By Russell Bennett
Just about every NBA fan or basketball fan, more generally, is involved in yearly fantasy competitions where they “draft” their own teams and compete against their friends.
But Pakenham Warriors Big V Youth League men’s coach Simo Pajdic has taken that to a new level and created his own actual league, featuring real players in real teams filled from a real draft.
The South East Super League (SESL) – backed by major sponsor Ash Mason From Stockdale and Leggo in Pakenham – tips off at the new Officer Community Hub this Sunday.
The inaugural season features six teams drafted by general managers, and local players, Cam Andre (Pakenham Pirates), Aaron Miles (Beaconsfield Mustangs), Tom Greer (Berwick Sharks), Lewis Newman (Cardinia Crocs), Tristan Blacka (Lakeside Vikings), and Pajdic (Officer Hornets).
Blacka, who is also an assistant coach to Pajdic in the Warriors Youth League men’s set-up, said the competition was set up to fill in the gap of the Big V off-season.
“Simo said it would be cool to do something of the nature of having a competition in the off-season with an NBA-style draft and where we could make trades,” Blacka said.
“It was early in the Youth League season. We were discussing it and then it was put on the backburner, but we discussed it a bit more and over the past two months we got together and made it happen.”
The six teams each have eight-man rosters, which includes free agent ‘signings’.
Players from a wide range of Big V clubs are represented in the SESL. They include Pakenham, Western Port, Mornington, Dandenong, Sherbrooke, Keysborough and Melbourne.
Each team will face each other twice throughout the season, with a playoff series to follow.
Games will be held every Sunday at the Officer hub in three different timeslots.
Prizemoney will be awarded at the end of every season, with the winning team also holding the championship trophy.
Aligned Leisure, who runs the Officer Hub, has thrown its support behind the league which is affiliated with the Pakenham and District Basketball Association (PDBA).
The first game of the inaugural SESL season tips off this Sunday from 2pm with the Vikings taking on the Crocs.
