By JARROD POTTER
DANDENONG didn’t have to venture far to find its new WNBL coach after Rangers’ SEABL coach Larissa Anderson signed on the dotted line ahead of the 2015/16 season.
Already adept at training Dandenong teams to win titles, the three-time SEABL championship winning coach Anderson will return to the WNBL eight seasons after her retirement as a player.
“I’m very excited to get the opportunity to give the higher level a crack,” Anderson said.
“Very humbled and very honoured… it’s something obviously I’ve been working hard towards and could only dream that one day it happens… so for it to happen now it’s quite surreal.”
It’s fitting that 20 years on from donning the Rangers’ jersey for the first time herself, Anderson is back on the sidelines to take the reins of the three-time WNBL champions ahead of their 24th season.
“I only just realised a couple of days ago it’s been 20 years to the day since I played my first WNBL game for the Rangers and it adds that whole new component,” Anderson said.
“It’s really special to think 20 years on I’m going to be the first female WNBL coach at the Rangers in my first WNBL gig – I think that’s pretty special.”
The WNBL life-member – who played at Bulleen and Dandenong throughout a 10-season career – has recently guided Dandenong’s SEABL team to a three-peat from 2010 to 2012, sides under Anderson’s tutelage have rarely fallen far down the ladder since she began coaching in 2004.
She’ll replace outgoing Rangers’ coach Mark Wright – who was at the helm of the Rangers for the last five seasons, including five finals’ berths and a championship in 2011/12.
Anderson’s first challenge at the helm will be her biggest, as Dandenong attempts to re-sign both Penny Taylor and WNBA champion Cappie Pondexter or finding sufficient firepower to cover their losses.
“The biggest priority obviously is to chat to all the existing players and coaches and try and keep as many of the core group together moving forward,” Anderson said.
“I think most of the time they showed good chemistry together on court, so it would be great to at least keep a good core group together.”
With players like Lauren Scherf, Amanda Meinking, Rachael Antoniadou, Tenaya Phillips all rising through the ranks of Anderson’s SEABL team, there won’t be many surprises for the 250-game WNBL veteran with her roster ahead of her inaugural coaching campaign, starting in October.
“This is their chance to work really hard through the SEABL season and for me to have a look at where everyone is at,” Anderson said.
“It’s really exciting and we’re really blessed at Dandenong to have such a great talent pool to choose from coming right through.”
She is unsure of how her WNBL/SEABL coaching balance will work out at this stage, but for now Anderson remains committed to the Dandenong SEABL women’s team ahead of its Round-1 opener against Kilsyth on Saturday 11 April.
“Not entirely sure just yet – they’re a very special group of girls to me and I’m very much looking forward to the start of the season,” Anderson said.
“We’ve put in all the hard work over the last few months and I’m on board fulltime until I sort out otherwise.
“They’re a special group and there’s no way I could finish that right now, I just have to see how we go because I’m very mindful of the family and not burning out so we need to be smart about it.
“For now it is lots of hard work to put in for the WNBL so it’s a busy, but exciting time.”
Dandenong Basketball Association CEO David Graham said Anderson’s on-and-off court record speaks for itself and she would be a great asset for the club.
“Larissa’s coaching credentials have been impressive in the SEABL competition to date and we’re all confident that she’ll be successful at WNBL level,” he said.
“She has great rapport with players and we feel, amongst many other criteria, that this is important in our push for the club’s next WNBL title.”
