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TIME OUT WITH COACH MARK WHITE

When did you first start coaching basketball? 
In 1985 or 86, I coached a very impressive Under 13 Rats team that had Steve Rudic and Aiden Milner in it. They were very talented and I was very fortunate. In those days they alternated the summer season to odd age. I got into it firstly because it reduced your playing fees, and then a few years later I realised I was a crap player yet still loved the game.

What is your basketball background?
I first played in my sisters coached team in under 12s (about 1972). We had two future NBL/ABA players in that team in John Ophel and Michael Watson. I played basketball in summers and football in winters. I didn't play from Under 16s till I was mid twenties as I thought I was a footballer. Some pretty bad injuries killed that dream, so I came back to the non-contact sport of my youth. I played A grade and 2nd division with Downer Olympic (now Norths) and continued on until recruited by my next door neighbour to play at Rats.

I started seriously coaching in 1994 when I realised I couldn't play at a decent level, yet still wanted to be involved. I did a Level one course under Jerry Lee and coached
Ramblers Div one men after that. I have been at Ramblers ever since and have had the good fortune to have coached some very good teams and players. I started getting
involved in junior rep teams in 1999 and have coached or assistant coached U18, 20s and ACTAS since then. I was very lucky to be the 3rd assistant coach to Brad Barnes in 2000, and was involved with the Gunners as an assistant for 4 years until 2004.

How do you rate the start to the season?
I am pretty satisfied, even with the W/L results. In reality we knew we had a tough schedule when we first saw the draw, but since that time we have played 5 teams who are  1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 7th. We haven't been humbled by any team. We've been in most games for a vast majority of that time, and two of our three wins were on the road and probably our worst games.

Who do you see at being the team to beat in 2010?
I think Sandringham, Hobart and Geelong from the South Conference. Kilsyth, Knox and Brisbane in the East. I think those teams will definitely be above us at the end of the year (see below), so it means we'll be fighting Bendigo, NW Tassie, Ballarat, AIS, Nunawading and Albury for a top 8 spot.

What areas are you still looking to improve on?
Consistency and "ticking off ALL of our effort areas". These effort areas are things like defending, hustle, offensive rebounding, getting to the FT line, executing with poise and precision, running and scoring in transition. When we get all of these things done in one game, we'll be very good.
 
Where do you see the Elders Canberra Gunners finishing the season in 2010?
I think we are a 7th to 10th placed team. The teams above and below us will have NBL players and imports and budgets 4 to 5 times the size of ours. We get 7th or 8th and a winning percentage at or above 50% and I'll be happy as it means we'll be playing finals basketball.

There is a bevy of young players in the team this season, who are the players to watch out for in 2010?
I think our next generation of leaders in Richardson and Miller are the obvious two guys. They have a lot to learn about being leaders, but I have every confidence they can. Daniel Jackson is another guy who I also hope the best for. His best chance for an NBL gig is to have a great season in SEABL and I'm sure we can accommodate him. Jamie Mesman and Ben White are the next generation after that, and I'm pretty happy with their development. These two bring something we don't have in the team now, so they'll need to keep adding to their skill set as they learn to play at this level.

What do you see as being the strength of the Elders Canberra Gunners this season?
We are tough, tight and terrific. We don't have the Petrie or the Wagstaff that would put us right up the top. We have the local content and each guy knows we've got to stop the opposition, make them play our basketball and win ugly. We don't have too much firepower and what we have we need to go to. In saying that I think we also need to knock down the open shot, make the transition lay up when that's given to us and grind out the wins.

MOLAN TRIES HER HAND AT BASKETBALL

Try it out Tuesday started in July 2008 as a way to increase awareness of the vast array of sports occurring throughout the local area. The segment sees WIN News sports reporter, Erin Molan visit various sporting groups across the ACT and surrounding areas to profile and participate in their chosen sport.

On April 20 Erin tried out Basketball with Canberra’s elite men’s basketball team, the Elders Canberra Gunners. The training session with the boys saw her slam dunking (with the help of a ladder), trying to drive to the basket,
attempting some tricky dribbling skills and playing a full court game. Coach Mark White was so impressed with her he offered her a place in the team, only to have Erin turn around and decline the offer as she would not part with her beloved fake nails.

"Meeting all the Gunners was fantastic. They are all so down to earth and made me feel incredibly welcome and comfortable. My only concern was the fact they weren't able to recognise the natural talent I have for the game.
Playing a real game was probably my favourite part...especially once I'd figured out which direction I was meant to be shooting in" said Erin.

If you missed the Try it out Tuesday segment that aired on April 20, head to our website http://www.canberragunners.asn.au/ to see the footage.

GUNNERS PICK UP FIRST HOME WIN OF THE YEAR, MANY MORE TO COME PROMISES WHITE

9th May 2010 - At long last the hoodoo has been broken, the monkey is off their back, whatever you want to call it, they’ve finally won. After showing more than enough promise in their first 5 home games, it took a beautiful Mother’s day afternoon for the Gunners to notch up their first win 91 -77 against a hapless Albury Bandits. Coach Mark White was pleased with the win, however wasn’t getting carried away: “I knew the next win was just around the corner. We’ve been in the past two games against Bendigo and Knox and if we could put 40 minutes together we can beat anyone on our home court. It’s about having faith in each other, faith in what we’ve done and faith in what we are encountering that will see us climb up the ladder.”

With Queanbeyan pair Jon Miller (22 pts, 6 rebs) and Mark Lacey (6 pts, 8 rebs, 5 assts, 0 TOs)  playing their best games of the season, the Gunners led from the 3rd minute, eventually opening up a 23 point lead with 3 minutes to go. Sharp shooter, Zlatko Todorovski helped out the Queanbeyan pair even with heavy marking, pouring in 18 points on 6 of 12 shooting. NBL’s Illawarra Hawk Daniel Jackson and Glenn Baird rounded out the teams double figure scoring with 12 and 16 respectively with Baird also grabbing 8 boards.

In what appears to be a new approach by Coach White, Baird was replaced a lot more frequently which seems to have increased his scoring effectiveness. This was the first time Baird scored above 50% this year, also taking the least amount of 3 point attempts (4) in any game, and grabbing the most rebounds. White expects this may be the secret to his veteran: “Glenn is such a great player, unstoppable when he gets going. I think we need him to be more effective, scoring at a higher rate, so perhaps more short bursts where he’s looking to get his team involved is what’s needed”.

The Gunners had a short burst in the first quarter to open up a 6 point lead which was maintained until half time. A ‘hail mary’ from Albury captain Nick Payne right on half time struck one of the lights at Belconnen, sending the globe to earth, smashing into a million pieces. This delayed the half time warm up, but the Gunners came out and increased the lead to 10 at three quarter time. With the writing on the wall, Albury’s Payne became restricted with a groin tear, and import Travis Gabbidon was rapidly tiring having played all but 3 minutes of the past two games.

The Gunners sensed this was their opportunity and went on a 13-0 run based on their swarming defense and tireless rebounding. It was all over when both teams emptied their bench, however some careless ball handling and a never-say-die attitude from the border team saw the Gunners become frustrated and hand back 9 points in the closing minutes; these frustrations boiled over when Jamie Mesman was ejected for an unsportsmanlike foul with the clock winding down. The Gunners hit the road next weekend playing Nunawading and Knox, returning to the Capital on the 21st May for a return match against Kilsyth Cobras.

Elders Canberra Gunners 91 (Miller 22, Todorovski, Baird 16) defeated Albury Wodonga Bandits 77 (Bright 23, Brigilia 15, Gabbidon 13)

Next Home Game v Kilsyth, tickets available at the door, 7:30 pm Friday 21st May.

Media enquiries, please contact Jessica Whigham on 0412 609 555.

GUNNERS DROP ANOTHER HOME ENCOUNTER, WHITE WONDERS WHEN...

1st May 2010 - The Gunners this year are a team you just want to hug and say “it’ll get better”. Another home loss at Belconnen after playing their hearts out for 90% of the game was nothing short of heart-breaking. Even though this week’s opponent was 2009 SEABL Champions, the Knox Raiders, the loss by 11 (68 – 79)  left the Canberra team despondent and harrowed.

Canberra’s first half was the best of the year, with the lead changing a number of times, but with Canberra firmly in control. The game was played as it should be, with tough screens and hard play. Canberra equalled the Raiders physicality and this at times frustrated the Victorians. Canberra did a brilliant job blanketing danger man CJ Massingale, with Joel Richardson dogging the 27 ppg import from the opening tip. Zlatko Todorovski got into early foul trouble, however Jon Miller, Glen Baird and Daniel Jackson kept the score board ticking over. With a minute to go before the half, The Knox team launched a pressing attack, with Canberra coughing up the ball and gifting 7 unanswered points to close the half.

Coach White rallied the troops at half-time reminding them of the poor effort they gave the week before in responding to Bendigo’s 9 point run, which ultimately cost them 18. The Gunners responded and bought the lead back to with 2 at ¾ time mostly from the hot hand of Todorovski. Andrew Murphy came on in this period to hit a big 3 pointer, and his work with Mark Lacey kept Sean Carroll restrained for most of the game.  

The last quarter saw the game see-saw for the first 4 minutes, until CJ Massingale retired to the bench with 4 fouls. This was the catalyst the Raiders needed and with John Philip creating problems, down low, Cameron Rigby went to work up top shooting the 3 ball with comfort. The hustle and drive the Raiders gave the Gunners for the next 3 minutes was enough to unsettle the Canberra team, who struggled for an easy shot and shot-clock violated 3 times in 3 minutes. When Massingale stepped back on, it was almost over for the Gunners as he drilled 2 huge 3 pointers to finally put the game out of reach.

Canberra faces the first of their return games, against Albury who they defeated in an over-time game in April. The Border Bandits will have their sharp-shooting captain, Nick Payne with them this time and will have vengeance on their mind. Last time out import Travis Gabbidon had a career night, something the team is keen not to let happen again.

Knox Ford Raiders (Massingale 21, Carroll 14, Rigby and Philip 13 each; Philip 12 rebounds) defeated Elders Canberra Gunners 99 (Todorovski 17, Miller 13, Baird 11) defeated

Next Home Game v Albury, tickets available at the door, 3:00 pm Sunday 9th May.

Media enquiries, please contact Jessica Whigham on 0412 609 555.

GUNNERS GO BACK-TO-BACK WITH ROAD WIN AGAINST THE BORDER BANDITS

17th April 2010 - You would expect that getting two road wins in two weeks would make for a much relieved Gunners Camp, but in reality the team knows they could have played better and have a lot more to improve on even after beating Albury on the road, 99 -91 in overtime. From the start the Gunners felt their stocks rise when they learnt that Albury danger man, Nick Payne, was out of the line up, attending a friend’s wedding. Payne’s 16 points per game would leave a big hole and with a very young Albury bench to pick from, the replacement was going to be under a fair amount of pressure to live up to the man seen as Albury’s heart and soul.

Canberra came out of the blocks pressuring first year guard, Jack Duck, looking to negate any distribution or organisation the Albury team had. Former NBA-D Leaguer Ryan Bright was blanketed by Jono Miller which left fellow import Travis Gabbidon to attack Glenn Baird off the dribble and the jump shot. Gabbidon’s 12 points in the first quarter also saw Baird benched with two quick fouls, negating the Canberra big man’s attack.

The Gunners attacked the Bandits in the second quarter slowing Gabbidon down and disrupting their offensive flow. Generating 6 quick fast break points of his own off turnovers, Jamie Mesman led a Gunners-of-old defensive stand ably assisted by Joel Richardson, who was now switched on to Bright, and seldom used Andrew Murphy. Murphy dogged Duck keeping the youngster on his non-preferred left hand and limiting his effectiveness, leading to a 10 point lead at the half, 46-36.

The Bandits came out of their half time break, looking a bit embarrassed, eager to claw back into the game. Duck hit 2 quick 3 pointers, and Gabbidon started to find his range from outside. Zlatko Todorovski kept the scoreboard ticking over for Canberra, however with 5 minutes to go the Bandits had levelled the score and Canberra started looking nervous. The closing 5 minutes was classic basketball with both teams scoring 11 points, including 2 controversial free throws to Gabbidon with 1 second left on the clock.

Gabbidon calmly buried both free throws, belying his current 52% free throw percentage, and forcing the extra 5 minutes. Coach White pulled his charges together and pleaded for a return to the 2nd quarter defensive efforts. The team responded and with Todorovski and Dan Jackson icing their 4 free throws they won the period and the game by 8, assigning Albury their third in total and first home loss. The win sees Canberra move to 2 – 4 on the season, 7th in the East Conference and well positioned to play Bendigo, Knox and Albury at home over the next 3 weeks.

Elders Canberra Gunners 99 (Todorovski 32, Baird 19, Jackson 14) defeated Albury Bandits (Gabbidon 34, Bright 22, Duck 13)

GUNNERS LOOK TO MAKE WINNING A HABIT

17th April - The Elders Canberra Gunners take the 22 seater down Highway 31, looking to collect their second win of the season. Fresh from opening their account the boys are well prepared for a tough encounter based on their last two encounters with the Border city team, where both games where decided by a solitary point, one in over-time.

The Bandits have won all 3 of their home games, and the Gunners know they'll need to silence the crowd mostly by taming local hero, Nick Payne as well as the two imports. Ryan Bright is one of those imports and he arrives in the SEABL fresh from playing in the NBA D-League. It's likely that Joel Richardsonwill have the job on Payne, given his great work this year on blanketing the opposition studs from each team.

Jono Miller re-joins the team this week after missing the Kilsyth / Frankston double, and his freshness will be a key in stopping Bright, as well as matching up on the other import, Travis Gabbidon. He wont be alone with in-form pair Glenn Baird and Daniel Jackson also expected to make it a nightmare for the US pair. Knox-transfer Daniel Brigilia and first-year PG, Jack Duck round out the mostly new Albury starting 5 with only a few players retained from last years squad.

Coach Mark White sees this game as a danger one, albeit one that is very gettable. He pointed out to the players this week, that the old truism of being only as good as your last game is never more pertinent. "I expect the guys to still feel and play like we have something to prove. We've won won game - whoopee, theyv'e won 3 and all of those at home. Albury is a very hostile venue to play. I remeber the 2002 final series having Jaffas thrown at us by kids in the crowd and Alan McGowan ripping up Nick Johnsons torso with his nails."

"There is only one way to beat Albury, that is you have to rip the game away from them", said White urging his charges to play with same aggression and spirit as they found on the road last week.

GUNNERS GET THEIR FIRST WIN GIVING FRANKSTON THE BLUES

11th April 2010 - The Canberra Gunners grabbed their first win downing the Frankston Blues in the second leg of their weekend road double. A 22 point haul by Daniel Jackson was a great demonstration of scoring by the Wollongong Hawk who shot 8 of 10 field goals, including a perfect 3 of 3 from the 3 point line. The final score of 77 – 74, belied the hard struggle the Gunners went through to win their first game of the season. Frankston led by as much as 14 before the Gunners came back in the second half on the back of Jackson and Frankston-born Glenn Baird’s hot hands.

Baird chanced his arm late in the game hitting 2 huge 3 pointers taking the lead out to 7 with less than a minute to go. A nervous turn-over by fellow captain Zlatko Todorovski gifted the Blues a cheap 2 points, which was also followed by a missed lay-up by Baird. These two errors plus the Gunners not holding onto the ball for the remaining few seconds led to a time-out by Frankston with 1.1 seconds remaining giving them the chance to run a last gasp play from half way.

The Gunners did a great job in defending the two danger men for Frankston, import Rob Kampman and Australian Universities player Andrew Harms, however the Blues got the ball into Gavin Ingalkoon whose shot to force overtime hit the front of the rim and bounced away. Kampman had a game high 27 points and was ably supported by his team-mate Harms with 20 points. 21 of their combined points came from beyond the 3 point arc, and they had shot 7 of 10 to that stage.

Playing his last game for the Gunners, Shane Brown played a great second half and in combination with Mark Lacey, they kept Ingalkoon under constant pressure. Captain Todorovski praised Brown for his toughness and resilience: “Browny has been a great Gunners player. He has one of those team-mates you could count on for being positive and pumping us up”. Brown’s short stature was always a challenge playing in a league against players sometimes a foot taller than he, however his physical game and toughness made him a locker-room favourite and someone the juniors could look up to.

The Gunners hit the road again next week, playing Albury Border Bandits. CoachMark White welcomed the win and looked forward to the almost local derby: “It was good to get the win, I think we’ve worked for it since the preseason. Albury will be a similar opponent to Frankston with a couple of imports, and some solid SEABL talent. Probably not as deep as we are in the bench, but still we’re going to have to go down there and rip the win out of their hands”.

Elders Canberra Gunners 77 (Jackson 22, Baird 18, Todorovski 17) defeated Frankston Blues (Kampman 27, Harms 21, Briggs 11)

See the highlights video on SEABL TV on our multimedia page

ELDERS BELCONNEN CANBERRA GUNNERS EDGE EVER CLOSER TO ELUSIVE FIRST WIN

10th April - Another great game fought out to the end by the Gunners against a star stacked Kilsyth team shows great signs for the all-aussie, all-amateur team from Canberra. In their first road game of the year, the Gunners fell short by 9 points, 68 – 77. Even a blistering effort by Joel Richardson on both ends of the court wasn’t enough to get their maiden win, however the signs are there that the team is very close.

Richardson had 20 points on 9 of 10 shooting, including 1 of 2 three-pointers and a solo free throw. In the absence of forwards Jono Miller and Ben White, he lead the team in rebounds with 6 and undertook the massive defensive job on dangerous Kilsyth import, Fernadez Lockett. Lockett was kept to 14 points, 5 below his season average and was upset for most of the game by the close marking of the Canberran. Glen Baird also heralded his defensive credentials by upsetting Melbourne Tiger Tim Lang, forcing the 6’ 10” Lang out of his rhythm, only letting him have a measly 10 points, 7 below his season average.

It was another NBL-er and fellow Tiger Matt O’Hea who top-scored for the Cobras and got them over the line. O’Hea collected 20 points on his way to a man of the match performance. O’Hea was well covered on the perimeter only getting 2 of his scores from his preferred range, however he was too much for young Gunner’s point guard Mark Lacey off the dribble and penetration. O’Hea combined well with another Tiger and returning college star, Ryan Bathie in the back court, however the Gunners can take pride knowing that Kilsyth Coach Grant Wallace, needed to play 4 of his studs each more than 30 minutes to keep the pesky Gunners at bay.

Coach Mark White said after the game, “Joel Richardson was great for us today. He and Jamie Mesman have been on fire at training for the past two weeks, and whilst Jamie had a stuttered start, Richo drove and ran the lanes with aggression and really put us in the game from the beginning.” White went on to praise the Wests Magpie guard: “His job on Lockett was another blue-collar effort. Lockett is legit – he’s one of the toughest and most athletic imports in the league and Joel owned him tonight”.

The win moves Kilsyth to 5 and 2 on the season and to the top of the East Conference ladder. The Gunners stay anchored to the bottom with 0 and 4, having played team all occupying the top four of their respective conferences. “I know we’re close, given who we’ve played in the league, each with rosters that kill ours. We haven’t been slaughtered and we’ve been bloody close; 1 point to Geelong, 13 to Sandringham, 11 to Brisbane and now 9 to Kilsyth. We play Frankston tomorrow who only have one win and I think they may feel the wraith of our frustration” said Captain Zlatko Tododrovski.

Kilsyth Cobras 77 (O’Hea 20, Lockett 14, Henderson 13) defeated Canberra Gunners 68 (Richardson 20, Todorovski 15, Baird 10)

Gunners hit the Road for the first time in 2010

9th April 2010 - The Elders Canberra Gunners play Kilsyth and Frankston this weekend on their first road trip of the Season. Canberra will be without Jonathon Miller and Ben White, giving Coach Mark White the opportunity to play NBLer Daniel Jackson in the starting line-up for the first time this year.

"Kilsyth, like our first 3 opponents boast a mix of NBL and Import talent with Melbourne Tigers, Matt O'Hea, Tim Lang and Ryan Bathie, alongside US players, Fernandez Lockett and Quincy Henderson. In reality we play in a league we're that's the norm and we are the exception. We just have to get over that and fight it out on court. No-one cares where you've played before when you're wearing your Gunners or Cobras singlet, we are all equal and it comes down to guts, determination and brains to win the game." said Coach White.

SEABL Game Previews - Round 4

Canberra @ Kilsyth, Sat 10th April, 7:30 pm
Canberra has struggled in each game so far this season and will be tested against an experienced Cobras line-up. Canberra are averaging only 69pts a game and rely on sharp shooter Zlatko Todorovski to keep the scoreboard ticking. Kilsyth defensive specialist Quincy Henderson will get the likely task of containing him on defence, a task Quincy is fully capable of completing.

Gunners @ Frankston, Sun 11th April, 2:00 pm
Frankston are having a disastrous season start, having only recorded one victory and are currently sitting on bottom of the ladder. The Blues need to start recording wins soon otherwise they will miss the finals for the first time since 2004. 2009 MVP Runner up Andrew Harms is having a disappointing season and needs to improve for the Blues to be successful this season.

ELDERS BELCONNEN CANBERRA GUNNERS LET ANOTHER ONE SLIP, THIS TIME AGAINST BRISBANE SPARTANS

26th March 2010. The Gunners came out of the blocks to lead a star stacked Brisbane team, boasting current Boomer guard Adam Gibson, fellow Gold Coast Blaze NBL-er Greg Vandergajt, Perth Wildcats Drew Williamson and SEABL all-star Ash Cannon, by 5 points at quarter time. The lead ebbed and flowed for most of the game with the biggest margin for 3 and a half quarters being only 5 points. The height and relentless rebounding of Vandergajt proved the difference with the 7 footer getting a dunk in transition and 5 offensive rebounds in the last quarter to get his team the win by 13.

Vandergajt led the Spartans with 19 points, from 8 of 16 field goals and 3 of 4 free throws. He was ably supported by 4 other Brisbane players in double figures, Cannon (15), Cox (14), Williamson (12) and Gibson (11). Brisbane Coach Rodger Smith praised Canberra’s efforts for limiting Gibson and Cannon’s impact on the game, keeping them both below their season averages of 25 and 20.5 ppg, however he was pleased with the all-round efforts of his other team members and having 5 players in double figures. For the Gunners, Co-captain Zlatko Todorovski led Canberra’s attack with 16 points, supported by the other captain Glenn Baird with 12, Daniel Jackson with 11 and Jonathon Miller with 10. Baird led the rebounds with 6 with Miller and Jamie Mesman also collecting 5 boards a piece.

Coach Mark White said after the game, “Joel Richardson really did a good job on Gibson, limiting his impact on the game. Dan Jackson played a good first game and will only get better, but it was our inability to contain Vandergajt and keep him off the glass that cost us”; “His height and length worried us at the ring and this saw us miss, or not get the call, on 15 contested lay-ups”. The Gunners lack of conversion close to the basket was an area the Gunners identified was an issue and will continue to work on this before hitting the road after the Easter weekend.

The win moved Brisbane to 3 and 0 on the season and the night after they collected another win against Kilsyth consolidating their position at the top of the SEABL East Conference ladder. The Gunners dropped to 8th with 0 and 3, having played 6th placed Geelong (2-3) and 2nd placed Sandringham from the South conference. The Gunners hit the road in two weeks time playing Kilsyth Cobras (3rd East, 3-2) and Frankston Blues (7th South, 1-2) on their first road trip of the season.

ELDERS BELCONNEN CANBERRA GUNNERS GO AGONISINGLY CLOSE IN 2010 SEABL SEASON OPENER AGAINST ST LAURENCE GEELONG SUPERCATS

14 March 2010. The Gunners came oh so close to 2009 SEABL Semi Finalists, the St Laurence Geelong Supercats in an entertaining game held at Belconnen Basketball Centre. The 81-80 loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the Gunners, given they had lead the for more than 28 and a half minutes of the 40 minute encounter and led by 7 with 5 minutes to go. Playing conservatively and trying to protect the lead cost the young Canberra team as Geelong managed to close out the game with an 11-3 final 5 minutes.

Jason Reardon led the visitors with 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting (5 of 8 from outside the 3 pt line). He was ably supported by the dynamic US import duo of Ismail Muhammad with 19 pts, 6 rebounds and J’Nathan Bullock who clocked a double double with 18pts and 10 rebounds. For the Gunners, Co-captain Zlatko Todorovski led a balanced Canberra attack with 19 points, supported by Aaron Coddington with 14, Jonathon Miller with 12 and other co-captain Glenn Baird with 10. All 12 Gunners players hit the court on the opening night, giving Coach Mark White the luxury of playing an up-tempo, aggressive defense based game.

“We really wanted to stop their go-to guys in Reardon, Bullock and Muhammad, but it was their class and experience that told down the stretch” White said. “Coddington had a real purple patch in the 4th quarter and he got us up by 7 and what I think we all mistakenly thought, this would be enough with 3 to 5 minutes left”. The Gunners missed some crucial baskets at the end and a lighting quick transition basket by Bullock with 20 seconds remaining ended any chance the Gunners had of holding on and upsetting the more highly favoured Geelong team.

The Gunners were without NBL Grand Finalist Daniel Jackson who is expected to join the team this week from the Wollongong Hawks. Jackson’s Hawks were eliminated in the 3rd game of the 2010 NBL Grand Final playing against ex-Gunner and Canberra born Jesse Wagstaff’s Perth Wildcats. Jackson will bring some added height and length to the Gunners team who will be without Glenn Baird for next Saturday’s match against Sandringham.

GUNNERS TIP TONIGHT AGAINST THE SUPER-CATS

13th March 2010. The Gunners tip off their 2010 campaign by hosting last years conference finalists, the Geelong Super-Cats. The two teams continue a long rivalry that stretches back for almost 25 years, with this year’s match-up having two new coaches to continue that tradition. Both new coaches bring extensive SEABL assistant coaching experience as well as a wealth of junior representative and development.

The Supercats also welcome a new import in 22 year old J’Nathan Bullock from Flint Michigan who played D1 NCAA basketball at Cleveland State University where he led the team in scoring all 4 years and rebounding 3 years. The well- built former NFL footballer will pair with returning import, and former NCAA dunk champion Isma’il Muhammed who with local’s Braith Cox, Jason Reardon, Nathan Herbert, Nick Owusu, Daniel George and Jamie Medved form one of the most talented teams in the League.

Tonight’s game also sees the debut of two new Gunners in Jamie Heaton and Ben White, as well as the return of veteran players Shane Brown and Andrew Murphy.