Bittersweet Australian Indigenous Basketball Tournament for Top End Crocs skipper Joshua Smith

TOP End Dangalabas (Crocs) co-captain Joshua Smith endured a bittersweet Australian Indigenous Basketball Tournament in Cairns, but loved the concept and cannot wait to return next year

Top End Crocs cheering on their junior players during the Australian Indigenous Basketball Tournament in Cairns. Picture: FACEBOOK

TOP End Dangalabas (Crocs) co-captain Joshua Smith endured a bittersweet Australian Indigenous Basketball Tournament in Cairns, but loved the concept and cannot wait to return next year.

Smith – proud to lead out the senior men’s team in front of a big opening ceremony crowd – suffered a knee injury in the Crocs’ first game.

“It happened in the second quarter. I played on for five or six minutes afterwards but then I realised there was a problem,” Smith told the NT News.

“I needed crutches and I get to Darwin (today). It looks like I’ve done my meniscus.

“I was shattered, but overall the tournament was a really fun experience.”

Smith’s team won two of its four games, with Kayden Malseed a standout.

Malseed now plays for Lakeside Lightning in the WABL Under-20 Men’s Championship in Perth, and previously starred for Tracy Village and Razzle in the DBA.

The Crocs’ under-17 boys fell one game short of the final, the under-14 girls finished one game shy of the semi-finals, the under-14 boys bowed out in the quarter-final stage and the under-14 girls won four of their five games.

Thomas Malseed and Billy Patterson (under-17 boys), Jacinta Friel (under-14 girls), Johnny Friel (under-14 boys) and Ieasha Friel (under-17 girls) were among the Crocs’ junior standouts.

“The Friel kids were all very impressive – they were large reasons why their teams went well,” Smith said.

“Our men’s team watched every game, and it was a really fun experience overall.

“The opening ceremony was great, and the cultural stuff and atmosphere for the grand finals were amazing.”