Slick Rangers eye Thunder

By Paul Pickering
COACH Dale Waters’ vision for a younger, quicker and deadlier Dandenong Rangers outfit is starting to materialise.
The Rangers will launch their 2008-09 Women’s National Basketball League campaign with a ‘home’ game against Logan Thunder at Launceston on Saturday night – and Waters is excited.
Dandenong has been among the busiest clubs in the league over the off-season, recruiting some of the country’s best young talent in a bid to establish an up-tempo brand of basketball.
The new additions include Australian Institute of Sport graduates Nicole Hunt, Katie Ebzery and Caitlin Cunningham, 18-year-old Big V league star Hope Terdich, Indian national team player Geethu Jose and gun American import Jenni Benningfield.
Meanwhile, Michelle Brogan has retired and Shelley Hammonds (Bulleen), Rachael Flanagan (Townsville) and Sarah Graham (Logan) have moved on.
“The group we’ve got together is a lot different to last year,” Waters said this week.
“And in many respects it’s very exciting, because I think we’ll be more dynamic.
“Our intention was to get girls who are quick, athletic, can handle the ball and can shoot from outside.”
Hunt and Ebzery were both members of the Australian Gems squad that won silver at the Under-19 World Championships last year, and Waters – an assistant coach to Dean Kinsman – liked what he saw.
Hunt, 19, will be the Rangers’ starting point guard alongside skipper Caitlin Ryan.
Cunningham, who saw limited minutes in her last two seasons with the Canberra Capitals, will join Benningfield and Emily McInerny in a new-look Dandenong frontline.
Ebzery – a 177cm guard – will provide some valuable dash and perimeter-shooting from the bench.
The Rangers still have impact player Alison Downie in reserve, while emerging stars Faith Probst, Amelia Toddhunter, Clare Papavs and Terdich will be looking to capitalise on impressive form over the winter in the Big V and SEABL competitions.
Waters clearly has an eye on the future, but he believes the group can compete with the league’s heavyweights again this summer, after making it to the preliminary final last season.
“Our goal this year is to make the playoffs and be competitive, but also to lay the foundations for the club to be successful in the long-term,” he said.
Waters said his “perfect squad” won’t be complete until Rangers juniors Liz Cambage, Stephanie Cumming and Rachel Jarry return from the AIS program.
The Rangers travelled to the Apple Isle last weekend for a pre-season camp of sorts, combining some marketing duties with a couple of practice matches against a Tasmanian representative team.
Dandenong may be without Benningfield, who has an injured calf, and Jose is set to return from national duties in India later this month.