DYNAMIC DUO - BigV Basketball Home

OVERTIME 

DYNAMIC DUO 

Can anyone stop 

the Milner/Hibbert 

combo? 

NEW 

BRUCE 

There’s another 

Horsham Hornet 

creating a buzz 

We 

are the 

CHaMpIONS 

This year’s 

WINNERS 

and how they 

got it done 

+ How did this year’s promotees fare in their new divisions? 

+ We chat with Division One leader SHaRON GRIEVE 

+ The favourites to take out this year’s big awards

SEPTEMBER 2009 CONTENTS 

ON THE COVER 

6 WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS... 

This year’s winning teams and 

how they got it done. 

9 RISING STAR: SHAUN BRUCE 

There’s a new Horsham 

Hornet creating a buzz 

10 DYNAMIC DUO 

Can anyone stop the 

Milner/Hibbert combo? 

12 COURTSIDE Q&A 

We catch up with She-Devils 

spiritual leader Sharon Grieve 

about season 2009. 

Season of change 

It’s the season of change for our great game of 

basketball. We all know about the exciting reform 

taking place at the top of the sport and the work 

that is going into lifting the sport back to the top of 

the sporting landscape in this country. The 

appointment of Wayne Carrol as the High 

Performance General Manager was an exciting move 

and and with the NBL about to tip off, we’re 

expecting an exciting season with all teams stacked 

with our best talent. 

Of course there’s plenty of change happening 

within the Big V also. We have a new look office, as 

we’ve welcomed Raelene Whitten to the CEO’s chair 

and already she’s stamping her mark on the role with 

some exciting ideas already underway. 

Having already teamed up with Raconteur Media 

who are managing all the media and communications 

aspects of the league, they’ve already put forward 

some great initiatives also, including this very 

magazine you’re reading. 

On the floor, we’ve obviously seen some great 

changes also. Some sensational talent has emerged, 

like Shaun Bruce of Horsham (page 6) as well as the 

likes of Carly Simons of Eltham, Dexter Drew-Kernich 

of Waverley, just to name a few. 

A number of teams are preparing to move up a 

2 September 2009 Big V Basketball OVERTIME 

division after taking home the championship, and 

some others will be looking at working towards 

getting back up into the leagues they just moved 

down from. 

Although these things may seem far removed from 

what is taking place at the top of the sport, it’s 

important to remember that we are all a part of the 

wider basketball community. Every decision made 

effects everyone involved in the game, including the 

players as they develop and grow and climb the ranks 

of the sport in the country. 

What will our great league look like next year and 

into the coming years? Those decisions are still in the 

process of being made as, like I’ve already discussed, 

there are decisions being made above us that will 

filter down. 

Be sure that the League will not only continue to 

grow in strength and standard of play, but the 

standard of operation will also. 

Like everyone who works, plays and supports the 

game, there’s much work to be done, from those 

amazing volunteers who devote their time each week 

to their clubs, all the way up to the decision makers 

sitting on boards at the top of the sport — the time is 

now to get the structures right and the right systems 

in place. 

In the last few months, theBig V has had a great 

deal of work to do and we are excited about the 

future. 

ALSO INSIDE 

3 HOOPS SCOOPS 

Latest Australian Basketball 

news. Lauren Jackson’s WNBA 

season over, Barlow heads 

abroad and BA loses one of 

its greats. 

4 BIG V POST 

Which players have already 

picked up awards, this year’s 

back-to-back winners and 

Sunbury’s record season. 

13 PROCESSION INTO D1 

CONTINUES 

How will Melbourne 

University fare in their new 

Division? 

Darryl Neal — 

Big V Basketball President

HOOPSCOOPS 

Jackson injured 

Australian Basketball’s number one export, 

Lauren Jackson, has had her season brought to 

an abrupt end, after she was diagnosed with 

lower back stress fractures. The prognosis is not good 

— she’ll be out of action indefinitely. 

According to Seattle Storm coaching staff, Jackson 

has been playing under considerable pain in recent 

weeks and will now be taking a long hiatus from 

on-court action to rehabilitate and work with team 

doctors. 

Jackson has been enjoying another stellar 

season,averaging 19.2 points. She said she hurt her 

back against Atlanta on August 15, landing oddly 

after a rebound and feeling her back crunch in the 

locker room after the game. 

‘’The worst nightmare for any athletes is to have an 

injury,’’ Jackson said. ‘’For me, I’ve had so many that 

I’ve had to deal with in my career, it’s just another one 

I have to deal with,” she told the press. 

Basketball Loses a Pioneer 

All of the Australian basketball community is in 

mourning, after the passing of pioneer figure, Mike 

Wrublewski last month. The former Sydney Kings 

owner succumbed to his battle with pancreatic 

cancer on 28 August. 

“Mike was a pioneer of the NBL who had a crazy 

vision of taking basketball from the tin sheds in 

which it was being played into major arenas,” said 

BA CEO Larry Sengstock. “It is a true reflection of his 

energy, his passion and his brilliance that he was 

actually able to realise that dream,” he said. 

“Mike almost single-handedly put basketball on 

the map in Sydney, and turned the Sydney Kings 

into an iconic Australian sporting team. The fact 

that he did so whilst working in Australia’s toughest 

sports and entertainment market is all the more 

amazing.” 

Wrublewski took on the Sydney Supersonics in the 

80s and built them into one of the most well-known 

sporting clubs in Australia, the Kings. The club and 

the sport was his passion, with players remembering 

Wrublewski sitting on floor seats opposite the bench 

at every Kings home game, every seat in the 10,000 

seat stadium filled, with Mike getting behind his boys 

as they ran up and down the hardwood or getting on 

their case if they weren’t performing. 

But it was a passion and ability for sport that 

And the survey says... 

It’s one thing to talk about change, it’s another 

thing to get in and contribute to making a change. 

You can let us know what has been making you 

happy, unhappy, satisfied, unsatisfied, angry, 

disappointed and excited about Big V Basketball. 

We’ve posted a survey online and we’re looking 

Getty Images 

earned him the respect on the suburban Sydney 

playground as a youngster, after his family 

immigrated to Australia from Europe. So it is only 

fitting that he would build such a legacy in the 

tumultuous sporting industry. 

At a recent farewell gathering, Mike was given the 

opportunity to say goodbye to 600 of his closest 

friends and family. Present were the likes of Steve 

Carfino, Leon Trimmingham, Dean Uthoff, Damien 

Keoh and other ex-King greats. 

Reports are that it was a moving evening. Mike 

was 63. 

for honest responses. Tell us what we can do to 

improve the league and make it the premier state 

basketball competition in the country, from the 

way it’s played to the way it is run. Visit: 

Melissa Sudero 

Barlow Bails! 

With contracts signed and a big 

NBL season ahead, Barlow jumps 

at a European invitation 

Melbourne Tiger and Big V success story 

David Barlow has headed to Spain to play 

with Spanish club, CAI Zaragoza. 

Barlow re-signed with the Tigers two months ago, 

but requested an opt-out clause in the chance that 

an enticing international offer was forthcoming – 

and the one he got was too good to refuse. 

“I’m pumped,” said Barlow. “It’s a good 

opportunity and hopefully I can get myself a 

good contract for the next year and stay for a 

couple of seasons.” 

The Tigers made the decision to press ahead 

this season without any imports. Now, without 

plans to replace Barlow, they will be looking 

down the current list to fill the void left by one 

of the most versatile players in the League, who 

in three years at the club, played in four 

different positions. 

“We don’t have someone at 6’9” that can play all 

those positions like he can: that’s hard to replace,” 

said Tigers head coach Al Westover. 

“But we’ve got a very dynamic group and 

the versatility to still be a championship 

threat,” he maintains. 

For Barlow, he has the challenge of leading CAI 

Zaragoza back to the first division, the ACB, after 

they finished last and succumbed to relegation 

last season, an opportunity that Westover believes 

Barlow will thrive in. 

“The Spanish league is known as one of the best 

leagues in the world and the financial rewards are 

far greater than what he can receive here,” said 

Westover. “All that is great for him and we wish 

him the best.” 

Big V Basketball OVERTIME September 2009 3

THE BIG V POST 

Another Piece for Rhys 

After a dream 12 months, Latrobe City star Rhys Carter looks to 

Europe to further his career. 

Latrobe City Energy’s showstopper, Rhys Carter 

has been running camps for kids back home in 

Gippsland, after running clinics on-court in the 

Big V this year. It’s a nice way to spend some time for 

a guy who’s had a hectic 12 months of new 

opportunities and big changes. And the changes 

seem to be continuing with Carter looking at plying 

his trade in Europe. 

After being released from West Sydney in the 

National Basketball League before the start of the 

2008/09 NBL season, Rhys was considering life after 

hoops, getting a kick in the local footy league and 

doing a bit of work for his Dad’s business. 

A lifeline was thrown to him by Goorjian and the 

South Dragons and Carter took the opportunity with 

both hands. He had a solid NBL season — an NBL ring 

ain’t a bad result — which transferred into big 

numbers in this year’s Big V State Championship, 

helping the Energy to a finals berth where they 

ultimately fell to the eventual runners up, Ringwood 

Hawks. 

In the meantime, Carter has found himself in the 

Boomers squad on tour in China recently and is now 

considering his options in Sweden while the NBL 

When Sunbury hosted a triple-header 

finals night, it had us leafing through 

the archives looking for another 

example of this achievement. Although we 

couldn’t find any other club who could boast 

this record, we weren’t confident enough to say 

that it hadn’t happened ever. 

Then they went ahead and did it again, in the 

Grand Final series this time. We caught up with 

club administrator Shane Coughlin at the time 

and there was certainly a great deal of 

excitement, despite the challenges of housing 

everyone in a single venue. 

And, although they clinched just one of the 

three possible banners — still a fine 

achievement — the Jets’ organisation was 

tremendous in how they managed the 

occasion. Even the Lord Mayor of the Hume 

City Council was treated to what the Sunbury 

Jets and Big V Basketball is all about. 

Congratulations Sunbury on what was a 

tremendous season — on-court and of it — for 

the Club. 

goes through its changes in the next 12 months. The 

time in Europe will no doubt be another feather in an 

already crowded cap and will improve Rhys’s 

on-court strengths when he returns to Aussie shores. 

Jet-setting into the record books 

We thought hosting a triple-header final was tough — try doing 

it twice. 


Barry Preston 

Easy come, easy 

go 

They say that advancing up a division after a 

championship is tough. Few teams have 

been able to contest in their first season in a 

new league. How did this year’s crop fare? Before 

we get to that, let us reminisce a little. 

Melton Thoroughbreds took out the Division 

Three Women’s title last year and advanced to 

Division Two. They downed Mornington Breakers 

in three. Down one game to nil, the 

Thoroughbreds fought back, taking game two by 

three points in a nail-biter and then game three by 

just five. 

The Craigieburn Eagles clinched the Division 

Two Women’s title over Keilor and advanced to 

Division One this year. They swept the Thunder, 

convincingly in Game One and then in Game Two 

in a much closer encounter. 

In the men’s divisions, La Trobe University 

sought redemption for their loss the year before 

to the Coburg Giants and claimed the Division 

Two title to suit up in Division One this year. 

Although they won in two, they were two tightly 

fought matches against Melbourne Uni before the 

Eagles got over the line. 

And finally, the Horsham Hornets were Division 

Three champions to advance to Division Two. 

So how did they fare this year? 

We’re going to start with the positives, and that 

result sits solely with the Hornets. Horsham came 

within one game of doing the tough double 

championship after advancing. After picking up 

Game One against the (to that point) undefeated 

Melbourne University in the Division Two Grand 

Final series, they fell in the next two games in a 

heart-breakingly close encounter. A fine effort 

nonetheless. 

La Trobe University were cellar dwellers all year 

in Division One, but managed to sneak into second 

last position, avoiding relegation after a big win 

against Coburg in the final round, sending the 

Giants back to Division Two — the Giants stayed in 

Division One for two season. 

But for Melton, they failed to win a game in the 

second Division and finished in last, while 

Craigieburn suffered a similar fate, picking up 

three wins for the year but finishing last also. 

Of course, line-ups change from year to year, 

injuries occur and players get picked up by higher 

divisions. We must give some slack for these 

season-to-season inevitabilities. But what it shows 

above all else is that climbing the Big V ladder, 

from division to division, year to year, is a tough 

business. This year there’s a new crop. Melbourne 

University head to Division One Men, McKinnon 

Cougars will test their skills in Division Two Men, 

Altona Gators move to Division Two Women and 

Whittlesea 

Pacers can 

try their luck 

in Division 

One Women. 

Good luck to 

all.

Winners Are Grinners 

As the counting comes to an end, with many 

awards (to be announced on the night of the 

Presentation Dinner, so get your tickets) going 

Scoring Title Golden Hands Rebounds 

SCM Luke McMillan (Ringwood) Daryl Corletto (Melbourne) Glen Barlow (Latrobe City 

SCW Katrina Hibbert (Hume City) Sharin Milner (Hume City) Candice Rogers (Boomers) 

D1M Carl Arts (Southern Peninsula) David Black (Suns) Neville Chivhanganye (LTU) 

D1W Steph Clarke (Werribee) Sharon Grieve (Werribee) 

THE BIG MATCH 

Somebody stop them 

Who backed up in 2009? 

Alright, let’s look at the teams and players 

that get the job done year in and year out. 

State Championship is first and for the 

ladies, as long as they keep their line-up, Hume 

City are going to run out of room for their Big V 

championship banners out at Broady. The Broncos 

have rounded out the three-peat and what an 

amazing achievement. While we’re in that 

division, honourable mention must go to 

Waverley for being back-to-back runners up. 

On to the men and Westover’s lot have gone backto-back 

in emphatic fashion. The Hawks threw 

everything at the Tigers this year, but Melbourne’s 

guns fired when it mattered, and fired with 

astounding precision. 

In Division One Men, Sunbury Jets got their finals 

campaign off to a shaky start, dropping a game to 

Bulleen by a point. But a second chance was all they 

needed and the Jets didn’t look back, picking up 

their second straight championship. 

Here are some individuals who can string some 

impressive seasons together: 

Sharon Grieve (Werribee Devils) — Back-to-back 

Golden Hands 

Sharin Milner (Hume City Broncos) – Three 

straight Golden Hands awards 

Luke McMillan (Ringwood Hawks) – Back to back 

Leading Scorer 

Daryl Corletto (Melbourne Tigers) – Golden 

Hands, and finals MVP to boot. 

right down to the wire, we thought we’d whet your 

appetite with some of the winners of the statistical 

awards already announced. 

Emmie O’Niall (Sunbury) & 

Amanda Hederics (Mildura) 

D2M Shaun Bruce (Horsham) Cameron Bruce (Horsham) Thomas Bicknell (Melbourne Uni.) 

D2W Katrina Vogelezang (Shepparton) Louise McLean (Warrnambool) Jennifer Cameron (Blackburn) 

D3M Vladimir Tankov (Keysborough) Tom Burns (McKinnon) Vladimir Tankov (Keysborough) 

D3W Keira Beswick (Western Port) Nikki Calvert (LTU) Erin McCutcheon (LTU) 

YLM1 Dexter Kernich-Drew (Waverley) Glenn Piper (Eltham Wildcats) Simon Bradbury (Diamond Valley) 

YLM2 Steven Wiasak (Geelong) Mweemba Maluma (Coburg) Alex Bogart-King (Sunbury) 

YLW Carly Simons (Eltham Wildcats) Tanja Stevanovic (Melbourne) Carly Simons (Eltham Wildcats) 


We are the Champions... 

The Big V 2009 season has drawn to a close, and this year’s finals series 

were nothing short of exciting. 


SCM: The Tigers Go Back-to- 

Back 

It was raining triples when the Tigers 

met the Hawks and Melbourne’s hand 

was just too hot for Ringwood to 

contend with. 

Game One: Melbourne Tigers 120 

def. Ringwood Hawks 94 

Game Two: Melbourne Tigers 130 

def. Ringwood Hawks 111 

Finals MVP: Daryl Corletto 

Key factors: The Tigers dominated 

the glass, winning the count 65-37 in 

Game One and 53-41 in Game Two. 

Ringwood’s worst shooting game was 

38.5 per cent from the field; the Tigers 

worst outing was 47 per cent from the 

field — and they were unstoppable 

from the arc, draining more than 40 

per cent of their threes for the series. 

Ringwood’s import Sam Belt failed to 

ignite in Game Two and they didn’t 

have the scoring punch to 

compensate. 

SCW: Hume City 

complete dynasty 

Hume City were untouchable 

throughout the regular season, but if 

someone was going to get near them, 

it would be Waverley. They got close 

but the Bronco’s class saw them 

through. 

Game One: Hume City Broncos 74 

def. Waverley Falcons 46; 

Game Two: Hume City Broncos 75 

def. Waverley Falcons 73. 

Finals MVP: Katrina Hibbert 

Key factors: Hard to look past 

Milner and Hibbert — those two have 

been the difference all season. 

Waverley were two different sides 

from Game One to Game Two, yet 

they were also two different sides in 

quarters two and three of Game Two 

than they were in quarters one and 

four. Hume City’s intensity and tempo 

is hard to curb and Waverley weren’t 

able to do it for long enough. 

D1M: Jets set sail for second 

straight title 

Division One Men saw the Jets go 

back-to-back, answering critics and 

putting out the challenge for any 

possible contenders for 2010. 

Game One: Sunbury Jets 88 def. 

Bulleen Boomers 81; 

Game Two: Sunbury 94 def. Bullen 

71 

Finals MVP: Mark Rizza 

Key factors: Sunbury defense was 

rock solid — Bulleen’s best offensive 

effort was 81 for the series and in 

Game Two they could only offer 71. 

No one had better than 14 for 

Bulleen in that particular clash. 

Bulleen couldn’t put the shackles on 

Rizza, who finished with 26 and 31 

points across the series. Sunbury 

were a lot more conservative 

offensively, putting up half the 

amount of threes that Bulleen did, 

but shooting at a higher percentage.

D1W: Werribe She-devils 

The She-Devils put on a classy 

performance to down a gallant 

Sunbury side in two games. 

Game One: Werribee She-Devils 58 

def. Sunbury Jets 44; 

Game Two: Werribee She-Devis 76 

def. Sunbury Jets 66. 

Finals MVP: Stacey Barr 

Key factors: The She-Devils’ spread of 

contributors was too much for Sunbury; 

Werribee had too many options 

offensively. Barr, Clark and Grieve were all 

damaging and their numbers on the 

glass also told a tale. Werribee didn’t hit 

one three-pointer in Game One and shot 

below 30 per cent from the field, but 

they had more of the ball, putting up 18 

Division One saw the Sunbury Jets 

men go back-to-back and put out the 

challenge for contenders in 2010 

more shots. In Game Two, they were just 

alittle better all over the floor. They 

boasted four double-digit scorers with 

the Jets relying too heavily on Down. 

D2M: Melbourne Uni teach 

a lesson 

After dropping the first game 

convincingly, the Black Angels saved 

their best ball for the home floor, 

denying a persistent Hornets side to 

take the next two and the title. 

Game One: Horsham Hornets 100 

def. Melb. Uni Black Angels 83; 

Game Two: Melb. Uni Black Angels 86 

def. Horsham Hornets 72; 

Game Three: Melb. Uni Black Angels 

84 def. Horsham Hornets 80 

Finals MVP: Thomas Bicknell 

Key factors: In Game One, the 

rebound count was even. In Games 

Two and Three, the scales tipped 

heavily in Melbourne Uni’s favour. 

Horsham couldn’t maintain the 

degree of offensive output required 

across the series — Pickert lost form 

late after Game One. Horsham didn’t 

have an answer for Bicknell who was 

massive on the boards and got it 

done offensively. 

D2W: Whittlesea keeps the 

winning pace 

A tough, swinging series was decided 

by consistency from the field, as the 

Pacers walked away with the banner. 

Game One: Whittlesea Pacers 72 def. 

Melb. Uni Black Angels 60 

Game Two: Melb. Uni Black Angels 56 

def. Whittlesea Pacers 43; 

Game Three: Whittlesea Pacers 75 

def. Melb. Uni Black Angels 55 

Finals MVP: Giulia Di Nunzio 

Key factors: When Di Nunzio fired, 

Whittlesea won. The Pacers were just a 

little more consistent from the field 

across the series also. The Black Angels 

couldn’t seem to all bring it on the 

same day — Game Three is the best 

example of this. Simone Steele was 

dominant in two out of three games, 

particularly Game Three, but lacked 

help. Kemperley Dynon stepped up 

when Steele went missing, and Pownell 

was solid but under-achieved in the 

decider. 

D3M: McKinnon Cougars 

finshes off in style 

McKinnon put to bed the demons of 

Melissa Sudero 

Nathalie Aliaz 


CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS 

Here’s a breakdown of who’s left in the running 

for the State Champiponship major awards at this 

year’s Presentation Dinner after counting was 

concluded. 

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN 

State Championship Women 

MVP 

Candice Rogers Bulleen Boomers 

Lisa Pardon Bulleen Boomers 

Katrina Hibbert Hume CIty Broncos 

Sharin Milner Hume City Broncos 

Julie Brookhouse Waverley Falcons 

Rising Star Award 

Jayde Tyrell Diamond Valley Eagles 

Maddy Taylor Geelong Cats 

Amy Wormald Geelong Cats 

Bec Campigli Melbourne Tigers 

Hope Terdich Melbourne Tigers 

All Star Guard 

Lisa Pardon Bulleen Boomers 

Jackie Greaves Diamond Valley Eagles 

Sharin Milner Hume City Broncos 

Bec Campigli Melbourne Tigers 

Julie Brookhouse Waverley Falcons 

All Star Forward 

Candice Rogers Bulleen Boomers 

Carmen Weaver Diamond Valley Eagles 

Katrina Hibbert Hume City Broncos 

Hope Terdich Melbourne Tigers 

Alex Lough Waverley Falcons 

All Star Five Centre 

Jessica Dobson Eltham Wildcats 

Sarah De Grandi Geelong Cats 

Ana Marinovic Hume City Broncos 

Renay Bresnan Waverley Falcons 

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MEN 

MVP 

Ian Crosswhite Hume City Broncos 

Rhys Carter Latrobe City Energy 

Daniel Johnson Melbourne Tigers 

Luke McMillan Ringwood Hawks 

Sam Belt Ringwood Hawks 


Nick Jones Eltham Wildcats 

Harun Kansak Hume CIty Broncos 

Marc Goodwin Latrobe City Energy 

James Orr Waverley Falcons 

All Star Guard 

Warwick Straw Diamond Valley Eagles 

Rhys Carter Latrobe CIty Energy 

Daryl Corletto Melbourne Tigers 

Matt O’Hea Melbourne Tigers 

Matthew Snowball Ringwood Hawks 

All Star Forward 

Jermaine Maybank Hume City Broncos 

Vashon Weaver Latrobe City Energy 

Luke McMillan Ringwood Hawks 

Sam Belt Ringwood Hawks 

All Star Centre 

Ian Crosswhite Hume City Broncos 

Glen Barlow Latrobe City Energy 

Daniel Johnson Melbourne TIgers 


2008, by capping off a stellar season 

with a convincing victory in the 

Grand Final series. 

Game One: McKinnon Courgars 

98 def. Western Port Steelers 71; 

Game Two: McKinnon Courgars 

85 def. Western Port Steelers 68 

Finals MVP: Nick Richards 

Key factors: Western Port were 

bruised and battered on the glass 

giving up plenty in both games. 

McKinnon had so many options 

offensively — plenty of it came 

through Richards, but he was far 

from a lone hand. Game One saw 

three players notch 20 plus. 

Although guys like Shannon 

Davey were strong and consistent, 

they couldn’t match McKinnon’s 

accuracy from the field. 

D3W: Altona Gators 

reign supreme 

Sitting third and forth at the end of 

the regular season, few expected 

Altona and McKinnon to meet in the 

final. It was always going to be a 

fairytale victory for one of the sides, 

and the Gators made the final step 

to clinch a massive victory. 

Game One: Altona Gators 67 def. 

McKinnon Cougars 59 

Game Two: Altona Gators 76 def. 

McKinnon Cougars 59 

Finals MVP: Jayne-Maree Sant 

Key factors: Lapses cost 

McKinnon — they started the 

series with an eight-point quarter 

and in Game Two were only good 

for three points in the second 

quarter — which is always going 

to make it tough to put together a 

good enough score to win. 

Although Samantha Fiores was 

good, Altona shared the load very 

well. They had plenty of people 

keeping the scoreboard ticking 

over with Sant owning the glass. 

They shot just a little better, and 

that was enough to get it done. 

YLM1: Eagles soar 

above Falcons 

Diamond Valley have been the team 

to beat all year and Waverley have 

been the offensive counterargument. 

The Eagles were just too 

strong. 

Game One: Diamond Valley Eagles 

84 def. Waverley Falcons 70 

Game Two: Diamond Valley Eagles 

101 def. Waverley Falcons 77 

Finals MVP: Simon Bradbury 

Key factors: Although Waverley 

had scorers — Kernich-Drew, 

Wilkins and Matt Dettman — they 

didn’t have someone who could 

compete with the likes of Simon 

Bradbury in the paint, who 

incidentally was MVP for the series. 

The Eagles had scorers and behind 

Arkell, Magee, Viterbo and Bradbury, 

the Eagles dominated offensively, 

while keeping the Falcons to under 

80 for the series. 

YLM2: Magic keep it real 

In a series where a score of 80 was a 

game-winnning total, the Magic 

proved the more consistent over 

three and took the championship. 

Game One: Sunbury Jets 81 def. 

Hawthorn Magic 68 

Game Two: Hawthorn Magic 78 

def. Sunbury Jets 71 

Game Three: Hawthorn Magic 82 

def. Sunbury Jets 72 

Finals MVP: 

Key factors: In Game One, 

Sunbury dominated the glass and 

got the win. The Magic levelled the 

rebound count in Game Two and 

levelled the series. They continued 

this work into Game Three. Their 

scorers were average in Game One, 

but turned things around very 

quickly. The likes of Barry and 

Shallue increased their output and 

Sunbury failed to match them on 

the offensive end. 

YLW: Eltham makes the 

impossible a reality 

In an amazing series, Eltham faced the 

tough prospect of winning two on 

the road to claim victory after 

dropping home court in Game One. 

After a narrow victory in Game Two, 

the Wildcats tore the Eagles apart in 

the decider. 

Game One: Diamond Valley 

Eagles 74 def. Eltham Wildcats 69 

D3W: it was always going to be a 

fairytale victory for one of the sides 

and the Gators clinched the title... 

Game Two: Eltham Wildcats 87 

def. Diamond Valley Eagles85 

Game Three: Eltham Wildcats 105 

def. Diamond Valley Eagles 81 

Finals MVP: Tara Feben 

Key factors: Game One and Two 

were tight. Diamond Valley had 

plenty more looks but didn’t shoot 

the ball well. They did enough to 

get over the line in the first. 

Game Two was a lot closer 

statistically, and was Diamond 

Valley’s chance to take home the 

title. Their last quarter was 

dramatic, but just fell short. 

Diamond Valley’s accuracy 

disappeared in Game Three. They 

shot the ball 15 

more times than 

Eltham but could 

only connect on 26 

per cent. Eltham 

shot at almost 49 

per cent from the 

field. They had a 

huge spread of 

scorers — five in 

double figures — 

while Diamond 

Valley relying too 

much on the hand 

of Feben. A huge 

crowd enjoyed a 

fantastic end to a 

great series.

DIVISION ONE NEWS 

Here are the top five vote getters for all remaining 

Division One Awards. Winners will be announced 

at the Big V Presentation dinner. 

DIVISION ONE WOMEN 

MVP 

Emily Matheson Hawthorn Magic 

Kellie Down Sunbury Jets 

Janelle Lucas Warrandyte Venom 

Sharon Grieve Werribee She-Devils 

Steph Clark Werribee She-Devils 

Rising Star 

Laura Joyce Latrobe City Energuy 

Mollie McKendrick Mildura 

Elise Strachan Mildura 

Emmie O’Nial Sunbury Jets 

Stacey Barr Werribee She-Devils 

All Star Five Guard 

Emily Matheson Hawthorn Magic 

Laura Joyce Latrobe City Energy 

Kellie Down Sunbury Jets 

Janelle Lucas Warrandyte Venom 

Stacey Barr Werribee She-Devils 

All Star Five Forward 

Laura Pickering Latrobe City Energy 

Sallee Cook Sunbury Jets 

Sharlene Dalsanto Warrandyte Venom 

Jazmine Borella Warrandyte Venom 

Sharon Grieve Werribee She-Devils 


Amanda Hederics Mildura 

Emmie O’Nial Sunbury Jets 

Louise Johnston Werribee She-Devils 

DIVISION ONE MEN 

MVP 

James Guljas Altona Gators 

Luke Neilson Hawthorn Magic 

Carl Arts Southern Peninsula 

Sharks 

Mark Rizza Sunbury Jets 

Aaron Marsh Werribee Devils 


Stefan Osborne Geelong Cats 

Hayden Annett Warrnambool 

Nathan Sobey Warrnambool 

Matthew Wilkinson Werribee Devils 

Jason Dirkx Whittlesea Pacers 


Chris Brown Geelong Cats 

Luke Neilson Hawthorn Magic 

Jay Allen Hawthorn Magic 

Josh Smith Sherbrooke Suns 

Mark Rizza Sunbury Jets 


Nick Dimitroff Hawthorn Magic 

Marcelo Calderon Sherbrooke Suns 

Carl Arts Southern Peninsula 

Sharks 

Aaron Marsh Werribee Devils 

Nathan Marsh Werribee Devils 


James Guljas Altona Gators 

Andrew Oliver Bulleen Boomers 

Neville Chivhanganye La Trobe University 

RISING STAR 

Shaun Bruce has gone mad 

The quiet country town of 

Horsham, known for a 

number of the finer 

things in life like fine food, 

beautifully tended gardens and 

the Wimmera River is quickly 

becoming known for another 

quality export — the Bruces. 

Already a family of all-star 

guards, with oldest son Aaron 

having pulled on a Boomers 

jersey and having played with 

the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL 

last year after an impressive 

Big V and college career, and 

little brother Cam also 

establishing himself as a 

quality player in the Big V. The 

21-year-old picked up this 

year’s Division Two Golden 

Hands award, which was also 

good enough for an All-star 

guard nomination this year. 

He was also last year’s Rising 

Star award winner for Division 

Three. 

But it was the younger 

Shaun who has had people 

talking around the league in 

season 2009. 

The 18-year-old led the league 

in scoring, finishing with a ppg 

average of almost 28 points, 

shooting 43.3 per cent from the 

field. He also added seven boards 

and just under five assists to the 

stat sheet as well. Those numbers 

have been good enough for an allstar 

five nomination, Rising Star 

award nomination and MVP 

nomination — and he’s among the 

front-runners to clean up all three 

of those accolades. 

Numbers like that would have to 

be turning heads right? Exactly. 

He’s already had a few offers from 

American colleges and big things 

are expected from him over in the 

States already. 

But according to Shaun’s Dad 

and Horsham head coach Steve 

Bruce, he’s in no hurry to make any 

decisions. 

“He was looking to get a 

scholarship this year and got a 

couple of offers but they weren’t in 

areas he wanted to go to, so he’s 

decided he’s going to wait another 

year and go to America next 

August,” he said. 

Big Name column 

“So now he’s looking at his 

options here. He’s looking for a 

Youth League spot somewhere, in a 

good program. He’s had contact 

from Guy Molloy at Ballarat and is 

looking to get involved in their 

Youth League team.” 

It was Shaun’s work with the 

Under 20s state team earlier in the 

year where he really started to lift 

his game and his output, and 

according to Steve, if he didn’t step 

up this year, the Hornets were 

going to struggle. 

“Because of our lack of numbers, 

instead of playing as a point guard 

he’s had to play as a three, so that’s 

meant that he’s had to be involved 

more in the rebounding side of 

things,” he said. 

“He’s always been a 

reasonable scorer, and can bring 

others into the play, so in terms 

of scoring and assists they were 

always a part of his game, but I 

think he’s really picked up his 

rebounding. And that’s because 

everyone had to this year — we 

were always giving away inches,” 

he added. 

Although he couldn’t get the 

Hornets over the line against 

Melbourne University, despite 

coming agonisingly close, he’s done 

more than enough to establish 

himself as a top prospect in 

Australian Basketball and there’s no 

doubting the influence that his 

brothers have had on his 

development. 

“Because we pretty much had a 

team of guards, our trainings have 

been guard centered and Cam and 

Shaun have had some 

monumental battles. Being 

brothers and going against each 

other, the older brother doesn’t 

want to give up ground to the 

younger brother,” Steve laughs. 

“With Aaron’s involvement at 

Baylor, there’s been a number of 

times Aaron’s been on TV and 

Shaun’s looked at games, so I 

guess he’s modeled a lot of how he 

plays like on how Aaron’s played 

too.” 

And with those influences, it’s 

no wonder he’s creating 

excitement locally and abroad. 


DIVISION TWO NEWS 

Here are the top five nominees in Division Two for 

all remaining awards, in alphabetical order by 

club they play for. It’s going to go down to the 

wire. 

DIVISION TWO MEN 

MVP 

David Mock Blackburn Vikings 

Shaun Bruce Horsham Hornets 

Timothy Pickert Horsham Hornets 

Scott Cuffe Melbourne Uni 

Thomas Bicknell Melbourne Uni 

Rising Star 

Brendan Trewella Blackburn Vikings 

Ricki De Haan Chelsea Gulls 

Nicholas Alexandrou Chelsea Gulls 


Liam Glascott Keilor Thunder 


Ricki De Haan Chelsea Gulls 

Mathew Williams Chelsea Gulls 


Timothy Pickert Horsham Hornets 

Nicholas Masunda Melbourne Uni 

All Star Five Forward Nominees 

Jon Otten Blackburn Vikings 

Liam Glascott Keilor Thunder 

Matthew Jukes Keilor Thunder 

Scott Cuffe Melbourne Uni 

Cicero Gonzaga Warragul Warriors 


David Mock Blackburn Vikings 

Andrew Freeman Keilor Thunder 

Thomas Bicknell Melbourne Uni 

DIVISION TWO WOMEN 

Division Two 

MVP 

Simone Steele Melbourne Uni 

Katrina Vogelezang Shepparton Gators 

Holly Greene Warrnambool 

Mermaids 

Giulia Di Nunzio Whittlesea Pacers 

Melissa Rofe Whittlesea Pacers 


Katrina Vogelezang Shepparton Gators 

Holly Greene Warrnambool 

Darcy Saunders Warrnambool 

Giulia Di Nunzio Whittlesea Pacers 

Sharyn Hughes Whittlesea Pacers 


Kendall Raby Blackburn Vikings 

Simone Steele Melbourne Uni Vikings 

Allison Dunkley-Smith Ringwood Vikings 

Jacqueline Kitto Shepparton Vikings 

Giulia Di Nunzio Whittlesea Vikings 


Jennifer Cameron Blackburn Vikings 

Lizzie Brenner Ringwood Vikings 

Holly Greene Warrnambool Vikings 

Louise McLean Warrnambool Vikings 

Melissa Rofe Whittlesea Vikings 


Catherine Nelson Blackburn Vikings 

Katrina Vogelezang Shepparton Vikings 

Sharyn Hughes Whittlesea Vikings 


More than a two-woman show 

The Hume City Broncos were almost untouchable in season 

2009 — much of that had to do with their two stars. 

It’s not like anyone is 

surprised by the season 

that Sharin Milner and 

Katrina Hibbert have had. 

They’ve not only put their 

skills on display at the top 

level in this country, but 

internationally as well. 

When Basketball Victoria 

CEO Wayne Bird handed 

Hibbert her Finals MVP award 

he called her an ornament to 

the game. And few would 

disagree when I say that you 

didn’t have to look too far to 

see someone of equal value 

this season. 

Much of Hume City’s success 

this year has to be put down to 

the great fortune of having two 

of the countries finest ball 

players in their line-up — taking 

away nothing from the rest of 

their championship-winning list. 

But having two stalwarts 

tearing up and down the floor in 

the same jersey has its pros and 

cons. Egos collide, game-styles 

repel and conflicts occur in all 

levels of the game. So what’s 

different about these two? 

Maybe it’s their different 

style of game that allows 

them to gel so well — it’s not 

like they’re competing for 

accolades, with Hibbert 

picking up a scoring title (to go 

with her 10 boards a game) and 

Milner snatching yet another 

Golden Hands award and still 

managing to find 18 points an 

outing. 

Would they like each other as 

much if they weren’t so compatible 

on the floor? 

Hume City assistant coach Mark 

Alabakov says yes. 

“For the most part they have a 

good relationship off the court as 

well, and that would probably feed 

into it,” he said of their tremendous 

synchronisation. 

Whether the “For the most part” 

comment is Alabakov’s way of 

adding some spice to an already 

tasty dish, watching the two of 

them on the floor is a first-class 

experience. 

“They definitely seem like they’ve 

got this sixth sense — this innate 


ability to know where the other 

person is or what they’re about to 

do,” Alabakov said. 

“Half the time it doesn’t even 

require eye-contact. They’re in tune 

with the same rhythm and that 

would probably stem from playing 

the better part of a decade together 

in the national league.” 

Mark agrees that Sharin, being 

the point guard, would naturally 

lend her to being the more leading 

figure but he concedes that it’s a 

role shared well between the two. 

“If you were going to say more 

one way than the other, people 

would think it would be more 

Sharz (Milner) keeping Frog 

(Hibbert) on track, but Frog is ever 

the optimist. She’s almost got a 

supreme confidence and 

competitiveness about her that 

she expects to win all the time 

and she’s got that expectation of 

those around her. So her team- 

mates seem to find another gear 

when they’re on the floor with 

her,” he said. 

Milner agrees. “Katrina’s a worldclass 

player — she’s played in the 

Olympic games, she’s played three 

seasons of professional ball in 

Europe,” she said. 

“She just gets it done — whether 

it’s a three-point shot or a reverse 

lay-up or a behind the back pass, 

she’s pretty well rounded with her 

offensive game. 

“We talk about my lack of height, 

she’s probably a few inches short 

for the position that she plays, but 

she has an ability to think her way 

through a game and find different 

ways to score and get other people 

involved.” 

“I guess that’s something that I 

try to bring as well as a point guard 

so, that’s probably why we gel so 

well.” 

Collecting her third-straight

Golden Hands Award, Sharin is still 

very humble about her own 

achievements this year. 

“I think it’s been more 

consistent than last year’s, or the 

last three or four years,” she 

recalls. “I haven’t had huge games, 

but I haven’t been disappointed 

with too many games either.” 

Milner claims that her lack of 

size has become her advantage, 

being forced to find different ways 

to be effective, making her a 

tough player mentally as well as 

physically. 

“I’ve been brought up to know 

that I probably have to do a bit 

more thinking of the game, rather 

than doing. Obviously my height 

limits me so finding a way find my 

feet in games mentally is a big 

part.” 

“It is something that I take a lot 

of pride in.” 

And together they make a 

formidable combo, something that 


Waverley learned late in Game Two of 

the Grand Final series. 

Down by 15, with Milner playing 

with a torn quad and Hibbert 

struggling to find the bottom of 

the net, the two champions lifted, 

the team rallying behind them. 

Fittingly, Milner hit the three to tie 

the game and Hibbert laid off the 

assist for a lay-up to win it — the 

perfect end to an almost perfect 

season. 

“I walked into the team thinking 

that those two, being the 

experienced duo that they are and 

with the amount of experience 

they’ve had even at the 

international level, they’d come in 

and run a lot of the ship,” said 

Alabakov. 

“But realistically, they’re more 

sort of leaders from within the 

group and they carry through the 

vision of the coaching staff and they 

lead by example, as well as vocally. 

“It’s never the Milner and Hibbert 

show in terms of them running the 

ship or anything like that,” he said. 

John Noonan 

John Noonan 

DIVISION THREE NEWS 

It’s a close race in Division Three. Here are the top 

five nominees in all award categories in 

alphabetical order by club. 

DIVISION THREE MEN 

MVP 

Vladimir Tankov Keysborough 

Tom Burns McKinnon 

Matt Deppeler Melton 

Marcus Robinson Mornington 

Shannon Davey Western Port 

Rising Star Awards 

Blake Dickinson Craigieburn Eagles 

Adam Klas Maccabi Warriors 

Brent Symons Mildura Heat 

David Meyer Mildura Heat 

David Smith Mornington Breakers 


Julian Fields Camberwell Dragons 

Michael Yialas Keysborough 

Tom Burns McKinnon Cougars 

Matt Deppeler Melton Thoroughbreds 

Justin Bourchier Western Port Steelers 


Robert Toller-Bond Craigieburn Eagles 

Nick Richards McKinnon Cougars 

Fraser Thompson McKinnon Cougars 

Marcus Robinson Mornington Breakers 

Shannon Davey Western Port Steelers 


Simon Hughes Camberwell Dragons 

Isaac Ansah Craigieburn Eagles 

Vladimir Tankov Keysborough 

DIVISION THREE WOMEN 

MVP 

Jayne-Maree Sant Altona Gators 

Erin McCutcheon La Trobe Uni Eagles 

Brooke Ary McKinnon Cougars 

Rachael Wansbrough Mornington Breakers 

Keira Beswick Western Port Steeler 

Rising Star 


Zanelle Marama Camberwell Dragons 

Meaghan Helms Camberwell Dragons 

Rachael Wansbrough Mornington Breakers 

Melanie Stewart Western Port Steelers 



Claire Trevorrow Camberwell Dragons 

essica Chard Chelsea Gulls 

Ally Carrocci Darebin Giants 

Krystal Calvert La Trobe Uni Eagles 


Erin McCutcheon La Trobe Uni Eagles 

Erin Hastings McKinnon Cougars 

Rachael Wansbrough Mornington Cougars 

Jenny Maher Mornington Breakers 

Keira Beswick Western Port Steelers 


Zanelle Marama Camberwell Dragons 

Brooke Ary McKinnon Cougars 

Bridget Keet Mornington Breakers 


YOUTH LEAGUE NEWS 

It was a taste of the future in 2009 in Youth league 

Men. Here are the top five nominees in all award 

categories in alphabetical order by club. 

YOUTH LEAGUE MEN 1 

MVP 

Chris Arkell Diamond Valley Eagles 

Sam Reynolds Diamond Valley Eagles 

Steve Viterbo Diamond Valley Eagles 

Ashley Bryar Eltham Wildcats 

Glenn Piper Eltham Wildcats 





Daniel Fisher Melbourne Tigers 

Dexter Drew Kernich Waverley Falcons 




Glenn Piper Eltham Wildcats 

Ashley Bryar Eltham Wildcats 

Dexter Drew Kernich Waverley Falcons 



Nick Richards McKinnon Cougars 

Fraser Thompson McKinnon Cougars 

Marcus Robinson Mornington Breakers 

Shannon Davey Western Port Steelers 


Shaun Clarke Ringwood Hawks 

Dale Rohrnann Sherbrooke Suns 

Jake Driessen Sherbrooke Suns 

YOUTH LEAUGE MEN 2 

MVP 

Nathan Wapshott Altona Gators 

Steven Wiasak Geelong Cats 

Jerry Juric Hawthorn Magic 

Zac Barry Hawthorn Magic 

Matt Smith Sunbury Jets 

Rising Star 


John Pilkington Coburg Giants 

Ben Scannell Geelong Cats 


Alex Bogart-King Sunbury Jets 


Ashley Bunn Coburg Giants 

Steven Wiasak Geelong Cats 

Christopher Shallue Hawthron Magic 

Ben Ritchie Sunbury Jets 

Matthew Rizza Whittlesea Pacers 



John Pilkington Coburg Giants 

Elliot Carr Coburg Giants 


Alex Bogart-King Sunbury Jets 


Lachy Headlam Geelong Cats 

Zac Barry Hawthorn Magic 

Matt Smith Sunbury Jets 


COURTSIDE Q&A 

Grieve celebrates 

Winning a championship as a player is special, winning as a coach 

is equally special — winning as both is something on another 

level altogether. Sharon Grieve has had a big year — personally, 

and as a part of the Werribee She-Devils. We talk to her about 

some of the highs and lows of season 2009. 

OT: Congratulations on the 

championship; as a player/coach is 

it a little sweeter for you than the 

other girls? 

SG: Thank you. Not sure if it’s 

sweeter, however I haven’t been 

able to stop smiling after the win. 

The group this year was a 

pleasure to coach and I am very 

happy we could win a 

championship together. 

OT: Obviously there’s been 

some off-court action for you to 

deal with this year as well — does 

that also add to the sweetness of 

victory? 

SG: Off-court? Well I guess it 

kept it interesting and kept me on 

my toes. A victory is sweet 

regardless of other issues. It has 

taken me about 15 years to be on 

the winning side, so this was 

pretty sweet being a player and 

coach. 

OT: How did you manage to stay 

so focused and driven under the 

circumstances? 

SG: I got the team together at 

the start of the year and set some 

goals and I would continue to 

focus on the goals as I knew it was 

going to be a challenge. However, 

I do love challenges! 

OT: Back-to-back Golden Hands 

Awards: what does that 

achievement mean to you 

personally? 

SG: Well, I do get some people 

asking me about what it actually 

means to have ‘golden hands’ and 

I do laugh, as I could have some 

fun answering that. However, all 

awards are great to receive and a 

great achievement. Back-to-back 

is great; I guess I have great 

support from my teammates. 

OT: What aspects of your game 

this year were you really happy 

with? 

SG: My overall game was ok, as I 

had set some goals and achieved 

most of them this year. There are 

so many new players still coming 

up in the Big V and they are not 

slowing down, so if I had to work 

on something, it would definitely 

be my speed, haha. 

OT: What were some of the real 

obstacles that you guys had to 

face this year? 

SG: I guess having five new 

players in the team, it was always 

going to take time to get used 

too each other — I guess that was 

one of the first obstacles for us. A 

lot of people said we had the 

players to win, however winning 

is a team effort, so playing as a 

team was a big one. Another 

obstacle was finding enough 

minutes for everyone. 

OT: Inside the group, what were 

the major strengths that brought 

home the result? 

SG: The commitment of all the 

girls! Everyone worked so hard 

and was focused on achieving the 

goals we set at the start of the 

year. 

OT: Have plans begun yet for 

next year’s campaign? Is the group 

staying together? 

SG: We’re still celebrating the 

championship feeling and will 

continue as we have our 

presentation night and then the 

Big V presentation night. It would 

be great to keep the girls 

together and go back-to-back, 

but I guess we will have to wait 

and see!

INSIDE STORY 

Procession into D1M Continues 

If history is anything to go by, 

we can expect the Horsham 

Hornets to be holding the 

Division Two cup next year. 

The Hornets succumbed to 

Melbourne University in last 

month’s Division Two 

championship series, with the 

Black Angels continuing what has 

become a bit of a D2M tradition — 

the move from runners up to 

champions in the following year. 

In the 2007 D2 Grand Final 

series, the Coburg Giants swept La 

Trobe University in emphatic 

fashion to advance to Division 

One. The next year in 2008, La 

Trobe University took the 

championship over their 

university rivals in two hardfought 

finals games. And now the 

Black Angels have kept the 

tradition flowing with their recent 

victory. 

Melbourne University should be 

commended for not only keeping 

their fine line-up in tact from last 

season, but adding a little extra 

punch. 

Players like Scott Cuffe have 

been impressive all year, and the 

likes of Musunda and Bicknell have 

really stepped up. 

And according to coach Andrew 

Walker, they’ll be looking to bring 

the same squad into next year, 

with perhaps a bit more firepower. 

“We should have most of our 

guys back, they all seem pretty 

keen to have a crack at Division 

One next year,” he said. 

“I’ve had a few expressions of 

interest from a few other guys to 

maybe come down and add a bit 

more talent to the squad so that 

should help us out.” 

But will that be enough for 

success in D1? With Coburg now 

heading back to Division Two and 

with La Trobe University barely 

staying up there, history suggests 

that they will have their work cut 

out for them. 

Big V’s Top Coaches 

“I’m not too worried. Coburg 

did really well their first year up, 

and obviously La Trobe had a few 

guys move on which isn’t easy, 

especially moving up a division,” 

he said. 

“I think La Trobe will be better 

next year being their second year 

in the division. We should be 

competitive off the bat.” 

“We’re definitely going into the 

division with the aim of going into 

the post-season, with the aim of 

seeing what happens from there, 

with the format where a team in 

sixth can get two wins and a crack 

at the title,” he said. 

YOUTH LEAGUE NEWS 

There were some emerging stars Youth League 

Women. Here are the top five nominees in all 

award categories in alphabetical order by club. 

YOUTH LEAGUE WOMEN 

MVP 

Lauren Pearce Bulleen Boomers 

Rebecca Romeo Diamond Valley Eagles 

Carly Simons Eltham Wildcats 

Charlotte Ross-Harris Hawthorn Magic 

Jessie McPherson Waverley Falcons 





Isabella Brancatisano Melbourne Tigers 

Linda Rizkallah Melbourne Tigers 


Kellie Page Diamond Valley Eagles 

Stephanie Perch Hawthorn Magic 

Karla Mavor Hume City Broncos 

Isabella Brancatisano Melbourne Tigers 

Leanda Higg Waverley 




Carly Simons Eltham Wildcats 


Linda Rizkallah Melbourne Tigers 


Emma Smith Eltham Wildcats 

Gemma Bouwmeester Ringwood Hawks 

Jessie McPherson Waverley 

Here are the Top 5 nominees for Coach of the Year to be awarded at the Big V Presentation Dinner. 

Considering all awards, the coaching awards have been among the closest races. 

State Championship Women 

Kirsty Dench Bulleen Boomers 

Peter Gay Diamond Valley Eagles 

Warren Taylor Hume City Broncos 

State Championship Men 

Steve Smith Diamond Valley Eagles 

Glen Milner Hume City Broncos 

Ken Harrington Ringwood Hawks 

Division One Women 

Justin Nelson Warrandyte Venom 

David Roberts Latrobe City Energy 

Glen Rowland Sunbury Jets 

Division One Men 

Arnold Gifferning Bulleen Boomers 

Warren Estcourt Sherbrook Suns 

Ken Eppersen Sunbury Jets 

Division Two Women 

Lee Primmmer Warrnambool Seahawks 

Troy Armitage Whittlesea Pacers 

James Fidler Melbourne University 

Division Two Men 

Steve Bruce Horsham Hornets 

Andrew Walker Melbourne University 

Robbie Baldwin Blackburn Vikings 

Division Three Women 

Terry Kapnoullas Camberwell Dragons 

David Maxwell Altona Gators 

Campbell Fraser McKinnon Cougars 

Division Three Men 

Shawn King McKinnon Cougars 

Dennis McNamara Craigieburn Eagles 

Adrian Gilbin Western Port Steelers 

Youth League Women 

Shannon Bodley Eltham Wildcats 

Nathan Arousi Hawthorn Magic 

Rod Sweeney Diamond Valley Eagles 

Youth League Men Division One 

Nik Miric Waverley Falcons 

Trevor Lee Diamond Valley Eagles 

Ross Charles RIngwood Hawks 

Youth league Men Division Two 

David Brown Geelong Cats 

Mark Addison Sunbury Jets 

Darryl Eyre Whittlesea Pacers

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