By JARROD POTTER
FOUR Dandenong Rangers players were selected in an elite group of Australia’s best young basketball players – named in the 40-person squad for the 2013 Basketball Australia Australian Development Camp later this month.
Amanda Meinking, Lauren Scherf, Rachel Antoniadou and Michael Wearne will head to Canberra later this month to test their talents against the best junior representatives in the country.
Scherf is in the midst of her breakout season with the SEABL Dandenong Rangers – averaging 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds with back-to-back double-doubles against Geelong and Sandringham to finish the season.
Scherf played in the FIBA under-19 world championships team earlier this year and was named alongside Rangers team mate Meinking were named in the under-17 women’s basketball squad to vie for a spot in the World Championship team next year.
Antoniadou, a multiple Victoria Country representative and national 3×3 champion, is thrilled to get her chance to scrimmage with Australia’s best.
“It’s incredible really – I think it’s a great opportunity just to go – it’s definitely worth it,” Antoniadou said.”It’s an achievement in itself just getting there – I’m hoping for what everyone else is hoping for to make the team that goes away in December – but even if I don’t make it, just going up there is what I’ve worked for.”
Wearne represented Victoria Metro at the 2013 under-18 Australian championships earlier this year and was part of Box Hill Secondary College’s School Sports Victoria (SSV) Premier League grand final victory last year.
The development camp runs from 23-27 September.
