Tara Murray
Some of the Macedon Ranges best basketballers will take to the court as part of the Macedon Ranges Rockies first female Country Basketball League side.
After having a men’s side for the first time last season, the Rockies will also have a women’s side this season.
Rockies coach Tina Duff said she was excited by the opportunity to coach the side.
“To be honest I didn’t know they were thinking about having a women’s side,” she said.
“They gave me a phone call and asked me to apply to coach the side and I said I would think about it, but soon said why not.”
Duff has been coaching since she was 15. She’s coached at Keilor, Melton, Bacchus Marsh and is currently part of the Sunbury Jets at domestic, representative and Big V level.
Duff said she was excited by the team that they had put together from their inaugural season.
“We’ve got mother and daughter pair Deb and Liv Ogston,” she said.
“Tamara Collins is a local and we’ve got Cara Beattie, Molly Greetham and Molly Garrahan.
“We have 12 girls all up and a few development girls.”
Duff has coached many of the squad before at the Jets. She said it’s exciting to see the development over the years.
“I’ve coached Cara since under-12s,” she said. “It’s exciting to see where she has come from.
“Even when you’re not coaching them, you’re still involved with what they’re doing and keeping an eye on them from afar.”
The Rockies have had one practice match so far, facing the Wallan Panthers. Duff said it was a good test of where they were at.
“We had a very good start to the game,” she said. “We lost in the end, but it was great to see where everyone is at.
“It was our first time playing together.”
The Rockies will play in the north-west conference this season.
The Rockies will start their season on the road against the Maryborough Lady Blazers on October 1.
They will play their first home game the following weekend against the Bacchus Marsh Lions.
Duff said the group was keen to get out on the court and produce some good results.
“I’ve put expectations on myself,” she said.
“We have our goals we want to have and commitment has been one of the big things. We want 100 per cent commitment.”
The Rockies men’s side, that made finals in their first year, will again be coached by Mick Ryan.
In good signs for the competition, the CBL has grown this season.
While the Rockies both have male and female teams, Pakenham, Melton and Albury are joining the ranks. A number of associations, Morwell, Southern Peninsula, Warragul, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Ararat and Millicent are returning to CBL this season following COVID interruptions.
