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Eagles clipped wings set to heal
(11 March 2005)
Excerpt from STAR Newspaper
This year marks the start of the road back for the Craigieburn basketball Club's mens team. After a disappointing season last year in which the team was demoted from Premier men's League of the VBL, the Eagles are looking to rebuild and reissue the challenge in the newly adjusted BigV Div2. Brian Mott has been reinstated as the men's coach, accepting the unenviable task of rebuilding the side after the drop from the Premier Division.
Following the demotion, regular senior performers Adem Hasan, Ivan Carlos, and Martin Pietrykowski chose to remain in the higher division to further their careers, leaving a hole in the team's nucleus. The Eagles hope the inclusion of Broadmeadows pair Kane McNamara and Jeremy Bullock and the return of former VBL Premier player Scott Cummings will bridge the gap.
Craigieburn President, Kevin Taylor said the club was using some of the experience of players who had played at VBL level and also bringing up some of the Juniors. "Dropping down a peg has probably allowed us to develop the youth rather than getting players from outside the club", he said. "With a couple of seasons under their belt these guys can go on to play a higher level of basketball and hopefully get us back to where we were." "It's certainly not going to be a walk in the park"'
While remain optimistic, the team is hoping to build the squad and mount a challenge in the next couple of years.
The inclusion of former Broadmeadows player Brook Davenport has encouraged the women's team for the upcoming season, as has the selection of younger players who have graduated from Craigieburn's junior ranks.
"The women are very hopeful of increasing the middle of the ladder finish they had last season", Taylor said. "The girls are looking to play finals". "We lost eight games last season by under 10 points and they were a bit disappointed they didn't make the finals."
The Eagles play their home games at the Craigieburn Leisure Centre and the club is hoping to build on the crowds by this year introducing a number of theme nights. The club will invite other local sporting organisations to get involved in basketball by opening the floor at half time for demonstrations and promotions.
The Eagles have also enjoyed an encouraging junior season- its best result to date- with two teams competing at State Championship level and three teams competing in Metro 1. "It just goes to show that the clubs heading in the right direction and our Junior Program is is paying dividends", Taylor said. "We are also starting to attract kids from other clubs who want to come and play at Craigieburn".
The Eagles are hoping to raise their profile by attracting local sponsors, needing the help to compete with neighbouring clubs and to attract young players.
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