Dandenong WNBL player Elizabeth Cambage, 16, is among eight Rangers juniors to be earmarked for the Australian Gems and Emus under 19 World Championships squads.By Paul Pickering
THE Dandenong basketball program has been confirmed as one of Australia’s deepest talent pools, with eight juniors being selected in the national squads for the upcoming under 19 World Championships.
In preparation for the 2009 and 2011 junior world titles, the Rangers young guns will attend the Basketball Australia Development Camps at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in January.
The girls to be earmarked for the Australian Gems campaigns are Elizabeth Cambage, Stephanie Cumming, Rachel Jarry, Rosemary Fadijevic and Alex Sheedy, while Anthony Drimic, Brandon Iskra and Matthew Pappas will be vying for a berth on the Emus roster for 2011.
Among the brightest prospects is Cambage, who made her Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) debut at the tender age of 16 last month, scoring seven points and grabbing five boards in just eight minutes on court.
The imposing 203cm pivot arrived at Dandenong as a 13-year-old, having played no competitive sport until joining the Rangers’ under 14 squad.
Reflecting on her rapid rise last week, Cambage was quick to thank her first coach at Dandenong, Michael Davies, for his patience in teaching her the fundamentals of the game.
While she is still learning the nuances of the sport, Cambage showed in her debut against Bulleen that she would not take a backward step against more seasoned opponents.
“They attacked me,” Cambage said, describing the hostile reception she received from the Boomers frontline in the season opener.
“They all think because I’m big I can just bash ‘em,” she laughed.
Cambage says coming through the Rangers system with the likes of Jarry and Alice Kunek has made the transition a smooth and enjoyable one.
While travelling to Dandenong from her home in Mount Eliza has become a bit of a chore, Cambage says juggling basketball commitments with schoolwork has been easier than she expected.
And although the rigours of training have detracted from the teenager’s social life, Cambage says the opportunity to travel around the country playing basketball has been a dream.
In December, her journey will soon take her to the AIS headquarters in Canberra, where she will join Cumming, Jarry and Kunek as a scholarship-holder.
While Cambage’s development is a testament to the Dandenong system, the club will be keeping a keen eye on all of its young prodigies throughout a busy summer of basketball.
Dandenong Basketball Association president Charles Ryan was keen to congratulate the elite juniors last week, noting that the Rangers program was in great shape for the future.
“We are extremely proud of these great young Dandenong junior players, and of course the Dandenong program, which helps to develop and nurture these talented basketballers,” he said.
