Tara Murray
The Sunbury Basketball Association has been a flurry of action since the Big V season came to an end.
While there’s your usual domestic basketball and preparation for the Victorian Junior Basketball League, there have been some special guests making Sunbury home.
The New Zealand women’s national team, the Tall Ferns, used Sunbury as their base as they prepared for prepared for four matches against Women’s National Basketball League teams.
WNBL pre-season matches saw locals get up close with some of their heroes, while Women’s National Basketball Association assistant coach Paul Gorris held clinics at the courts on the weekend.
Jets’ coaching director Kennedy Kereama is behind all these high level players and coaches coming out to Sunbury.
Kereama, who will coach the Bendigo Spirit in the WNBL this season, said it’s a way of giving back to the local community and the association.
“It’s great for the association and the whole community benefits from it,” he said.
“For me it has been a focus of mine. When I was without a job after someone else brought the license [the West Coast Waves], the Sunbury Basketball Association reached out.
“They allowed me to rebuild myself, so it’s only right when I’m back in the driver’s seat to try and repay that.”
Kereama worked with New Zealand national coach Guy Molloy in the WNBL and as a former coach of the side, still had many connections which led to the side being based at Sunbury for 12 days.
He said Molloy gave plenty of time to coaches in clinics, while there was the chance for others to take in the training sessions.
“Locals got the opportunity to come and watch the training sessions,” he said. “Guy did coaching clinics for some of the coaches.
“You’re crazy not to take up the opportunity to learn from one of the best coaches in Asia.”
Kereama’s Spirit played the Melbourne Boomers and the Tall Ferns in practice matches at Sunbury. Jets’ women’s coach Simon Nicholson and Jets’ men’s coach John White are both part of the extended Spirit coaching team.
Kereama said it was an opportunity many Sunbury would never get to see again.
“They were able to get up close with Anneli Maley, who was the MVP [most valuable player] and Kelsey Griffin, who was a top three pick in the WNBA.
“Seeing those quality players we have in the league is something they will really cherish.”
It wasn’t just the Sunbury fans who enjoyed the opportunity. Lily Scanlon, who grew up in Sunbury, played for the Boomers in their practice match.
Jets import Ida Andersson and former Jets championship player Emma Mahady, were part of the Spirit squad.
Speaking before the weekend’s clinics with Gorris, Kereama said it was another ‘once of a lifetime opportunity’ to learn from an Opals assistant coach and WNBA assistant coach in their own back yard.
