James Murphy
THE South East will have a strong representation at next month’s Australian Junior Basketball National Championships.
Mount Gambier’s Stella Mobbs has made the Under 18 girls SA Country state team, alongside Millicent’s Edie Easterby.
The boys will also include Limestone Coast talent with Millicent’s Jack Haggett and Jackson Bowden both named in the Under 18 side.
Nationals are to be held in Brendale, Queensland from April 8 to 15 and will give athletes a chance to shine in front of various scouts and coaches.
Basketball Mount Gambier on-court chairman Matt Ray said Mobbs’ achievement came on the back of dedication and resilience.
“She has had a few injury concerns,” he said.
“To come back from an injury and maintain the enthusiasm and still have the resilience to keep on going and then make the team as well, it is really good to see a young person do that.”
Ray believed Mobbs would do well on the national stage.
“She definitely has the height about her and she moves quite well, particularly under the ring,” he said.
“She is a very bubbly team person, so I think she will get on with all of them as well.
“I am really looking forward to seeing where her basketball goes in the next 12 months.”
Mobbs is also a part of the Mount Gambier Pioneers women’s training squad, which has her follow in the footsteps of her father Shane, who was a long-serving Pioneer in his day.
Millicent Basketball stadium manager Peter Seebohm said he was proud to see the members of his association make the state sides.
“All three of them have been in the Outback Country system for a while now,” he said.
“It is pretty rewarding from a Millicent Basketball perspective that we have three kids who have stayed in that system.
“I think they have made just about every SA Country team they have tried out for.
“They have played through our town team system and this year they all played CBL as well.”
Like Mobbs, Easterby will be a bottom-age player, with both girls eligible to try out again in 2024.
However, for Haggett and Bowden it will be their final junior nationals appearance.
Seebohm expected good things from all three Millicent youngsters, with them shining across the various programs and competitions they are involved in.
Bowden and Haggett started their year at the National Performance Camp in Canberra which provided a glimpse into the level they can expect at nationals.
Meanwhile, all three juniors excelled in the 2022-23 Country Basketball League season playing for Millicent Magic, with Easterby part of the championship winning women’s side.
“They have certainly excelled in the CBL and they are all decent kids too,” Seebohm said.
“They all do the work and on off weekends or when they have time in their busy schedules, they are quite often down at the stadium putting up extra shots and working on their game.”
The championships will not only give athletes a shot at national glory, but also an opportunity to get under the spotlight in front of potential recruiters.
“In years gone by there has always been a lot of American college scouts and stuff like that looking at kids,” Seebohm said.
“AFL scouts quite often go to national championships and look at athletes too.
“It is never just the one sport anymore.
“You don’t necessarily have to be a great footballer to get recruited for football.
“They can’t teach you how to be an athlete, but they can teach you how to play footy or basketball or other sports.”
It is an exciting opportunity for the young athletes and one which is sure to not be wasted.
