By Tyler Wright
American Porsche Poole and returning New Zealand import Alicia Carline will feature in the Sherbrooke Suns Big V side competing in the state championships this season.
Stephanie Pal and Tanarly Hood will also represent the Dandenong Ranges in the women’s championships competition after playing for the respective Pakenham Warriors and Southern Peninsula in 2022.
“Our two imports spectators seem to like because they’ll score the most points,” coach Chad Burton said.
After a loss of against reining premiers Bulleen on Sunday 19 March, scoring 51 to their opponent’s 85, Burton said the team will have to get used to the increased tempo and physicality of games at the top level.
“We didn’t shoot well at all, when you shoot at 20 per cent in a game you’re not going to win many games, so it wasn’t a good first start but the team will bounce back and we’ll get better…we should win next few games hopefully,” Burton said.
The team’s goal, Burton said, is to make finals after moving from division two, to division one and now the top level in the sport since he became coach four years ago.
“If we can make finals and the girls play well and they improve and get better as the season goes on, then I’ve done my job,” he said.
“The main thing is for me to develop the players and to make them better than what they were at the start of the year.”
The Sherbrooke Basketball Association has also put up a division two men’s team, a youth league men’s team and a youth league women’s team in the 2023 Big V season.
“From a club point of view, it’s probably one of our best years,” Burton said.
“We’re progressing, we’re getting bigger, we have more junior teams…
“Hopefully we win some games and everything will be perfect.”
Sherbrooke will take on Wyndham at Upwey High School’s Bell Real Estate Stadium on Saturday 1 April.
