By Tara Murray
Kyneton Tigers will go in with a similar look this season as it hopes to go one step further in the Country Basketball League north-west.
Having made a preliminary final last season, the Tigers have kept their core group of players together.
New coach Adrian Adams said the group was looking forward to the challenge this season.
“We’ve been training hard for five to six weeks and we’re looking forward to the season starting up.
“The majority of the group is the same. A couple of them have left from last season and we’ve added a couple of players.
“It’s good to have a core group and hopefully they can develop and move forward.”
This is Adams first year being involved in the CBL. He comes to the Tigers having been at Melton’s Big V program.
“I was looking to progress to a higher level,” he said. “There wasn’t a [head coaching] job at Melton so I applied for this one and I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“I’ve done a lot of research to get acquainted on how it works.
“It’s not too dissimilar to how the Big V works on game days. There’s a few familiar faces especially from the Sunbury and Ballarat areas.”
The Tigers have lost Rebecca Van Kuyk.
They’ve added some more youth into the side.
Amelia Jarvis and Emily Attard both played the recent Big V season for Ballarat Rush’s youth championship team.
Attard, a guard, is a Melton junior and previously worked with Adams.
Jarvis is set to add more flexibility to the side.
“Ameila is a small forward who can play anywhere from the two to five spot, she has some versatility with where she can play,” Adams said.
“She’ll support the likes of the three Mangan girls and Molly Greetham.”
Adams said they were expecting to build on the preliminary final they made last season.
Getting their first win over Bendigo was another goal they are aiming for.
The Tigers had a tough start to the season, with six of the 16 player squad unavailable on the opening weekend.
Michelle Fletcher, the three Mangans’, Grace Cooper and Bec Dekozas all missed the double header.
Speaking before the games, Adams said it was a good chance for the younger girls to step up and show what they can do.
The Tigers had split results.
They started with a win on Saturday night against Echuca Pirates, 58-50. Adrienne Cameron top scored for the Tigers with 14 points.
On Sunday, Kyneton Tigers lost to Maryborough Blaze, 62-54. Molly Greetham top scored for the Tigers with 14 points.
