Former Dandenong Rangers dynamo Kathleen Macleod has signed with new WNBL franchise Bendigo Spirit. Jenna O’Hea has also departed Dandenong and will play with the Spirit this coming season. By Glen Atwell
THE winds of change blowing through the Dandenong Rangers are fast approaching gale force.
After appointing new coach Dale Waters as Gary Fox’s replacement in February, the Rangers have cleaned out their Stud Road stadium and are emerging as a new-look team for the upcoming Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) season.
In a rare move, Dandenong will hold open trials next week in search of the next superstar and to fill vacancies on the roster created by the departure of several players.
Jenna O’Hea and Kathleen Macleod have officially departed Dandenong to play with new WNBL franchise Bendigo Spirit when the 2007-08 season tips off on the first weekend of October.
O’Hea was ranked third in the league for average points per game (18.6), while Macleod was ranked fourth in the WNBL for her impressive three-point conversion rate.
Samantha Richards has also left Dandenong, opting to relocate her services overseas.
Waters is confident of filling the gaps.
“You always hope that when a new coach comes on that the players would hang around, but it doesn’t always work out that way,” he said.
“A new franchise always has a unique attraction about it.”
Waters is now working tirelessly to fill the void, having recruited experienced campaigner Michelle Brogan and secured the services of Caitlin Ryan, Emily McInerny and Alison Downie for another season.
Ex-Townsville player Rachael Flanagan has also joined the Dandenong team.
Larissa Cavanagh will remain on the playing roster, but has taken up an assistant coaching position.
Waters said the trials would pave the way for up and coming female basketballers to break into an elite competition.
“It’s exciting. The trials will give players a chance to demonstrate their talent,” he said.
“Victoria has so much basketball talent, but most of the younger players don’t get much of an opportunity.
“Given there are three Victorian-based teams in the WNBL in season 2007-08, the Rangers need to stay ahead of the pack and continue to come up with proactive initiatives to keep our nose in front.”
The open trials will be held at the Dandenong Basketball Stadium on Monday night and at Lyndale Secondary College on Tuesday night.
The trials are open to players of the South East Australian Basketball League (SEABL) and Big V, state junior players, metropolitan and country intensive training centre players, junior Championship division female players and Australian United States college system players.
Interested interstate players are also invited to attend.
Waters anticipated that three to five squad positions would be filled, with selected players given the opportunity to take to the court at some stage in the coming WNBL season.
“We’ll probably narrow it down to a core group of about 12 and then fill the spots from there,” he said.
The WNBL season tips off on the first weekend of October.
