The Darwin Salties have pushed their case for an NBL licence after a successful debut season in NBL1 North
Darwin hosting the NBL’s pre-season competition next month will be a ‘great test’ for a possible league licence in future years.
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DARWIN hosting the NBL’s pre-season competition next month will be a “great test” for a potential team in the future, the league’s chief operations officer says.
Vince Crivelli told reporters at Darwin Basketball Stadium on Wednesday bringing the NBL Blitz to the Territory in September (16-23) would assess local desire for the sport at a higher level.
“(It will) test out the appetite for the National Basketball League,” Crivelli said.
“This is a really great test for everyone if we can come together and make it work.
“What we need to test now is whether or not there is an appetite from the consumer, the business community and the government to bring it all together.”
He said the success of the Salties in year one, where it recorded the largest ever home and away crowd in NBL1 history, would help its case towards getting a league licence.
The club drew on average 1200 people to home games – including sponsors, volunteers, players and spectators – with the best crowd of 1423 at its final home fixture.
He said the birth of the Tasmanian JackJumpers was also an example of building on local support and a “great groundswell” in basketball participation to create a new NBL team.
“Tasmania is a really great test case,” Crivelli said.
“We were able to go from zero to launching a team in the space of 18 months, and that included the rebuild of a facility ... all during Covid.
“We made no secret of the fact that what we did in Tasmania is repeatable and it would be amazing to have an NBL team here in Darwin.
“Basketball is a fast growing sport here in Darwin, it also was in Tasmania.
“We like to think anything’s possible, we’ll work hard to make it a reality.
“But at the same time we can’t rush any steps.”
Crivelli said Darwin had built an “unbelievable” brand already after just one season in the NBL1 North conference.
“The Salties have no doubt really raised the bar when it comes to lifting the profile of basketball, locally,” he said.
Coach Matt Flinn’s men made the finals in its debut season, before a three-point quarterfinal loss to USC Rip City on Saturday night.
“Their brand name is unbelievable, it’s one of the best in Australian sport,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to riding on their coat-tails.”
The NT Government has already announced a $100,000 grant to install a 344-seat portable grandstand at Marrara.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the NT Government would support any bid for a NBL licence: “I would love to see the Territory have an NBL team”.
Major Events Minister Paul Kirby said it was a “major coup” for Darwin to host the Blitz.
The first game will be between South East Melbourne and Adelaide with 15 games over eight days.
Josh Spiers unfazed by pre-game smack talk from USC Rip City star
BACK-IN-FORM Darwin Salties forward Josh Spiers says some trash talk during the week from a USC Rip City star before their looming quarterfinal has added “a little pepper” to the contest.
Several Salties players and staff have told the NT News new Sydney Kings recruit and Rip City player Kouat Noi said publicly at a midweek NBL1 awards show in Queensland his team were going to wipe the floor with Darwin and “whip their arse”.
However, Spiers, who returned to form in a big way last Saturday night with a season-high 25 points, and five from nine from outside the arc, in a 30-point demolition of reigning premier Mackay Meteors, was not buying into the comments.
“My mentality really stays the same,” Spiers said.
“People can really say what they want, but they’ve got to take it out onto the court.
“The motivation was already there, that just adds a little pepper to it.”
Coach Matt Flinn said he had received a few phone calls about Noi’s reported comment but said they were “just words”.
Rip City president Matt Nason said Noi remarked: “with all due respect to the Darwin people here tonight we plan to whoop their ass” but it was made in “good spirit”.
Meanwhile, Spiers is simply focusing on the things he can control, after bouncing back from a hip complaint which sidelined him for three mid-season games to star in arguably the Salties’ best win of the NBL1 North season in the final round.
“I definitely feel the most confident I’ve felt all year, in terms of shooting the ball,” he said of his performance against the Meteors.
“Physically, getting up and down the court.
“It was one of the better games (of the season), it was probably the first time all year I’ve gone into a game my body hasn’t really had any niggles.”
He said it was a “desperate time” for the Salties coming into last Saturday’s match, with the team slightly off the boil, going 2-6, and had not won on the road since late June.
“I definitely felt personally it was a desperate time,” he said.
“We lose that game, we probably don’t make the finals.
“We knew we needed to take care of business. Some guys stood up and took leadership.
“It was the most composed, the most locked in, we’ve been all year.”
He said the Salties had to stay composed and share the ball efficiently to avenge at five-point loss to USC on July 24, where Spiers had 16 points, going four from five beyond the arc.
However, said it was a great sign the Salties were able to beat Macky by 30, with just three points from Tad Dufelemeier, who was double teamed.
“We’ve got a very talented scoring team,” he said.
“I feel like we’ve got five guys on the court at all times who can get you a bucket of some sort.”
Spiers has also loved playing at the Croc Pot, which had built one of the most vocal and intimidating crowds in the NBL1.
“I’ve loved it,” he said.
“There’s nothing much like it around the league.”
He said the only downside so far this season had been the tyranny of distance and red eye travel.
“Travel with this team has been a bit tougher with other teams, that’s for sure,” he said.
“Taking the red eye, it’s tough on the sleep schedule.
“But at the end of the day you’ve got to find a way to get on the court and perform.”
Darwin Salties faces its ‘toughest challenge to date’ against Mackay Meteors
THE Darwin Salties can still make the NBL1 North finals even if it drops tonight’s match against Mackay Meteors as it faces its “toughest challenge to date”.
There is a logjam from 11th on the ladder, with any number of possible top eight final formations leading into the closing weekend of the regular season.
Only two wins separate the 11th-placed Rockhampton Rockets and the fourth-placed Ipswich Force.
However, the league will not release finals fixtures until Monday morning.
The sixth-placed Salties could still make the final eight even if it loses to top placed Mackay Meteors tonight, if other results fall its way.
The Salties’ finals run got rocky over the past eight games – despite knocking off second-placed Gold Coast Rollers on July 16 – going 2-6.
However, the team was boosted last night against the Rockhampton Rockets by the return of former NBA centre Nate Jawai, albeit in a three-point loss, 99-96.
Jawai, whose last game was against the Rockets on July 2 as he battled a calf injury, had 13 points and four rebounds from 17 minutes of game time at Bravus Arena.
Salties coach Matt Flinn told the NT News his charges were not wanting to be in a position where it was relying on other teams to lose.
“This is our toughest challenge to date,” Flinn said.
Flinn said at the “forefront of our mind” is to qualify for playoffs and finish as high as they can.
“While we believe it has been a success for Darwin, I can’t help feel a little empty if we don’t make finals,” he said.
The Salties will need to curb the likes of Sydney Kings guard Biwali Bayles on Saturday night, who shot 18 points in the final term last Saturday night while going 11 from 12 at the charity stripe.
The Galloway brothers, Jaylin and Kyrin, were also instrumental in their 11-point victory with 27 and 19 points respectively.
Homecoming for Territorian Freddy Webb against the Darwin Salties
IT will be a special hometown return for Freddy Webb when his Mackay Meteors take on the Darwin Salties on their home court in Marrara.
The former Ansett gun made the move to MacKay ahead of the 2021 season, and was part of the side that lifted the premiership trophy in NBL1 North.
The side is back at the top once again, holding a 12-4 record in 2022 so far.
However, with plenty of congestion in the top half of the table, no game can be taken easily.
While he isn’t racking up as many minutes as he was at the start of the season, the young point guard is learning from some of the best in the business, like NBL players Biwali Bayles and Rhys Martin.
“We’re quite a different team to last year. We’re much younger and we’ve been playing well,” Webb told the NT News.
“It’s my second year in the league and my second year around these guys has taken me to a whole new level of comfort and understanding of what’s going on.
“I haven’t been playing a ton, but I’ve really made up for it in the training and playing alongside these guys, (it) brings a whole new level of expertise.”
Webb will be hoping to embrace the occasion in the stadium he grew up playing and training in - and in front of a crowd full of people he grew up around.
The point guard, who was often an assistant coach at Ansett as well, has been one of the key figures in Darwin basketball for years.
And it’s for that reason there will be local crowd support for him.
“It’s going to be special, I already know it’s a sell out and the atmosphere is going to be great,” Webb said.
“I really just want to try and enjoy it, I’ve been in situations before where I would approach this with a very serious mentality, which is important, but I just want to enjoy this and have fun out there.
“I’ll approach this like any other game, won’t put too much pressure on myself, and I’ll see my family and friends after the game.”
The Darwin Salties have had plenty of success in their first year, currently sitting fifth, after a period of time in the top three.
And that success has brought plenty of support and popularity to the sport of basketball across the Top End - something Webb feels can only have a positive impact on local juniors.
“It makes me incredibly proud for the kids who now have that pathway, something I didn’t have growing up,” Webb said.
“I didn’t have that to look up to, I didn’t have that team of players, NBL players, NBL coaches or media. It just wasn’t a thing.
“So to have that now is super inspiring for the younger generation, who are talented, but seem to fall through the cracks in the national scheme of things.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that having this team with the players and characters it does is going to inspire a lot of young players to pursue the sport as a career.
“A lot of credit goes to (Darwin Basketball Association chief executive) Kerri Savidge and everyone at the DBA for the work they’ve put in to see this team come to life.”
Another point of interest will be that of former Mackay player and current Salties captain Jerron Jamerson.
For both men, this will be another chapter in their playing history, either as teammates or foes.
“Jerron is a good player, everyone knows that, the league knows that, but we will treat him like any other player,” Webb said.
“I’ve known him personally for six years, we’re like brothers, we fight like brothers and love like brothers.
“It’s been great for Darwin to have him. He’s very charismatic and he puts a lot of time back into the community.”
And for MacKay, the reigning premiers have plenty of firepower of their own, especially from the Galloway brothers, Jaylin and Kyrin.
“We’re a deep group, but the Galloway brothers are two of the most talented and full-of-potential players I’ve ever been around,” Webb said.
‘Nobody wants to play us here’: Salties build home fortress
HE MIGHT be arguably the Darwin Salties’ main man so far this season, but skipper Jerron Jamerson believes he has another level to access with a possible NBL1 North finals tilt looming.
It’s comforting to hear as Darwin’s form has cooled in recent weeks with a 2-4 win-loss record.
After belting second placed Gold Coast Rollers by 20 points at home in perhaps its biggest win for the year on July 16, the Salties dropped both games last weekend to Sunshine Coast Phoenix and USC Rip City, and slipped from third to fifth.
There has also been a drop in the number of double digit scoring players in a game in the second half of the season.
But Jamerson said there was no reason to panic despite this Saturday’s fixture against ladder leaders Mackay Meteors at the Croc Pot being its biggest challenge to date.
“That was one of the best wins for the club, it put the league on notice that we’re here to stay,” Jamerson said of the Rollers win.
“Just because you drop a couple of games, you don’t lose the confidence.”
The numbers show the Salties must keep winning to be any chance of securing a home final, and could fall out of the top eight if their form continues to slide.
However, on the plus side, former NBA centre Nate Jawai is expected to return soon from a calf injury while sharp shooter Josh Spiers recaptured some of his best form with 16 points against Rip City.
From beyond the arc, he landed four from five attempts.
Jamerson, who also landed 25 points and nine rebounds against USC, admitted he still had room for improvement, marking himself a seven out of 10 for output this year.
“I know there’s another level I can go to,” Jamerson said, who is ranked second at the club for average points, assists and rebounds.
“I know what it takes to get it done (in finals).
“When I get to a 10 it’ll take the team to the next level, for sure.”
However, he said the Salties need to find some consistency as they approach the pointy end of the season, and play as well on the road as they do at home.
Darwin has only dropped two games from nine home starts but lost four from seven on the road.
“Nobody in the league wants to play us here (in Darwin),” he said.
“We got to make sure we have the same intensity on the road.
“Then we’ll be fine.”
Meanwhile, Jamerson is excited about the idea of playing against his old team in Mackay on Saturday night, where he won the NBL1 North title last season.
“It was a hard leave,” he said of his decision to play for Darwin in 2022.
“If I didn’t come back to Darwin I was definitely going back to Mackay.
“It’s good to be going up against some of my friends.
“When it’s going up against your friends, you always want to go the one up.”
Those tight mates include Emmanuel Malou and former Ansett star Freddy Webb
“There’s been a bit of back and forth this season,” he said.
“With us both having really good teams.”
The Salties will be playing in a special uniform on Saturday night resembling crocodile skin which will be auctioned off. Go to app.galabid.com/darwinsalties/items for more information.
Losing Erin Bollman to a wrist injury was a huge loss says Salties skipper Chelsea Brook
WITH a bit of luck, a touch more consistency and a fit and firing Erin Bollmann, the 3-11 Darwin Salties women’s team could be challenging for playoffs right now, skipper Chelsea Brook believes.
Season 2022 has been a massive test for the 23-year-old centre with several close games lost by under 10 points (Cairns, Rockhampton and Gold Coast) and a few what-ifs left to ponder.
Brook has enjoyed a fine debut season in charge at the Croc Pot, averaging 16 points a match and nine rebounds (15th for the conference).
However, there have been some mighty blowouts along the way, too, with 32, 45, 56 and 39-point losses to Logan, Cairns, Northside and Southern Districts respectively as the Salties have dropped their past seven games to sit third-last on the NBL1 North ladder in its debut season.
Brook said their downward spiral could be linked to the loss of star US playmaker Erin Bollmann to a wrist injury, who last played on June 17.
The Salties haven’t won a game since and have dearly missed her A Grade assists — averaging nearly six per game before she went down.
“We probably lost a bit of momentum,” Brook told the NT News, who admits the team have struggled with the travelling demands of interstate play.
There will be no respite with the team on the road again this weekend for another double header.
“Erin was a huge part of our team, she was getting a ridiculous amount of assists each game,” she said.
“It was a massive blow. We had to learn a different way to play.”
She said Bollmann’s replacement, US import and point guard Lauren Heard, joining the team amid a tough Queensland triple header – copping the Northside Wizards, Spartans and Brisbane Capitals in three days – was reflective of a season with a multitude of challenges.
“She joined us that weekend and was playing the following night,” Brook said, with Heard averaging 13.66 points, 4.66 assists and 4.33 rebounds so far.
“So she was thrown straight in and had to jell with the rest of us.
“But she’s shown what a great player she is.
“She’s been a fantastic addition to our team.
“We’ve shown enough during the season that we’re good enough.
“Maybe with a bit more consistency in games we could be challenging for playoffs.”
But amid a seven-game losing streak, the centre has recaptured some of her best form.
The Adelaide Lightning player shot 29 points – at 65 per cent from the field with a trio of three-pointers from six attempts – and pulled down eight boards in a brave eight-point loss to Gold Coast on Saturday at Marrara.
Brook says with the Salties unable to make the playoffs, the shackles have come off and they’re playing with a bit more freedom.
Twice in the match the Salties reeled in relatively large deficits but were unable to do it a third time as the Rollers eventually pulled away.
The season has unearthed some positives though with the defensive game of Serena Waters and the first match of local player Claire Maree O’Bryan, who returned to the court after having a baby.
“She was only on court for about six minutes but she clearly had an impact,” she said of O’Bryan’s five-point debut.
“She really provided some energy on the court.
“Coming back from having a baby, it was a huge effort.”
Brook, who has also been impressed by Kylie Duggan’s athleticism, hopes to return to the Top End next season.
“I’ve really enjoyed living up here. It was good to see the weather cool down after a pretty hot start,” she said.
“Hopefully we can finish the year off with a few Ws.”
The Salties play Sunshine Coast Phoenix on Saturday night and USC Rip City on Sunday.
Salties coach Matt Flinn eyes the NBL1 North prize
IF THE Darwin Salties can address a glaring issue in their game, the NBL1 North title is theirs for the taking, coach Matt Flinn says.
After 11 rounds, the Salties sit third on the ladder (9-4) and above most local punters’ expectations.
While Flinn set an optimistic pre-season goal of making the top four, even he has been pleasantly surprised by their progress and prowess in 2022 so far.
With essentially everything new down at the “Croc Pot” – players, coach, system to game style – Flinn lent on his tried and true “no d*ckhead” policy, of favouring character marginally over talent, as a key ingredient for success.
“If you had of told me at the start of the year, given the fact where we started from ... I would have taken (sitting third) every day,” Flinn told the NT News.
Flinn is hopeful the Salties will soon play a complete game and wipe a team off the floor.
“We do that, nobody in this league will beat us if we do it,” he said.
“We’re yet to do it, and that’s the exciting thing.”
However, the former Illawarra boss and player is adamant his Salties are still a work in progress and there are a few issues to iron out before a likely playoff tilt.
With guard Josh Spiers out with a hip injury, and former NBA centre Nate Jawai battling a calf complaint, the overall puzzle is still missing a few pieces and Flinn is adamant they cannot challenge in finals without their input.
“We’re not even there yet, I want to stress that,” he said.
“We’re yet to ever play with a full strength side.
“We’re yet to put it all together and if we do, we’re going to be extremely hard to beat, any team in Australia.”
One fault in their system, Flinn admits, has been patchy middle sections of games.
The Salties have generally started strongly, winning the majority (10-3) of first terms, while closing out games relatively well (8-5 in final quarters).
In fact, Darwin has only dropped one game where they have led at the first break — last round against Ipswich in a heated five-point loss.
However, when it comes to winning second and third quarters their record slips to 6-7 and 5-8 respectively.
Flinn admits clubs have often made adjustments to slow their play after their first quarter blitzes.
“This comes when you’ve got a bunch of guys who are new together,” he said.
“We’re only 13 games old as a new franchise.
“Some of these (opposition) players, they’ve been together for years. We’re still figuring it out.
“Maybe it’s a system thing, maybe we need to be more disruptive defensively.
“Maybe we need a bit more trust to play some guys who have not played a lot of minutes.”
The biggest issue Flinn sees right now is execution.
Last Saturday night against the Force, he could not fault his team’s fight, but felt overall precision was lacking when it counted.
“We’re an exciting, running team,” he said.
“We’re an entertaining team ... you’re going to get your money’s worth (as a fan).
“We’ve got a pretty large menu, we try and make teams defend different actions.
“The flip side of that is it’s pretty dangerous to play that way, it can be the penthouse or the sh*thouse.”
He said the team’s execution has traditionally dropped when the pace has gone out of the game.
“At this level it’s just not good enough,” he said.
“That’s an area we’ve got to get better at.”
He said the Salties’ worst loss came in round two against Townsville Heat, outscored 29-11 in the final term to lose by 16 points.
“We certainly had a good look in the mirror,” he said.
Days after, a frustrated Flinn took his charges to the top of the grandstand at Darwin Basketball Stadium to watch a replay of the game.
“People sit in these seats and pay for these seats to watch you play,” Flinn relayed to his team.
“We should be giving their money back, giving a lead away like that.”
It’s why beating Logan the following Saturday by four points, who were early season fancies, remains a Flinn favourite of his team’s nine wins: “It set the tone for who we are ... to dig that one out”.
However, Flinn said the Salties are about to face the ultimate litmus test over the next six weeks, drawing three teams within the top four: Gold Coast Rollers, USC Rip City and last year’s premiers, Mackay Meteors.
“The next six games are really going to define us as a club,” he said.
“It’s going to be a dogfight.”
Overall, Flinn believes his focus on selecting players on character first, talent a close second, has paid off.
He passed up on some impressive names because they didn’t quite tick the box in terms of a team-first personality.
“The first thing I looked at was people first, basketball ability second,” Flinn said, while admitting he was prone to being a selfish basketballer during his playing days.
“The poor teams, the common denominator is sh*t humans.
“(They are) all about themselves, not willing to sacrifice the team before their own personal stuff.”
Matt Flinn on:
Tad Dufelmeier
AVE POINTS: 18
AVE REBOUNDS: 8.3
AVE ASSISTS: 5.3
On the court at least, the 26-year-old Adelaide 36er is the type of player that Flinn loves — an ability to bring others into the game and make them better.
Anybody who witnessed his left arm rifle shot to Ben Wright under the basket against Ipswich Force in round 11 could hardly object — one of his 15 assists for the game.
“Tad’s a freak,” Flinn said, adding the spring heeled point guard was basically his “coach on the floor”.
“That play (against Ipswich), and that ability to pass with his left and pass so quickly reminded me of (NBA player) LaMelo Ball.
“He’s a walking triple double at this level,
“There’s no reason why he can’t do it at the next level, he’s just waiting for the right opportunity.
“He lives clean, he works out every day, he’s a gym rat.”
Ben Wright
POINTS: 5.69
REBOUNDS: 3.15
ASSISTS: 0.76
One player in particular Flinn has been pleasantly surprised by is guard and Bundaberg product Ben Wright.
Flinn admits he knew little about him early on and they butted heads over his lack of professionalism.
In fact, Flinn was close to cutting him from the team before Wright turned his attitude around.
“He’s a very selfless kid, all he wants to do is win and work as hard as he can,” Flinn said.
“He doesn’t care about numbers, chases rebounds.
“I think he’s going to be a good NBL1 player, if not a development player somewhere.
“He's just one of those guys that everyone wants on your side.
“You’d go to war with him, and he’d go to war with you.”
Flinn admits he was partially at fault with their previous clashes.
“I’m pretty full on, and I’ve just come out of the NBL,” Flinn said of his early days in Darwin.
“My coaching comes from a place of care but it doesn’t mean I’m not on your arse.
“I was coming in hot.”
Makuach Maluach
POINTS: 23.38
REBOUNDS: 7.23
ASSISTS: 3.38
The South Sudanese star turned so many heads so early in his debut NBL1 season, it wasn’t long before Melbourne United had snapped him up.
And Flinn is glowing in his praise for the high flying forward, who announced himself on the NBL1 North landscape with a stunning dunk against Red City Roar in round one at the Croc Pot, where he sprinted the length of the court.
However, he said “Maka” had to work on his defensive game and be more accountable.
“His best basketball is way ahead of him,” Flinn said.
“He’s going to be on a rapid trajectory when he goes down to Melbourne.
“I don’t think we’ll see him in Australia for too long.
“He’s got NBA athleticism and he’s got NBA range with his ‘three ball’.
“He’s going to be a star, no question.”
And best of all, Maluach wants to return to the Croc Pot next dry season if he’s not picked up internationally.
“He’s indicated he wants to come back,” he said.
“He’s going to come back and we’ll continue to build this thing up here in Darwin.”
Jerron Jamerson
POINTS: 19
REBOUNDS: 7.61
ASSISTS: 3.76
Jerron Jamerson’s leadership off the floor has surprised Flinn.
The former Razzle Storm guard, who played in Mackay Meteors’ NBL1 North premiership last year, has led strongly, both on and off the court.
“He is just a great lockeroom guy,” Flinn said.
“You can’t fault his leadership, you can’t fault his winning attitude. He is just a good human as well.
“It was a no-brainer (to recruit him) because of the community side of things.
“The fans love him, he lifts the whole venue. He’s got an aura about him that people love.”
Darwin Salties star recruit Erin Bollmann out for the season with wrist injury
THE 3-9 Darwin Salties women’s team will have to draw on the off court skills of gun US recruit Erin Bollmann after she suffered a wrist injury at a local school, which eventually became season-ending.
Sitting 14th on the ladder, the Salties have struggled in recent weeks following the departure of Bollmann, enduring a nightmare triple header with 56, 39 and 13 point losses to Northern Wizards, Southern Districts Spartans and Brisbane Capitals respectively.
A reflective Bollmann told the NT News she had received a “rogue” pass during a So You Think You Can Play game against pupils, badly injuring ligaments.
She battled through the injury, believing it was improving, before attempting a fateful rebound.
“I must have partially torn it the first time,” Bollmann said.
“I went for a rebound and completely tore it.”
Eventually needing surgery and three months of recovery, Bollmann would effectively play a farewell match against Cairns Dolphins in round eight, on court for just under 15 minutes.
Bollmann, who averaged 16.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 3.5 steals from seven games in NBL1 North in 2022, will be a tough player to replace, with the Salties drafting in Texas Christian University import Lauren Heard in late June.
Now taking on an assistant coaching role with the Salties, Bollmann said the past few weeks had been “bittersweet”.
“I came out here to play,” she said.
“It’s frustrating that every other part of my body is incredibly healthy.
“And for something as small as my wrist to take me down, it kinda hurts more than if it was a knee injury or an ankle injury.
“I can lead in a different way, instead of on the court I can do it from the bench. So I’m excited about that new role.
“It’s definitely going to take my mind off the injury.”
It will be a case of back to the future for Bollmann, who initially thought her playing career was over before signing with the Salties.
Enjoying a coaching position with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G League, the switch relit the fuse of her playing career.
“I didn’t know if it was a good decision but I ended up just jumping on it and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made,” she said.
“I thought I was done.
“I thought I had moved past my playing career and into coaching.
“Even this year, I thought I was done after my injury, but I’m still thinking I want to play again.
“I love Darwin ... I would absolutely love to come back if they’ll have me.”
Facing Ipswich Force this Saturday at the “Croc Pot”, Bollman said her teammates would be emboldened by a stronger showing in their last match, a one-point loss to Rockhampton Cyclones in round 10.
“We fought harder than I’ve ever seen us fight, even when I was playing,” she said.
It also introduced Salties fans to some the best work of Bollmann’s replacement, Heard, who collected 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
“She’s a true point guard, she attacks in a transition, she’s a pretty good shooter,” she said.
“She’s been amazing.
“She was one of the biggest reasons we stayed in the game (against Rockhampton).
“I think she’s going to be a very good addition to the Salties.”
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