Salties Central: Chelsea Brook joins Erin Bollmann on injury list but the co-captains could make quick return
The Salties have a fair reason to explain their recent drop in form with two of their most important players missing.
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Darwin Salties women’s side has copped another injury blow late in the season, with co-captain Chelsea Brook joining her fellow skipper Erin Bollmann on the injury list.
The 24-year-old forward, who represents Adelaide Lightning in the WNBL, copped a high ankle sprain early in the second quarter in Friday night’s encounter against Red City at the Paul Bancroft Centre.
The incident ruled Brook out for the following two games on the next two days of the Queensland road trip where the Salties copped their third-straight loss.
In positive news, however, it is understood Brook alongside Bollmann could return for this Saturday’s important final home-and-away game of the season against Sunshine Coast.
Their returns for the must-win game will depend on results they receive on Thursday from “precautionary scans”.
It would be a huge addition to the side to get back the pair, who are in the Salties’ top two for points scored per game and rebounds per game.
Brook and Bollmann both sat out of training on Tuesday.
American import Bollmann would make a four-week recovery from a broken pinky finger if she was to return to play this Saturday at the Croc Pot.
Claire-Maree Hunt will take the reigns as captain if the pair miss the clash this weekend.
Salties Central: Makuach Maluach the key in do-or-die triple-header round
It is a do-or-die triple header for the Darwin Salties this week with two wins required from the three matches to keep their season alive.
The Salties are in seventh position on the ladder with an 8-7 record but it will be vital they keep winning to remain in the top eight as three teams sitting between sixth and ninth are also on eight wins and four teams from 10th to 13th on seven.
While they should walkover bottom-placed Red City on Friday evening, the Salties will need to back it up against third-placed Ipswich on Saturday or second-placed Logan on Sunday to get the two wins from the road trip.
The Salties last game of the season will be against eighth-placed Sunshine Coast at the Croc Pot next Saturday.
Away games have been tough for the Salties this season with one win coming from seven matches.
But with centre Nathan Jawai expected to be available for more minutes as he returns from injury and the season being on the line in these encounters, the Salties could spark their away form.
Salties coach Matt Flinn said they are treating the remaining games as playoffs.
“We are taking this three-game road trip with the mind set that the playoffs have already started for us, because realistically they have,” Flinn said.
“The ladder between fourth and 12th is so tight that each game needs to be played with that mentality.
“We also view these games against Ipswich and Logan as great importance as they are both top three teams and to be truthful if you want to win the competition- you are going to have to beat those type of teams anyway away from home.
“So from that perspective – there really is no pressure on us, we just want to play our best basketball, play freely at this time and represent the Territory proud.”
Salties co-captain Makuach Maluach has been the biggest driver on the road with five double-doubles coming from the seven away games, including a big 32 points and 11 rebounds in their only road win back in Round 5 against Townsville.
The 2022 NBL1 dunk of the year winner has scored more than 25 points in five of this season’s road matches, featuring a season-high 40 points against Gold Coast in Round 11.
The 25-year-old produced another spectacular dunk last week against Northside to help steer the Salties over the line.
Makuach Maluach with the thunderous DUNK 😳
— NBL1 (@NBL1) June 24, 2023
Watch #NBL1North via https://t.co/NEk1I7kIKG or the NBL1 App 💻 & 📲 pic.twitter.com/gtFDZ2QyNA
Speaking after last week’s win over Northside, Maluach commended his teammates when asked about his own impressive form this season.
“With my teammates like Sean, Jerron and all the players, they understand my hot spots and they just try and find me and I do my best to score the ball,”
“So all the credit has got to go to all of them.”
Maluach is leading the Salties side for points with 23 per game and rebounds with nine per game.
The newly signed Sydney King’s basketballer was positive about how the Salties could finish the season.
“The sky’s the limit,” he said about his team’s potential.
“We are very talented, we are a really good team.
“We can obviously win at home, in terms of on the road, we got to try and play with the same mindset and try and get wins on the board.”
Maluach has been with the Salties since their inaugural campaign last year and said he “loves it” in the Top End.
Salties women’s co-captain Erin Bollmann ruled out of road trip
Salties women’s co-captain Erin Bollmann won’t join the team for the crucial triple-header in Queensland this week and the American import could also miss the last game of the season.
The 29-year-old, who leads her side’s key statistics, remains on the sidelines as she continues to recover from a broken finger she suffered nearly three weeks ago against Gold Coast on June 9.
There was a glimmer of hope Bollmann could have recovered in time for the triple-header this week although it was confirmed Thursday morning she would not make the trip.
Salties women’s coach Rod Tremlett said Bollmann could “potentially” return for the last game of the season against Sunshine Coast.
“Potentially or it may not be until finals, we will just have to wait and see how it continues to heal,” Tremlett said.
The third-placed Salties are striving for a big finish to the regular season to sew up a top four spot and home playoff at the Croc Pot where they have lost one game out of eight this season.
Bollmann has been the star of the side this campaign with the point guard leading the team in points (17.92 per game), rebounds (8.83 per game), assists 7.33 per game) and blocks (1.08 per game).
But impressively, the Salties were able to score a big win over ladder leaders Northside last Saturday without Bollmann in the side.
The Salties will take on Red City, Ipswich and Logan all in less than two and a half days on the road trip this week beginning on Friday night.
In the women’s NBL1 North competition, Red City sit in bottom position (16th) heading into the round while Ipswich is 13th and Logan is in second.
In the men’s competition, a seventh-placed Salties side will take on bottom-placed Red City on Friday night before facing third-placed Ipswich and second-placed Logan on the following two days.
The Salties men’s side have three other sides who also sit on eight wins while four teams below them sit on seven wins.
In the final four games of the season, three wins should firm up a finals spot while two wins could have the NT side relying on other results to fall their way.
The 6-1 home records holding Salties in good stead
A fresh Darwin Salties side will target a win over Northside to keep its finals hopes alive at the Croc Pot on Saturday night.
The Salties sit just inside the top eight but the two teams behind them, including Saturday night’s opponent's ninth-placed Wizards, are on the same amount of wins as them with seven.
The blockbuster clash will have an elimination final feel to it as the Salties last five games of the home and away season include top three sides Ipswich and Logan.
It seems a minimum of three wins will be required from the final five games to make finals.
Coming off a 12-day break after an excruciating triple-header where three loses were handed down, it is expected the Salties will bounce back with the win at the Croc Pot where have held a strong record.
At home this season, the Salties have dominated, winning six out of seven matches by an average winning margin of 15.5 points.
Their biggest win came by 26 point against the Brisbane Capitals on May 6 and smallest win against Townsville Heat by eight points on June 3.
The Heat win was the only one that has come by less than 10 points at home.
On the road, the Salties have lost six out of seven games.
The Salties women’s side will have a big test in front of them as they host ladder leaders Northside to maintain a spot in the top four.
A win would be a massive result for the Salties as the Wizards have only dropped one game this season from 14 encounters.
It would heighten chances of a home final for the 10-4 Salties as well who have dropped just one game out of seven at the Croc Pot.
The Salties will be without co-captain Erin Bollmann who is on the mend from a broken finger.
Bollmann broken finger ‘already starting to heal well’ with eye for triple-header return
Darwin Salties superstar Erin Bollmann is expected to miss up to three weeks after breaking the pinky in her right hand during last week’s triple-header.
Early in the third quarter against Gold Coast, a pass deflected and cleanly broke the point guard’s little finger although without knowing the fact at the time, she got her finger taped and continued playing the rest of the game on Friday night.
A scan the following morning revealed a broken finger but the good news is, the 29-year-old’s little finger is “already starting to heal well” one week after the incident.
“It is already starting to heal well which is encouraging,” Salties women’s coach Rod Tremlett said on Friday morning.
“We expect to have her back if not for the triple-header, certainly for the last game of the season against Sunshine Coast.”
With Bollmann’s finger not needing surgery, the American import could make a return for the Salties second triple-header of the season if a successful recovery is made in three weeks.
But as the first of game of the triple-header will be exactly three weeks after Bollmann’s injury, she is likely to be in a race against the clock to make it in time for the crucial road trip which could decide the club’s chances of a home NBL1 North final.
Bollmann has been the club’s standout player this season with the co-captain leading the Salties’ key stats including points (17.92 per game), rebounds (8.83 per game), assists 7.33 per game) and blocks (1.08 per game).
The fan favourite played every game this season (12) up until her injury which happened late in the game last Friday.
If Bollmann is to make it in time for the road trip on June 30, it will be one game the import will miss as the Salties have this week off before a home game next week and then the triple-header.
Bollmann, who was disappointed to suffer the injury, said she was ‘so proud’ of how her team played in the last two games of the triple-header which she viewed from the bench.
“I felt my team did a really good job of fighting and playing really hard,” Bollmann said.
“Unfortunately we lost some pretty close games but it’s good to see that this team can do some amazing things.”
The Salties won their Friday night encounter by four points against Gold Coast before going down by eight points to South West Metro on Saturday.
The last match of the road trip saw a stunning comeback from the Salties who came from 22-points down to nearly win before North Gold Coast managed to send the game to overtime and then win by a point.
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