Jaimee Crombie skippers a new-look Bellarine Storm that has crushed its promotion in 2024
A mainstay of Bellarine Storm basketball, who endured the club’s dark days which saw six wins from two seasons, is now seeing the fruits of her labour, albeit in a new position.
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After guiding Bellarine through the dark days of 2022 and 21, a Storm mainstay is seeing the fruits of her labour, albeit in a new role.
About five months ago during Big V pre-season, Bellarine’s new championship captain Jaimee Crombie believed some of her teammates had been a bit shocked, possibly intimidated, by the size and strength of their practice match opponents.
Having been promoted from division one to the top flight following last August’s grand final loss to Warrnambool, Crombie said the Storm were satisfied to open their season with a nine-point loss to title challenger, Wyndham.
However, things have changed a hell of a lot since then.
The Storm have since beaten the reigning premier twice, and from late June, have won their past six matches in a row by an average of 23 points.
That six-game run also accounted for the Mermaids.
In fact, the Tim Sanderson-coached Storm have beaten Warrnambool three times this year, and comfortably, too.
“That was just a small little milestone that we could get over,” Crombie said.
“Beating them 3-0 was unreal, there’s always going to be a little bit of a rivalry there.”
But the truth is Bellarine have done a hell of a lot more than just avenging last year’s grand final loss, three times over.
With a pre-Round 1 goal of sneaking into the top six, the Storm have surpassed all expectations.
“Our goal was to make top six ... top six was the perfect goal for us,” she said.
“Tim said at the start of the season if you get the sixth spot you don’t make finals but you’re a good chance for the year after.
“To be sitting second on the ladder at the end of the season is just unreal.”
The Storm would finish three wins clear of Bulleen in third, capping things off with a narrow win over the Boomers last Sunday at East Doncaster Secondary School.
However, the reigning premiers will get a second crack in as many weekends against the Storm in a final in Drysdale this Saturday evening.
They have been low scoring tussles this year, and both times separated by just six points in favour of Bellarine.
Crombie said it would all come down to making the most of their opportunities on Saturday evening, with the Boomers and Storm ranked one and two in terms of defence.
“It’s definitely going to be a grudge match and who’s going to shoot better on the day,” she said.
Which is where US import Bridgette Rettstatt is sure to have an influence; coming off an ACL injury, Crombie and her teammates weren’t quite sure what to expect from the Ohio product.
However, Rettstatt has put up league-leading numbers this season: ninth in the league for average points (17.14) – closely followed by fellow recruit Courtney Strait (16.05) – second for average boards (12.7) while ex-captain Georgia Varley is eighth for assists.
“She’s a good hustler, she can shoot the ball from outside the arc ... she’s really lifted our energy up as well,” Crombie said of Rettstatt.
“They’re both completely different players, so if one gets shut down we get something else from the other.”
As the likes of Crombie, Varley and Olivia Virt have had to step up their game in a higher division, so has Sanderson from a strategic planning point of view.
“He’s always done a great job of preparing us,” Crombie said.
“We work out how we’re going defend screens and get through all their plays, he always prepares us whatever the game or occasion.”
Meanwhile, Crombie has also fought her own personal challenges, playing reduced minutes compared to 2023.
“It was a little bit tough for me (early on),” she said.
“But I found my role and I know I’m a good voice for the girls. I love just bringing the positive vibes on and off the court.”
Crombie, who led the Storm during those dark days of 2022 and 21 – which yielded just six wins and bottom two finishes – sees herself as the “voice for the team”.
“I’m always there to try and help,” she said.
“I don’t really see myself as: ‘I’m there to tell you what to do’, I’m there to help you and be positive.
“I love being captain of these girls ... it feels like we’re a team of coaches (anyway).
“It’s such a great group of girls and we all get along so well, which is really hard within a team of 10 or eleven.”
Meanwhile, in a further sign of strength in women’s basketball in the region, division two outfit Surfcoast Chargers will take on Wallan on Saturday night in week one of the finals after finishing on top of the ladder.
And Surfcoast’s men have a chance for redemption in division two after losing last Saturday to Mildura at the Hothouse, taking on Southern Peninsula at Wurdi Baierr Stadium in a do-or-die encounter.
Originally published as Jaimee Crombie skippers a new-look Bellarine Storm that has crushed its promotion in 2024
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