Harper Sercombe
The Sunbury Jets may have found their replacement for star point guard Ish Sanders ahead of the Big V men’s state championship season.
The dual league most valuable player called time on his stint at the Jets following last season’s finals exit however, the club’s latest international import Joshua Yorke-Frazer says he can fill the hole left in the side.
“I know he [Sanders] was very high level scoring, I can do that also,” he said. “But I’m really focused on winning and getting my team involved.
“I’m a leader, I’m not scared to be vocal. I tell guys you’re in the wrong position or you’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that. I’m not scared to do that at all. Even myself, I tell people to tell me when I’m right, tell me when I’m wrong and it just transitions into the game.
“I’m a hard worker but leadership and communication is the biggest thing because I would say that will help us grow and help us win games.”
Yorke-Frazer is fresh out of the Drew League which is an annual pro–am basketball league held between June and August in Los Angeles, California. The event has hosted players such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan, James Harden, Chris Paul, Paul Pierce and Baron Davis, among many others.
The Canadian arrived in Australia back in November without a team to play for, but since landing at the Jets he said he couldn’t be happier with how it’s worked out.
“I actually arrived in Melbourne on November 20 and at that time I didn’t haven’t any team to play for so I was just emailing teams, training with teams and then Nathan [Heywood, Jet’s coach] reached out to a colleague of mine and then I came here and practised. Coach Nathan told me to come out to more practices and then he said ‘I want to sign you’.
“I love the culture, I love the boys, I love the team, I love everybody here, the community, the kids and it’s been amazing since I’ve got here.”
While he isn’t currently living in the area, he is soon to be moving in with fellow fresh imports Ben Robertson and Joel Coffey, who he established an immediate bond with.
“I’m currently staying in Southbank, staying with a family member, but I’ve just been travelling, taking the train up here, seeing how it is, the views, the people, just learning the Australian lifestyle,” he said.
“We’ve had some good guys coming in, we’re coming together, the chemistry is coming so we’re going to be a problem.
“We want to win. Simple as that. Win and play hard, that’s it.”
