speaker
Especially when you're going to an away game. Yeah. um Yeah. RIP to the parking situation at Comets. Oh, God. It's already so bad. Actually, you know what? Don't take a bus, Sharky's, because there's nowhere to park it.
01:13:50
Speaker
yeah the train to Get the train to Green Square and walk down. And walk, yeah, yeah, yeah. The walk's not that bad. The walk's not that bad. ah And what's the final thought that we'd like to leave our viewers for this semi-final weekend?
01:14:03
Speaker
Well, I don't think anyone's doing it anymore, but just don't sleep on the East.