Final wrap of SEABL

Here is the SEABL Wrap up for the year, I will get more up soon. Again sorry for my abscence but my health took control!!

KNOX RAIDERS - 2009 CRAZY JOHN'S SEABL MEN CHAMPIONS

Knox Raiders have secured the 2009 SEABL Championship after a surprising 125-98 victory over Frankston Blues in front of well over 1800 spectators at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre.

Raiders imports CJ Massingale was awarded the Hugh McMenamin Medal for Grand Final MVP finishing the game with 30pts, 6rebs, 5ass and 2stls.

Both teams started the game well as the lead changed numerous times in the first quarter. Massingale and Mick Hill kept the scoreboard ticking for the Raiders in the first quarter as the Blues relied on guards Andrew Harms and Mitch Chapman. Neither team could grab the advantage and the teams were tied 30-30 after one quarter.

Raiders second import Lester Strong (25pts, 10rebs, 2ass) stepped up in the second quarter and dominated inside the paint at both ends of the floor as he and Rigby were able to contain South Men MVP David Gruber. Lester scored a number of alley-opp dunks to fire up the “Raider Nation” to guide the Raiders to a 70-56 lead at the half.

Knox came out in the second half and stepped up at the defensive end to keep Blues David Gruber out of the game. Blues Andrew Harms never gave up and played hard but was faced with tough defence from the Raiders on every play.

John Philip started the fourth quarter and hit three shots from long range to increase the Raiders lead further and consolidate the Championship for the Raiders. With four minutes remaining Raiders coach Graham Longstaff benched his starting five and all received a standing ovation from the large contingent of Raiders supporters.

Click here for boxscore

BRISBANE LADY SPARTANS - 2009 CRAZY JOHN'S SEABL WOMEN CHAMPIONS

Brisbane Lady Spartans held on to secure their first SEABL Championship with a 77-69 victory over Minor Premiers Knox Raiders. Lady Spartans Holly Smith (18pts, 8rebs) dominated the game and received the Barbara Barton Medal for MVP of the Grand Final.

Spartans dominated the first half as the Raiders struggled to convert and produced costly turnovers, which resulted in numerous fast break points for the Spartans. Raiders injured center and All SEABL team member Emily Fryters was struggling early as the Spartans played an uptempo game style that had the Raiders concerned.

Lady Spartans guards Kate Willey, Shona O’Bree and Cassie Smith were a dominant trio on defence as they didn’t give Raiders Sarah Graham any free space and the Raiders struggled to find an offensive threat. Brisbane held a 40-26 lead at half time and looked to be in full control of the game.

Knox Raiders coach Heath Anderson asked for his girls to lift during the half time break and they responded, as they outscored the Lady Spartans 25-23 to bridge the gap. Caitlin Cunningham dominated in the third quarter to keep the Raiders in the game and with his starting five not producing Raiders coach Heath Anderson went to his bench and Danni Bone, Lill Keane and Megan Sinclair played hard to bridge the gap to 68-70 with 2mins remaining.

Brisbane remained composed in the last quarter and held on to secure the win as the Raiders were forced to foul in the final seconds, but Brisbane made the free throws and held on to secure the win.

Click here for boxscore

2009 ALL SEABL SOUTH MEN TEAM

Frankston Blues have completely dominated the voting for the All SEABL South Men team, with
three players receiving recognition. It is the first time in the history of the SEABL to have three

players all from the one team. The "All SEABL Team" is decided by the coach and captain of each team. The team is selected by playing position from a list of players that received Most Valuable Player votes throughout the regular playing season.

DAVID GRUBER led all players in the South team for the second consecutive season with 13 of a possible 14 votes, averaging 23.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.0assist per game. This is Gruber’s fifth consecutive selection to an All SEABL Team. Gruber dominated the league all year despite receiving only one Player of the Week recognition.

ROB KAMPMAN averaged 22.1pts, 10.6rebs and 2.7ass to earn All SEABL team selection in only his second SEABL season. With Gruber and Harms receiving a majority of the defensive attention, Kampman was able to step up and provide the Blues with a consistent performance each week. Kampman recorded a double double on 13 occasions this season and received Player of the week honors for round nine when he averaged 34pts and 13rebs in the Nations Capital.

The unsung hero of the Hobart Chargers this year was second year import CHUCK LONG. Chuck was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year award and averaged 18.7pts, 10.7rebs, 4.1ass, 2.0blks and 2.3stls. Chuck received Player of the Month recognition for April and recorded 19 double doubles including the 30pts, 15rebs, 6ass, 3blks and 4stls against Mt Gambier on 19 June.

With five 30+ pt games including a season high 40pts@60%, 8rebs on 18th July against NW Tasmania, Frankston Blues 24 year old ANDREW HARMS earns his second All SEABL team selection. Harms had a standout season and has been a major reason for the Blues league leading 23-4 regular season record. Harms was the only player to receive two player of the week recognitions this season and recorded a triple double (34pts, 11rebs, 11ass) against Geelong on May 23.

SEABL 300+ game veteran SAM ARMSTRONG took on extra responsibility this year as playing coach of the NW Tasmania Thunder. The extra work load didn’t faze Sam as he produced one of his best seasons, leading the league in scoring with 25.64pts. Sam scored a league best 53pts@64% in Brisbane on 12th June and recorded 30+ pts on nine occasions. Sam announced his retirement from the SEABL during the year and has finished a fantastic career with his second All SEABL team selection.

2009 ALL SEABL EAST MEN TEAM

Three new faces receive recognition for sensational seasons this year with MVP favorites Joe
Werner and CJ Massingale earning recognition for the second consecutive year. The "All SEABL
Team" is decided by the coach and captain of each team. The team is selected by playing position
from a list of players that received Most Valuable Player votes throughout the regular playing
season.

CJ MASSINGALE had another standout season and is rewarded with his third All SEABL Team Selection. CJ had a sensational year, finishing the season as leading scorer (25.0ppg), including seven 30+pts performances. . Massinagle guided his Raiders team to their third Conference title in four years, and will be hoping to cap his brilliant individual season with team success and win the Championship this weekend.

Dandenong Rangers forward DUSTY JURA earns All SEABL team selection in his first season after averaging 24.0ppg (2nd), 12.7rpg (2nd) and 1.6ass. Jura started the season at a blistering pace recording 34pts and 9rebs in his first match. Jura received Player of the Month accolades in June after producing two 40pts and 15+rebs games.

CHRIS GOULDING received the Australian Youth Player for the second consecutive year this season and has been awarded with his first All SEABL team selection as well this year. Goulding averaged 20.8pts, 3.7rebs, and 2.9ass in his third season with the Brisbane Spartans. Chris was a member of the Australian Boomers Squad this year, but injured his ankle in round 14 and missed numerous camps. Goulding has shown over the past few years he is a talented athlete and after two years as a development player in the NBL, he is sure to give the NBL a shake this year in his first season with the Gold Coast Blaze.

Brisbane Spartans forward ASH CANNAN receives his first recognition on the All SEABL East Men Team in his first season back in the SEABL after stints in US College and the Big V. Cannan was instrumental in his teams Minor Premiership this season, and finished the season averaging 19.4pts, 9.7rebs and 2.2ass. Cannan’s passion on the court shows up in every game and he received Player of the Week recognition in round 18 for averaging 19.5pts, 13rebs, 3ass and 3stls on the Spartans 2 game road trip to Victoria.

JOE WERNER scored a double double in all but three games this season and earned Player of the Week for his performance in round 12 with 45pts, 20rebs, 3blks and 2ass against Ballarat. Joe averaged 21.8pts (4th), led the league in rebounds with 13.6 per game, and 1.5ass for the year. Joe was a dominant force all year for the third placed Cobras and scored 20+pts on 15 occasions and 15+rebs on 10 occasions.

2009 ALL SEABL WOMEN TEAM

All five players awarded a position on the All SEABL Women team are first time recipients of the
award. The "All SEABL Team" is decided by the coach and captain of each team. The team is
selected by playing position from a list of players that received Most Valuable Player votes
throughout the regular playing season.

Having received 19 out of a possible 20 votes, KELLY WILSON was the leading vote getter for the All SEABL Team after a consistent season which saw her guide the Bendigo Lady Braves to a 13-7 record. Wilson led the league with 22.8 points as well as recording 5.8rebs, 4.5ass (2nd) and 2.1stls this season.

Joining Kelly in the back court is Ballarat Lady Miners AMY LEWIS. Lewis joined the Lady Miners after a successful rookie season with Townsville in the WNBL and was an influential player for Ballarat this year. Lewis scored 20+pts on five occasions with a season best of 27pts@62% on 25th July. Lewis finished the season averaging 16.5pts (6th), 4.7rebs and 2.27ass.

Transferring to Knox Raiders in the off-season has been a fantastic move for EMILY FRYTERS. Emily led the league in rebounds for the second consecutive season with 11.8 per game. Fryters was a dominant threat in the paint all season and recorded a season best 19 rebounds on May 3 against Dandenong. Emily damaged her ankle in round 18 of the regular season but has been working hard to be fit for the Championship game this weekend against Brisbane.

With 22pts, 16rebs and 4ass in her second SEABL game New Zealand Tall Fern LISA WALLBUTTON showed she was going to be a threat in the competition. Wallbutton guided the Lady Bandits to their first ever finals appearance with an 11-9 season record. Wallbutton finished the season averaging 18.8pts (3rd), 11.6rebs (2nd), 1.7ass and 1.2blks. Wallbutton started the season with player of the month recognition in March.

The final position on the All SEABL team is awarded to Kilsyth Lady Cobras AMY DENSON. Earning Player of the Month recognition in June, Denson averaged 19.5pts (2nd), 10.5rebs (5th), 1.8ass, 1.5stls and has been one of the standout front court players.

More Catching up.

2009 ALL SEABL D LEAGUE TEAMS

With 8 men’s teams and 7 women’s teams contesting for the D League title many promising young players have had fantastic seasons and have been rewarded with a position on the All SEABL D League teams. The "All SEABL D League Team" is decided by team coaches. The team shall be selected by playing position from a list of players that received Most Valuable Player votes throughout the regular playing season.

Earning the guard position, having received a vote from all but one coach is Sandringham Sabres Josh Wilcher. Josh led the league in scoring (21.1pts), and assists (6.8ass) and also finished the season with the Golden Hands Award. Joining Josh in the backcourt is Kilsyth Cobras guard Cameron Johnson who also received six out of a possible seven votes from the coaches. Cameron averaged 14.2pts and scored 20+ pts on three occasions during the season.

Nunawading Spectres Maalo Hicks averaged 15.1pts, 9.1rebs and 1.3blks for the season and received six votes from opposition coaches. Hicks was the dominant big man of the competition scoring 20+pts on six occasions and recording a league best 25 rebounds on 29^th March against Dandenong.

Joining Hicks in the frontcourt is Kilsyth Cobras Liam McInerny and Frankston Blues Ben Jacobsen. McInerney averaged 14.1pts and 7.1rebs including a season best 23pts, 17rebs and 2ass performance against Sandringham on the 9^th May. McInerney was a key member for the Cobras this year and has departed Australia to commence a US College career with NCAA Division 1 school Stetson University. Ben Jacobsen was the Blues leading scorer averaging 15.5pts. Ben started the season at a blistering pace with 24pts, 7rebs and 3ass in round one and was a dominant force for the remainder of the season.

Having received five votes Kilsyth Lady Cobras Brittany White has been recognised for her sensational season. White averaged 12.4pts and scored 15+ pts on five occasions, helping the Lady Cobras to a fourth placed finish. Alana Wallis finished the season as the Knox Raiders leading scorer with 12.6pts and captained her team to a third place finish. Wallis scored a season best 19pts on 27^th June to guide her team to victory over Frankston.

Nunawading Spectres Michelle Meneguzzi and Jackie Vanderzaag helped their team secure the Championship and have also been rewarded for their sensational individual performance this season. Vanderzaag led the league in scoring with 13.8pts and scored 20+pts on three occasions. Vanderzaag had a season best 27pts against Sandringham on 4^th July. Meneguzzi averaged 8.9pts, 2.3rebs and led the league in rebounds with 10.3rebs. Meneguzzi, although playing a majority of time in the paint, also finished 8^th in the Golden Hands Award.

Rounding out the frontcourt positions is Dandenong Rangers forward Erin McNamara who despite only playing 10 games left a big impression on opposition coaches. McNamara finished the season averaging 12.9pts and 4.4rebs, and had her best game on Sunday 19^th April with 20pts, 3rebs, 2ass and 2blks.

2009 AUSTRALIAN YOUTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR

CHRIS GOULDING of the Brisbane Spartans and Albury/Wodonga Lady Bandits ALEX DUCK have been rewarded for another sensational season, earning consecutive Youth Player of the year awards. In his first season in the SEABL, Sandringham Sabres guard DANIEL DILLON wins the South Men Australian Youth Player award for a standout season.

In his first season in the SEABL, DANIEL DILLON wins the South Men Australian Youth Player of the Year Award. Daniel had been a consistent contributor for the Sabres this year and finished the season averaging 19.8pts, 7.2rebs, 3.5ass and 1.6stls.

Sandringham Sabres 194cm guard/forward Daniel Dillon received MVP honours in two of his team’s three games in round 17, and received Player of the week honours. Daniel recorded 31pts@60%, 7rebs, and 3ass to guide the Sabres to their 11th consecutive victory, defeating ladder leaders Frankston easily 103-82. Dillon also played a pivotal role in the Sabres 96-93 victory on the road at Knox the same weekend with 20pts@54%, 8rebs, 6ass and 3stls.

Dillon helped the Sabres to a 13-13 regular season record, grabbing fourth position in the clubs rookie year in the SEABL. Dillon received 42 votes out of a possible 42 from a panel of coaches and captains from all SEABL South Teams and was by far the standout youth player in the League. .

CHRIS GOULDING received 30 out of a possible 42, to clinch consecutive Australian Youth
Player awards ahead of team mate Tyson Demos. Chris finished the season as the fifth
best scorer averaging 20.8pts per game, helping the Spartans to the minor premiership with
a 24-3 regular season record.

20 year old Chris Goulding returned to Brisbane after spending the 08/09 NBL season with
Perth Wildcats and received Player of the Week honours in week 2 Goulding started the
weekend with 23pts, 5rebs, 2ass and 1stl against Mt Gambier on the Friday night. Chris
continued his hot shooting streak the following night with 31pts@45%, 5rebs, 2ass and 1stl at the Snakepit, helping Brisbane record a 108-97 victory against Kilsyth. In round six Goulding recorded a season high 36pts@65% and 6ass against Ballarat.

More from: www.seabl.com.au

2009 STATISTICAL AWARD WINNERS

The SEABL have announced the 2009 Statistical award winners today, with Knox Raiders import CJ Massingale winning his second consecutive SEABL scoring title averaging 25.0 pts in the East Conference. With a season high of 38pts in round 6 against Knox, Bendigo Lady Braves guard Kelly Wilson was the Women leading scorer, averaging 22.8ppg.

NW Tasmania Thunder playing coach Sam Armstrong won the South Men Leading Scorer title averaging 25.6 points per game. Armstrong dominated the scoring for the entire season, scoring 35+ points on seven occasions and scoring a season high 53pts in round 13 at Brisbane.

Albury/Wodonga import Fernandez Lockett had a great first season in the SEABL, and dominated the South Men rebounding categories before injuring his knee and was unable to finish the season after round 15. Lockett averaged 14.8 rebounds per game and recorded double digit rebounding totals in all put four games this season with a season best 24 rebs in his first SEABL game in round 2.

Kilsyth Cobras Joe Werner was awarded the East Men leading rebounder title, averaging 13.6 per game. Werner was a monster on the boards, and recorded 20+ rebounds on three occasions. Knox Raiders Emily Fryters won her second consecutive rebounding title despite changing teams in the off-season. Emily dominated the glass at both ends of the floor leading the women’s league with 11.81 rebounds.

Kilsyth Lady Cobras Sarah Parsons won the Golden Hands Award for the second straight year with a 3.63 average. Bendigo Braves youngster Kevin Probert had a breakout season and was rewarded with the East Men Golden Hands Award, recording a 3.70 average.

Despite entering the season late Sandringham Sabres guard Nathan Crosswell made an instant impact on his team and finished the season with the South Men Golden Hands Award with a 5.4average.

The Golden Hands Award is determined by adding Assists and Steals, then subtracting the turnovers to give a total, and then averaged per game.

Sandringham Sabres Josh Wilcher dominated the D League Men scoring category finishing the season with a 21.1 average, 3pts clear of second place Kris Davis of Bendigo. Kris Davis despite missing the last seven games of the season due to being elevated up to the Bendigo Braves Championship team finished as the D League Men Leading Rebounder with an average 10.85 per game.

Jackie Vanderzaag guided the Nunawading Spectres to the D League Women Championhsip and was also the league leading scorer with 13.78 points per game. Team mate Michelle Meneguzzi dominated the rebounding title all season and finished with a 10.35 average and the title as leading rebounder.

I Have Returned!!!

Allo all, I must first offer apologies for my abrupt abscence due to my gall bladder deciding it was time to play up. I missed an important weekend of local basketball so here is a brief catch up.

Firstly from the SEABL: courtesy as always of: www.seabl.com.au

2009 CRAZY JOHN’S SEABL DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Hobart Chargers Chuck Long and Kilsyth Cobras Quincy Henderson have shown that US
imports can play defence after being awarded with the Defensive Player of the Year award
for their respective conference. Knox Raiders dynamo guard Julia Tan was voted as Best
Defensive player in the Women’s League.

Kilsyth Cobras first year import Quincy Henderson played 25 games in the regular season, and received a total of 14 votes to edge out Bendigo guard Warren Randall for the award. Henderson arrived in Australia known for his defensive skills and provided coach Grant Wallace with the necessary skills to shut down opposition players each week. Henderson would be required to play all positions as he attempted to contain his opposition and help his team to victory. His tireless work never showed on the stats sheet, but Henderson received at least one Defensive Player vote in each game he played this season.

Finishing the regular season as the second best shot blocker in the league, and ranking second in steals and fifth in defensive rebounds, Hobart Chargers forward Chuck Long was an outstanding player at the defensive end of the court and was rewarded with the South Men Defensive Player of the Year Award. Long was an intimidating force in the paint for most opposition teams, and was rewarded for his efforts with the award. He received a maximum of two votes on three
occasions throughout the season to finish with 14 ahead of last years winner David Gruber.

Julia Tan is a veteran of over 300 games and has been known for her tenacious defence and has been rewarded with the award that best describes her number one asset in the game. Tan returned to the Raiders this season after a disappointing year with Nunawading last year, and has provided Knox with veteran leadership at the defensive end. Tan led the league in Steals with 2.9 per game and was also ranked fourth in the Golden Hands Award. Sarah received 24 votes for the season to win the award ahead of last years winner Sarah Parsons who collected14 votes.

The Defensive Player of the Year award is determined through votes cast by head coaches at the
conclusion of each match, and was awarded for the first time last year.