Tracy Village Jets centre Jamie-Lee Peris is eyeing off a third basketball title as she dominates the Darwin competition

A renewed focus on fitness and an eye on a potential Darwin Salties roster spot has seen a Tracy Village centre produce some of her best-ever basketball.

A big fitness campaign and an eye on a potential Darwin Salties roster spot has seen Tracy Village Jet Jamie-Lee Peris produce some of her best-ever basketball.

Peris, who returned to Darwin after 16 years in South Australia, has gone a long way to ensuring the Jets remain undefeated, with a 6-0 start to Darwin Championship Season basketball.

The individual numbers behind Peris’ season make for interesting reading, too.

The Jets centre, who has hit double figures for points in all of her six matches so far, is second in the competition for total match points, average points per game, total and average rebounds, total free throws made and free throw percentage.

Her best game was a 23-point, 25-board effort against Eagles in Round 6, following her coaches’ advice of “use your body, nobody’s going to stop you”.

“That’s what I’m trying to do, score big points and get all the boards,” Peris told the NT News.

Peris said she wasn’t looking too far ahead about playing NBL1 North next season, but was concentrating on getting more silverware. 

She won a Darwin championship with Uni Rebels in 2011, and then with the North Adelaide Rockets three years later in the South Australian Premier League.

“That’s the main goal, a grand final win,” she said.

Jamie-Lee Peris signed with Tracy Village Jets in early 2021. Picture: Josh Spasaro.

She said she returned to Darwin due to some homesickness, after leaving for SA in her early high school years.

“I loved it (in SA), I knew at a young age I wanted to play better basketball,” she said of her reasons for leaving the Top End.

However, Peris spent the lead up to the 2022-23 Darwin Championship Season to get back into shape, cutting down on junk food, sugar and alcohol while trying to get to the gym every day.

“I thought I wasn’t as fit as I am now,” she said.

“I wanted to take this year off and get fit, lose a bit of weight.

“But the Salties, I’m still thinking about it.

“I’ll see what happens, it’s up to the coach if he wants me or not.

“Right now I’m just enjoying basketball.”

Peris, a Star Foundation mentor for First Nations girls at a local high school, said the 6-0 Jets had benefited from great chemistry, alongside Salties Kylie Duggan, Tikesha Docherty-Cole and Tania Dhu.

They will face one of their biggest tests this Friday, facing a second-placed Ellas Titans team which has won the past four in a row, marshalled by the likes of Salties star Erinn Bollman and Amy List.

Razzle/Cannons star lights up Darwin basketball

The call of home and a possible spot on the Darwin Salties roster has seen Kayden Malseed dominate on his return to the Top End.

The Razzle/Cannons point guard lit up the Darwin’s Championship Season after five rounds, despite his team battling at 0-5.

He is sitting second in the competition for average scoring at 32 points a match – only behind Salties skipper and Tracy Village Jet Jerron Jamerson’s 41 points – following two massive efforts against Ellas Titans (44 points with nine boards, seven steals and six assists) and Eagles (45 points with 16 boards).

The 21-year-old Territory representative has also been deadly from the charity stripe, hitting nine from nine against Ansett late in October and then 11 from 11 against Eagles, the following game.

Kayden Malseed landed 45 points against the Eagles. Picture: Supplied.

After six years in Perth, where he attended Kennedy Baptist College and broke into the Lakeside Lightning team in the NBL1 West competition, Malseed returned to Darwin in August and is currently a support worker with Being Mentors.

Malseed, who was mentored by Lightning guard Kyle Armour, said he returned to be closer to family and also put his case forward for the Salties roster ahead of their second NBL1 North season.

“It was just the right time to come home,” Malseed said.

He said with Territorians such as Matty Hunt struggling to get minutes in the Salties’ debut season, he hoped to become a local player who contributes to a star studded line up in 2023.

Kayden Malseed returned from Western Australia in August. Picture: Supplied.

“There wasn’t a lot of minutes going for local players, they had such a good team,” he said.

“It was pretty cool to watch, I watched as many games as I could.

“Being a Darwin kid growing up, having a team here now is awesome … I got a bit jealous.

“It was the right time to come home for that.”

He also believed the local Championship Season had improved due to an influx of players looking to get on the Salties roster.

“It’s definitely made the season a lot more competitive,” he said.

“It’s probably the best competition I’ve played in Darwin.”

However, Malseed admitted he grew up loving Aussie Rules more, with his father Steve playing at Palmerston and later coaching at Nightcliff for many years.

“I would say footy was the first love,” he said.

“It was hard to turn away as it was a lot of fun.

“It hurt him (dad) a little bit when I chose basketball in the end.”

Amy List chases US college opportunity

A future star of Darwin basketball will head to the US in a bid to take her game to a whole new level

Amy List, who turned 17 in October, has blitzed the women’s Championship Season so far this year, with 27 points – at 56 per cent accuracy – with 14 rebounds against Uni Rebels in a standout Round 3 performance.

The Ellas Titans teenage centre is also within the competition’s top five for average points (fourth) and boards (third), after three rounds, and was identified by the NT News as a player to watch during the 2022-23 season.

She has also hit double-doubles in each of her three games so far.

However, List also has an eye on the medium term, heading to the US for close to a month in July next year where she will attempt to impress college coaches for an opportunity.

Amy List is has dominated Darwin basketball after three rounds this season. Picture: Darwin Basketball Association.

Her journey in the sport began at the age of three, initially playing with Razzle Storm before stints at Eagles, Ansett and now the Titans for the club’s inaugural senior women’s season.

List also has designs on making the Darwin Salties roster for the 2023 season, after being a member of the development squad in the franchise’s NBL1 North season — sitting on the bench during home games.

Meanwhile, the self-confessed perfectionist said she was happy with her form so far this season with the lady Titans, but there was room for improvement.

“It’s been amazing so far,” she said.

“Especially against some of the higher level players in the higher level teams.

“Performance-wise for me, I know I can do better though.

“I did have a few moments where I could have done better (against Rebels).”

Ellas Titans after their inaugural win in the women's Championship Season. Picture: Ellas Titans.

She was also enjoying guidance from key Salties playmaker and Titans coach Erin Bollmann, who is also playing despite still battling an injured wrist sustained back in August.

“She’s amazing, a great influence,” List said.

Erin Bollmann has been a positive influence on Amy List’s career this season. Picture: Darwin Basketball Association.

Bollmann still managed 14 points on her debut against Rebels in Round 3.

“She played last game but was only able to use one hand,” she said.

“She’ll continue to play as long as her hand’s OK, but she won’t be using it.

“She still got 14 points with just one hand.”

List said her development had also benefited from representing the Territory at the Under 18 national championships as a 15-year-old in April last year.

“It was scary ... it was a daunting experience but also amazing at the same time to finally get the opportunity to go interstate.”