Gold Coast Rollers ready for under-14 South Queensland Junior Basketball season

The under-14 junior basketball season is here and we have shone a light on the stars to watch from the boys and girls Gold Coast Rollers sides. See the stars of the future here.

Saiyuri Anderson of the Gold Coast Rollers.

Some of the future stars of Gold Coast basketball will kick off their campaign this weekend as the under-14 junior rep competition kicks off across South Queensland.

We have shone a light on the stars of the boys and girls Division 1 sides.

Gold Coast Rollers girls

Rollers girls coach Craig Taylor is excited to see the improvement from the group, with several underrated players on the roster.

“The idea is to see individual development and improvement in the girls and them enjoying their game and getting out there and having fun and loving it all and being part of a team,” he said.

“The better they can do individually, the better the team can do.”

Taylor said he expected a number of breakout seasons from his players, with some impressive development shown already.

“I have been quite surprised with a few of the girls,” he said.

“I have been quite surprised with their effort and the effect they’re having on the game.

“We always talk about having great effort but also being able to impact the game.

“We’ve got at least another six or seven of those girls that are coming through.”

Taylor also had high hopes for Saiyuri Anderson and expects her to play a pivotal role for the team in 2025.

“She is coming along well, she was actually in our number one team last year in under-14s as a bottom-age player.

“There’s a couple of other girls we would be hopeful of coming forward but Saya’s the main prospect at the moment.”

The Rollers will have to contend with some of the state’s best young basketballers so it comes as no surprise Taylor has put a heavy focus on defence.

“Our mantra is relentless persistence in defence so that’s what it’s gotta be all about,” he said.

“That will help fuel our getting up and down the court and scoring against those stronger more experienced teams.

“We can’t always match it one-on-one but I think if we can play great defence and put pressure on the opposition, I think that can be our trump card.”

Gold Coast Rollers boys

There is an air of excitement surrounding the boys side, with an athletic group of players set to take the competition by storm.

Coach Geoff MacLeod was aware the challenge his side would face as they prepare to compete in a cutthroat competition with several elite teams all vying for success.

“I think we’ll be around the mark, there’s some very talented boys across Queensland in the age group so we’ll certainly be up there somewhere at the top,” he said.

“I have coached kids for a long time and our goal is for them to better at the end of the season than they were at the start and be better players at the end.

“In sport you can win all the time, lose all the time, as long as we’re giving 100 per cent every game and the kids are getting better, we’re happy.”

The Rollers boys’ side boasts incredible depth with a wide range of players set to star.

“You really want to watch a boy named Jermaine O’Riley, Isaiah Carter and Noah Ghabiliha,” MacLeod said.

“They’re all very fast so we will play a very upbeat style so we have elite speed so if those boys can control their bodies at 12 and 13 years old I think they’re in for bright futures.”

MacLeod was also excited to see the growth of last year’s under-12 players who have made the step up as bottom-age players this year.

“I took the under 12s last season and we won the state championship,” he said.

“There’s three boys from last year’s under-12s who are in this first team, there’s the Nasio twins and a boy named Hudson Flower, just watching them develop will be very exciting.

“We were state champions last year and they will be building on that and looking forward to under-14s.”

Originally published as Gold Coast Rollers ready for under-14 South Queensland Junior Basketball season