WELCOME TO NBL1 SOUTH Welcome one and all to the return of NBL1 in 2021 here at Eltham!
August 2019 was the last competitive match for the NBL1 players and they represent the last group of Wildcats to return from COVID. We are thankful to our loyal sponsonrs, those who were with us back then, all remain with us now, but we also welcome new sponsors to the Wildcats. These terrific local businesses help ensure the north-east of Melbourne has a direct pathway to the elite level for our local junior players. This is the highest level available for any sport through our beautiful part of Melbourne and serves as an important program not just for players, but our coaches, referees, scorebench, stats people and game night staff/officials. It is through their work in NBL1 at Eltham in 2019 where many of them have since received opportunities at national and international level. All of the people working tonight’s game are former (or current) junior players, coaches and/or referees of the Eltham Wildcats and have grown up within our club. In a program focusing on ‘pathways and opportunities’ this is something we take great pride in.
We’ve also taken the choice this year in having no international players in our teams for 2021. We loved having Americans Sykes, Schweers and Mulligan in 2019, but as we come out of COVID, we’ve prioritised our local players. Due to this, you’ll see the debut of many new players tonight, most of them Wildcat graduates! Junior of the club making their NBL1 debuts include Emily Davies, Steph Fell, Anna Burrows and current U16 Claudia Hii. We welcome the return to Eltham of Anneli Maley an outstanding junior Wildcat who has come home after a monster season in the WNBL for Sydney and Erin Riley who made herself known in NBL1 circles in 2019 as a sharpshooter and a former junior Wildcat herself. But we also have a couple of new players that we welcome to Eltham, all three of whom were ready to roll for us in 2020 but their debut for the club was put on hold. WNBL Championship winner for Southside Flyers and originally from EDJBA Club Balwyn Blazers Rebecca Pizzey will play a major role for us this year, as will Lily Scanlon who grew up playing for Bulleen and has just recently stepped out of quarantine returning home from Gonzaga University. After impressing for Keilor in Big V in 2019, we welcome Chloe Hildebrand to the Eltham Wildcats also! We look forward to adding current Wildcat U18 Dyani Ananiev and Keilor U18 Tess Heal to the lineup once they finish their national commitments for Vic Country and Vic Metro respectively.
For our Men, we’ve maintained a stable lineup that has gradually built and been improved since 2014. The return of arguably Australia’s best point guard not currently in the NBL Adam Doyle is vital, whilst we add Matt Hancock who is returning from ACL surgery. However it is the well known and club employee Jordan Canovan that many will be pleased to see taking the court. Apart of our rebuild in recent years, he suffered an ACL injury playing for his hometown of Churchill on the eve of the 2019 NBL1 season, so tonight represents his NBL1 debut. A terrific story of a player working through the ranks from the lower end and reaching NBL1. Another popular figure amongst our junior players is Tom O’Connor who will find his opportunities this year, as will other graduates of our junior program Sam Whelan and Christian Yammouni who’ve long been dominant at Youth U23 level.
Could we ask for a bigger opening 3 weeks to the season? Starting with Ringwood tonight, Diamond Valley next week and Nunawading for Round 3; three of our greatest rivals back to back at our home stadium! Next week we’ll host the ANZAC eve match against arch-rival Diamond Valley! We’ll host former Wildcat and Australian Army veteran Joel Sardi on the night as we partner with the Montmorency-Eltham RSL in a night of remembrance. Please join us from 6pm next Saturday evening, as we bring to you a special ANZAC eve event.
It all starts tonight though and we welcome the Ringwood Hawks to the Eltham High School. Our Men in particular have developed a strong rivalry with the Hawks that goes back to many playoff battles in the Big V State Championship years between 2011-2018 and close battles in the inaugural NBL1 season of 2019. Long time Head Coaches Ken Harrington and Tim Mottin have once again put together strong lineups with a balance international talent and Australian talent. Visitors tonight can expect physical and competitive contests.
2021 represents our final year for the NBL1 teams to call Eltham High School home, as our new facility at Montmorency Secondary is currently being built. Eltham High School will still play a major role in basketball for our club, you’d expect nothing less, but moving the elite programs into a bigger and more modern facility is required and something we look forward to doing.
Please enjoy tonight’s matches, make sure you make plenty of noise and enjoy the night of family entertainment!
Greg Jeffers Eltham Wildcats Basketball Chief Executive Officer