12-1 Girls – Olivia Weddikara (sponsored by Visa4You Migration Agency)
Lost against Willetton 13-54
Coach comments
- The girls played well but struggled to keep up. The girls’ fitness improvements really showed this game as they were running hard.
- Tough loss, but the girls never failed to keep their heads up!
- Mabel continues to get better week after week. It was a physically tough game for Mabel but she pushed through!
- Imogen is not the tallest on our team but definitely one of the strongest defensively.
12-2 Girls – Dave Power (sponsored by RocketDNA)
Won against Bunbury 33-16
Coach comments
- Defensively the girls matched up well, ball pressure and rotations for help were very good.
- We made good decisions with ball movement and shot selection in both transition and the half-court.
- We are really starting to see training translate to the court for defensive positioning and offensive spacing.
- Alannah is starting to find her confidence driving to the basket and creating good mid-range looks.
- India Mascurine applied strong ball pressure in the middle third, forcing turnovers and attacking the basket off good leads up the floor.
- Our centre Iris Gething was unlucky not to finish with 10+ points, taking strong lines through contact at the rim and grabbing rebound after rebound to control the paint against bigger opponents.
12-3 Girls – Paul Philpott (sponsored byInternational Commissioning Solutions Group Pty Ltd)
Lost against Cougars 6-55
Coach comments
- What a tough game today. Unfortunately, we were no match for the Cougars with them keeping us scoreless in the 1st, 3rd and final quarters.
- Despite this our wonderful and fearless Redbacks girls continued to be relentless in their fight for on court opportunities, wherein the scoreboard did not define our worth.
- We managed many breakaways and at times fought hard to win balls under both rings.
- Today we came away with many learnings and opportunities to improve ourselves.
- Our Cerah Boucher performed magnificently today. Following some pointers Cerah used her muscle to win many rebounds and menaced the Cougars talls in denying them offensive ring possessions.
- Shanaya Siva despite a routine elevated foul count was very available at both ends of the court gaining many possessions.
- Again, Zara Wong displayed some fine skills in using her aggressiveness to dispossess Cougars players.
- Overall, a great display of advancing skills by all our girls today showing that Champions are truly made on the court and in the heart.
12-4 Girls – Indiana Ballantine (sponsored by Bruining Partners and John Hughes Ford)
Lost against Lakeside 44-12
12-1 Boys – Wayne Dropulich (sponsored by SLS Advisory)
Lost against Hawks 72-91
Coach comments
- This was a game where our effort and fight never disappeared, even against a very talented Perry Lakes side that shot the ball extremely well.
- I was really pleased with how we competed in the first quarter, matching their intensity and moving the ball well offensively to take a narrow lead at stages.
- Cayden Wedge set the tone early with aggressive drives and strong finishing, while Alex Litas, Hudson McClintock and Jesse Freeman all contributed important baskets to keep the game close.
- Our willingness to attack the basket and earn free throws was a positive, and the boys showed good composure offensively against pressure.
- The second quarter was where Perry Lakes’ shooting started to create separation, but the boys continued to respond with effort and resilience.
- Baxter Miles gave us strong inside presence, while Quinn Connell knocked down a big three and continued to make smart decisions with the ball.
- I was especially proud of our fourth-quarter response, despite the scoreboard, the team kept competing hard, attacking offensively and never dropping their heads.
- Cayden finished strongly with several late baskets, and we continued to play with energy right through to the final whistle.
- There are plenty of lessons for us defensively, particularly around transition defence and contesting shooters, but the character and persistence the group showed throughout the game was something we can build on moving forward.
- Cayden Wedge delivered a dominant all-around performance, finishing with 28 points while constantly putting pressure on the defence every time he touched the ball. He was just as impactful on the other end with 7 deflections and 2 steals, using his energy and anticipation to disrupt passing lanes and create extra possessions for the team, while also pulling down 4 rebounds in another huge effort.
- Alex Litas put together a tremendous defensive performance, finishing with 6 deflections and an incredible 9 steals through relentless effort, anticipation, and pressure on the ball. He also added 9 points offensively, attacking with confidence and giving the team energy on both ends of the floor all game long.
12-2 Boys – Adam Gunnis (sponsored by KPS BUILDING GROUP and PlanWA)
Lost against Wolves 66-37
12-3 Boys – Mason Wigmore (sponsored by Victory Technologies Pty Ltd and Stanley Ag WA)
BYE
12-4 Boys – Charlize Nicolaou (sponsored by Float Docks)
Lost against Suns 35-61
Coach comments
- Today was our first loss after going 3-0.
- The boys played very hard the entire game; however, today just wasn’t our day.
- We definitely felt the impact of not having Teo with us today.
- We’ll take a lot out of this game in terms of what we need to improve on, as well as what we’re strong at.
- Henry brought the heat with his exceptional rebounding skills on both ends of the court; his aggressiveness under the basket proved a valuable asset to us today!
- Joey brought the energy from our team today; his bubbly and talkative personality translated very well on court, defending the inbounder like a kangaroo every single chance he got!
- Riley brought the oomf, helping out in offence, defence and transition. Although he did not score much, he helped in many other ways, like turning over the ball, aiding in assists and creating space for his teammates to score.
12-5 Boys – Craig Dropulich (sponsored by Ganjing World)
Lost against Flames 37-52
Coach comments
- The game started off slow, going down by about 9 points early, but we were able to push back and give them trouble, only being down 1 at half time, however just like when we played Hawks 2 weeks ago, we fell short in the final quarter.
- Alex Rodic was an excellent player today, the stat sheet might not show it but his ability to bring the ball up and find players in better positions, and lock down players 1 on 1 as our last man back.
- Aarav Singh Chouhan shot well today, his rebounding was also excellent as the bigger player out there on the court.
14-1 Girls – Rori Roberts (sponsored by National Geotech)
Lost against Flames 54-48
14-2 Girls – Whitney Perret (sponsored by Accelerate Blue)
Lost against Slammers 52-57
Coach comments
- We got ourselves into foul trouble and had players in positions they weren’t used to. In saying that, we did a very good job adjusting while out of position.
- We had spurts of great decision-making and once we find more consistency, we’ll be in a strong position to win these close, high-pressure games.
- Maddy was excellent in the open court, reading the ball well and getting steals. She managed her foul trouble well, avoiding her fifth foul, and was a crucial part of keeping us competitive.
- Jade did an excellent job clogging up the keyway and making it difficult for the opposition to work their way inside. She also hit some important shots and got to the line through her aggression.
- Anya competed well despite being undersized, grabbing a handful of rebounds. She was composed under pressure and brought good defensive aggression.
14-3 Girls – Matt Bailey (sponsored by Crothers Pty Ltd)
Won against Suns 62-25
14-4 Girls – Bryn Arnold (sponsored by Mount Hawthorn Clinical Psychology)
Lost against Cougars 29-61
14-1 Boys – Dave Ogden (sponsored by Global Cabling)
Won against Cougars 65-44
Coach comments
- Great to see 10 players on the bench for the first time this season, and the boys had a solid away win.
- Our transition offence is starting to come together, and we created plenty of scoring opportunities off turnovers.
- Ned T, in his 50th game, led the team in rebounding with a game-high 9 and also hit a couple of threes to complete a strong all-round performance.
- Victor M finished with a team-high 4 assists and an efficient plus minus of +25.
- Harry F’s outlet and kick-ahead passing continues to be a real weapon in our transition game and is becoming a strong feature of his development.
- Oliver L and Lenny H are continuing to grow in confidence within our motion offence and were rewarded for their effort by getting on the end of a few passes.
14-2 Boys – Craig Dropulich (sponsored by M & T Gomm Pty Ltd ATF Gomm Family Trust T/As Customised Metal Works)
Lost against Senators 55-60
Coach comments
- Really good effort by the boys today, except for 3-4 minutes before half time which ended up being the difference between a win and a loss.
- Lots of improvement this week in all areas of our game, with our big men dominating around the basket.
- Quinn Gomm had a great game off the bench with 12 points and showed his finishing ability and speed with his left or right hand. His ability to shoot from virtually anywhere on the court is an amazing presence to have on the court.
- Julian Morris had a great game around the basket contributing 14 points at well over 50% shooting. It is also good to see that he can punish the opposition from the free throw line, shooting 4/6. Julian was by far the highest rebounder on the day, bullying the other team’s big man.
14-3 Boys – Dom Pitchen (sponsored by Candy Verse)
Lost against Eagles 47-87
Coach comments
- The boys started the game well but were unable to convert the quality looks they were creating for one another. This allowed East Perth to build momentum and take control of the game.
- Despite the growing score deficit, the boys continued to compete hard, stay positive, and support each other throughout the contest. Their resilience and effort should not go unnoticed, and they can hold their heads high with the attitude they showed until the final buzzer. We take the lessons from this game, continue to improve, and shift our focus to next week.
- Andre Karapha was a strong presence on both ends of the floor, providing a calm and hardworking influence that helped the boys build momentum during key stretches of the game. His effort and composure allowed the team to string together multiple defensive stops and go on several strong runs throughout the contest.
- Ryan Karaki was strong on the offensive glass, consistently creating multiple second-chance scoring opportunities for the team through his effort and positioning. He also did a great job spacing the floor offensively, which helped create opportunities for his teammates and improved the team’s ball movement and flow.
- Franklin Etter’s constant positive attitude and encouragement of his teammates played an important role in keeping the team’s morale high throughout the game. His hard work on the defensive end, combined with his unselfishness and willingness to create opportunities for others, had a strong impact on the group’s overall performance and energy.
14-4 Boys – Caitlin Rawes (sponsored by Crothers Pty Ltd)
Won against Slammers 74-37
Coach comments
- Huge win for the boys, which was great after the long trip.
- They played a great game, got around each other, and really played as a team.
- Levi made the trip down but wasn’t feeling well, so it was a good opportunity for him to train and get a game in.
- Braxton was thrown into the mix as a train-on just 30 minutes before tip-off and showed us his playing abilities.
16-1 Girls – Nigel Esau (sponsored by Xceed Real Estate)
Lost against Cougars 103-46
Coach comments
- Another tough game against very good opposition. The girls did very well to compete and not back down.
- The girls showed vast improvement from their last game and are starting to adjust better to the standard of the championship competition.
- Their team game is showing better cohesion and they are playing with better confidence.
- The score line suggests a tough loss but the girls were competitive throughout the game and if we eliminate our errors, we’ll be in a better position to succeed.
- A full team effort was great today, all the girls stepped up well.
- Hayley and Ellie were immense for the team, not only in how hard they played but also in their leadership.
- Siena was challenged to take on the defensive leadership role and she did very well.
16-2 Girls – Reid Ballantine (sponsored by Access Hire)
Lost against Flames 61-67
Coach comments
- Started strong, but faced a really tough 3rd quarter today (11-29) with Flames stealing momentum and getting hot from 3, while out rattled out.
- We found our best in Q4 with some great energy from the team and parents and a fun 18-2 run almost getting us home.
- Georgie Clarke showed her strength right from the start of the game attacking the paint on her way to a tidy 18.
- Paige Granato was committed in defence against a tough (and cheeky) opponent, putting in a valiant effort and landing some nice counter punches with 10 points of her own.
- Olivia Birsa worked really hard for a solid 10 rebounds and 8 points.
- Both Saachi Ti’en and Allysa Rullo gave us the spark in Q4, knocking down some clutch shots.
16-3 Girls – Geoff Alger (sponsored by Habitat Finance)
Won against Hawks 74-54
Coach comments
- We started well building a handy first quarter lead on the back of disciplined defense and some nice finishing. From there each team had periods of ascendancy as the margin waxed and waned with a drop in focus offensively costing us through early parts of the second and third quarters.
- After being challenged again early in the fourth a lift in defensive intensity and some clinical finishing closed the game out well against a tiring opposition.
- Our players’ commitment to finding good scoring opportunities and involving all five players on the floor is a pleasure to watch.
- Our squad depth continues to be a strength, with five players reaching double figures and contributions from across the group.
- The bench was again loud and positive, and was lifted even further this week by injured teammate Sally Dowling’s support from the sidelines.
- Eva Blyth was playing her 50th game and added a few more scalps to her now trademarked shot fake helping herself to 12 points on 67% shooting.
- Iris Mairs is just starting her WABL journey and had a game to remember. Iris always brings a level of hustle and intensity that creates havoc for opposition teams. It was great to see her get some scoreboard reward for that effort with 12 points on 6 of 10 shooting to go with 4 assists, 8 rebounds and a couple of steals. She was a big catalyst in the teams win and to do this in just her third WABL game is an exciting start to her Redbacks career.
- Alida Barmentloo was a major factor on the boards snaring an important 16 rebounds for the game through smart positioning and determined effort to help us overcome a sizeable height mismatch exacerbated by fouls and injury.
- Freya Whitehouse was again a headache for the opposition all game. Her strong drives consistently drew opposition fouls (7 FTM in her 13 points) or generated scoring opportunities for team mates (5 assists). Doing this without a single turnover is quite an achievement and a sign of how focused she was all game.
- Isla Cowman went three of four from deep on her way to 13 points and it was great to see her get this reward for all the hard work she puts in.
16-4 Girls – Ashley Brian (sponsored by Realth Property Group)
Lost against Mandurah 29-53
Coach comments
- We knew this was going to be a great challenge for us and we were right. It was probably the most physical game many of the girls had ever experienced.
- Rather than letting it get to them though, I felt our girls embraced it and learned from the experience.
- Our goal was to keep practicing and refining our press breaker against good opposition and it was great to see tweaks of improvement, even within the game.
- Our grade is really differentiated by ball pressure. We want to be one of the teams that can apply heavy pressure for four quarters and Mandurah just did that a little better than us on the day. There’s still plenty for us to take away and improve on moving forward.
- We still had some outstanding performances. Darcy played one of the best games I’ve seen from her. She scored 9 points while also taking on a shutdown role against their best player.
- Jana was rock solid protecting the rim with an incredible seven blocks. Seven!
- And Lily was strong across all statistical categories, finishing with 5 steals and 2 blocks.
16-1 Boys – Cameron Redhead (sponsored by Geist Consulting)
Won against Suns 78-65
Coach comments
- A really good team effort from the group this week. The boys took control of the game in the first quarter and never looked back.
- A complete buy-in from the group meant we could manage some severe foul trouble early in the game, but with the ‘next man up’ mentality this group is building, we were able to get a great team win up on the hill!
- It’s great to see the group beginning to gel, hold each other accountable and start to enjoy their basketball. This game was just a glimpse of what’s to come as we continue to build.
- Texas Tierney led from the front again with some big minutes and shot making ability on full display, putting up another 23pts.
- Vincent Ryder provided valuable poise and control off the bench, and got to see reward for his hard working start to the season, adding 18 pts of his own!
- Matthew Lucano, although the stats don’t reflect his efforts, he provided valuable lockdown defence on the oppositions best player, allowing his teammates to get rewarded with transition points
16-2 Boys – Francis Crawshaw (sponsored by F45 Victoria Park)
Won against Eagles 67-82
16-3 Boys –Vance Karimi (sponsored by School Bus Logistics Pty Ltd)
Won against Slammers 118-95
Coach comments
- We had a great game this week. Started with good focus and energy and kept the momentum through the first half to establish a strong lead.
- There were runs against us at the start of third and forth but the boys quickly regained focus.
- A few players hit foul trouble early but to their credit, had to adjust and be more measured with risks in defence.
- We had improvements with box-outs across the squad which helped us with defensive rebounds.
- Most of our score was from offensive transitions in the paint and when their confidence grew, it was great to see them nail their 3s.
- Caelan played a strong smart game with some great passing and cutting. He is timing his off-ball actions, reading his defender and just sees the gaps so well.
- Tom dominated the paint on both ends. It was great to see him work patiently within our 3-man trigger action, coming off a down screen into a PNR that resulted in a 1v0 finish.
- Jo sets our game pace and we rely on him to adjust our flow, read disadvantages quickly in transition offense, and react to trigger any number of offensive actions.
- Leo found good timing to hit players on the cuts to the basket with some nice assists. He opens up big in D and is often the first to run back in transition D to stop the mid-court run. Saw good boxouts under the basket, holding his player hard to get great rebounds.
16-4 Boys – Oliver March (sponsored by Rangecon)
Lost against Mandurah 93-90
Coach comments
- The boys fought until the end and gave their best, but ultimately came up short.
- Ollie, Cooper, and Daniel had strong impacts on the game.
18-1 Girls – Shaun Bennison (sponsored by Strike Drilling)
Won against Slammers 62-39
Coach comments
- Round 4 saw us hit the road to Bunbury for a clash against an energetic, high-paced Southwest Slammers outfit.
- Both teams were slow out of the blocks early, neither really able to find any rhythm.
- Slammers showed their hand early with a zone defense and with a level of physicality that seemed to disrupt our flow offensively. Once we made some adjustments and stayed disciplined with our execution, we were really able to dictate terms for the rest of the game.
- Leeshar Tuialii was a standout and had her hand in everything for this one. She led from the front and got her team mates involved throughout – finishing with 7pts, 14reb, 6as, 4stl.
- Sara Davis provided some great impact off the bench and hit some timely mid-range jumpers to halt any momentum Slammers tried to gain. Her quick decision-making with ball-in-hand is becoming a real strength of hers and gives us plenty of opportunities from the advantage she creates.
- Annabelle Farrant is that spark of energy we need whenever she steps out on the floor. Her aggressive mindset to take the ball to the rim, almost always against bigger bodies, is a real asset to her game. And when she’s locked in, she is also one of our best on-ball defenders.
18-2 Girls – Simon Daff (sponsored by West Coast Reinforcing)
Lost against Lakeside 59-44
Coach comments
- It was a bit of a wake-up call for us today. To Lakeside’s credit, they were well disciplined and played with more confidence and intent. This resulted in us panicking and second-guessing ourselves in the 2nd quarter, allowing them to take a strong lead into half-time.
- We were able to settle in the 2nd half and play our brand of basketball to reduce the lead, but we had given them too much of a head start.
- Cherie Zak continues to have a great season. No matter the opposition she remains calm and aggressive. She always looked like a threat when the ball was in her hands.
- Arabella Kahl continues to build her game after an injury-interrupted preseason. She is running hard and building confidence.
18-3 Girls – Marcia Dowling (sponsored by PWS Group and John Hughes Ford)
Won against Hawks 82-43
Coach comments
- Today was a game that showed progress, with perseverance and patience paying off.
- The team’s work was consistently strong across all four quarters. Although we slowed in the third quarter, the girls showed excellent intensity and team spirit, continuing to work at a high level regardless of the scoreboard.
- Improved ball movement on offence is leading to better shot selection and accuracy.
- Defensively every player nailed their specific role but mention must be made of Nadia Slee and Maddy Mckibbon and their 1v1 hustle in transition.
- Equally solid were Macaela Tugwell’s rebounds and box outs.
- Ella Baxter’s ability to settle the team play in offense was vital against a rather unpredictable Hawks zone defence.
- Paige Wigmore found the basket with great accuracy this week, assisted so well by the team.
18-4 Girls – Mark Wigmore (sponsored by PWS Group and John Hughes Ford)
Lost against Warwick 82-41
Coach comments
- We started well with intensity and good full court pressure.
- We battled hard in the key way all day despite the size advantage to our opponents.
- Ella Moffat started the game aggressively, regularly positioning herself in the right spot to finish.
- Charlotte Dillon worked tirelessly all day disrupting the opponents ball carriers and deflecting countless passes.
18-1 Boys – Adam Gunnis (sponsored by IML Group and John Hughes Ford)
Lost against Cougars 112-86
18-2 Boys – Dan Cartwright (sponsored by Aviso WA Insurance Brokers and Signifi Media Pty Ltd)
Lost against Hawks 65-60
18-3 Boys – Helen Pardini (sponsored by OCR Projects)
Won against Slammers 76-61
Coach comments
- We got off to a slow start and found ourselves chasing the game early, but the boys showed good character to settle in and fight their way back.
- We cut the margin to just 2 points at quarter time, and after another slow patch in the second quarter we again responded well to head into halftime only down by 4.
- After the break we made some important adjustments defensively and started getting much better movement on the offensive end. That lifted our energy and flow, and midway through the third quarter we were able to take control of the game and build a handy lead heading into the last.
- We started the fourth slowly again, but the group kept pushing and stayed locked in when it mattered.
- Great resilience and focus from the boys to keep working through the ups and downs and finish strong for a hard-fought win.
- Llafton Muller did a great job controlling the tempo and leading the fightback with a solid game at both ends of the floor, finishing with 17 points.
- Loro Wol once again provided a huge spark offensively, attacking the glass hard with 7 offensive rebounds and finishing with 20 points.
- Tace Rankin was again a steady contributor, making smart reads and finishing strong around the basket to finish with 17 points.
18-4 Boys – Jess Tiwade (sponsored by Retriever Sound Events Dj.)
Lost against 79-71
Coach comments
- Round 4 we headed into what we knew to be a quick, physical and top team to beat. 1st qtr Suns came out strong, winning the quarter.
- In the 2nd quarter, we regrouped with a focus on rebounding and composure in offence, which resulted in us winning the quarter 24–16.
- In the final quarter, we continued to apply strong defensive pressure, with rebounding remaining a key focus. However, our passing let us down at times, which the Suns were able to capitalise on.
- It was great to see the team build on their performance from the opening weeks, and we have identified further areas to improve and take into our next match-up against the Suns.
- Dom had a super game. His dedication each week is showing in his game. His offence was impressive and lifted the team when we needed it the most. Dom always defensive on ball and can’t wait to see him over the season.
- Parker had two milestones to be proud of. Playing a great game supporting rebounds and top scorer. 100 game celebration! Exciting day!!!
21 Girls – Shaun Bennison (sponsored by Freeman Chiropractic)
Lost against Cougars 74-68
Coach comments
- The game went well, rebounding was better on the defensive end, but we still need to improve on offensive boards moving forward.
- Overall, the girls played well, and the bench players came in and hit some big threes down the stretch to keep us in the game and make it a close finish.
- Hannah and Olivia were strong inside, and Jenna impressed in the point guard role and knocked down some well-timed shots.
20-1 Boys – John Foley (sponsored by Bodytune Massage and Sports Therapies)
Won against Hills 88-100
20-2 Boys – Ofir Ben Dror (sponsored by Meyer Shircore Architects)
Lost against Slammers 82-73
Coach comments
- We started the game with solid defensive intent but struggled to move the ball freely and our shots didn’t drop early. As a result, the group became a bit frustrated and we lost some composure, which impacted our decision-making. SW took full advantage and we went into half-time 19 points down.
- To the boys’ credit, they didn’t stop competing. We lifted our intensity, played with more aggression, and worked our way back to within 6 points despite a number of tough calls and a challenging environment.
- We ultimately ran out of time, but there are plenty of positives to take from the fightback, along with important lessons we can build on moving forward.
- Ty Demir was very strong on the defensive end and also created some good plays in offense.
- Ethan was strong under the basket and despite a height difference, used his strength to convert.
- Cuba was fantastic in the second half on both ends.