SACBA Week 2 - Semi Finals Results

Hey all – I am back … it is great to be back. I have an epic Semi Final report for you all. There is important info about the Grand Final BBQ and Club Lunch.

 
I am going to start with spoilers – so we can get the game times up the top of the blog.

Team	Opponent	Grade	Time
F's	East All Stars A	NE2 Grade	5.40pm
A's	Gateway A	A Grade	6.50pm
C's	Unley Park A	C Grade	8.00pm
G's	SPOC D	NE2 Reserves Grade	9.10pm

FYI:  the Grand Finals will be held at Wayville.  Re: Car Parking arrangements, for those who haven’t been there in the past 6 months or so. http://www.basketballsa.com.au/index.php?id=62&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=790&cHash=9a0e461526. Basically, there is a new car park for the Centre, closest to the railway line, which used to be a dirt car park, but it fills pretty quickly.  The old entrance to the former main car park has been closed off, now you have to enter it through boom gates near the Showground entrance, and take a parking ticket as you enter. This ticket can be validated (free of charge) in a machine on the front desk of the stadium. 

Grand Final Day BBQ: Is anyone keen in hosting the GF BBQ this year for the B’s, D’s, E’s and Lady Reds? I think we should start at 2pm this year because the first game is at 5.40pm. We will then all go to the stadium together. Let me know by tomorrow please and I will email the club the details.

Club Lunch: The 21^st Annual Old Reds Basketball Club Lunch is on Saturday October 12^th @ The Seven Stars … lock in the date. I will email you the full details next week but it is the same as always – 12.30pm for 1pm start. We will have 3 hours drinks package and a meal for around $50 per head (or you can just buy your own meal and drinks if you aren’t drinking). Do we want an NBA Auction this year?  You can start RSVPing now – I have Facebook messaged each team.  

Training: There is still training this week. Come out for our final run.

The stats are not up to date – but I will be doing them throughout the week when I get a minute so please be patient. If you are from the other A Grade teams in the league (Gateway, Knightsbridge, SPOC etc) I stopped doing your stats because I couldn’t get copies of the scoresheets.

To the reports:

A’s v B’s – Well the A’s screwed us again. They had the chance to beat Gateway last week to give the B’s the best opportunity to make it an A’s v B’s Grand Final … but they lost. So like last year, the A’s and B’s would face off in the Semi Final. Both teams would be fielding full sqauds – the B’s jumped out of the gate with Darcy making a couple of 3’s and Mike hitting one. The A’s then hit their straps as the B’s were a little out of control – Hobbs came in and made some big 3’s, Orks was scoring down low and getting to the line, Foo scored on the break and Tauny hit a short j (after being massively blocked by Lachy). A’s went in up 22-14. And then the A’s went crazy – in the first minute the B’s turned the ball over 3 times and you can’t stop the A’s when they are running – Jack, Phil and Hobbs all scored and the A’s got up 16. Mike Hill then went on an absolute tear – he hit three straight 3’s and the B’s got the lead back to 7. Phil Harford then stepped up made a couple of 3’s of his own, Tauny started scoring, Jack made a short j and FTs, Corey hit a fadeaway and it was all over. A’s won 51-33 and made it to their 9^th straight Grand Final. A’s – Phil and Hobbs 10, Orks 9, Tauny 8 and Jack 7, B’s – Mike 14, Lachy 7 and Darcy 6.

Well done to my B’s – I came in with a game plan – probably the wrong one in hindsight and didn’t play to our strengths. Last year it took us to awaken the sleeping giant and again this year it took the B's to awaken the A's. We had an incredible season again – to knock out Saints for the second year in a row was so impressive. We played as a team and it was a joy to rock up every Saturday and play with you guys and hang out with you. Just want to give a huge shout out to Mike who has become a great leader – if I remember anything about this team it will be watching Mike grow into not only an all-round great player but a great leader both on and off the court.

So I am going to soapbox now about the mighty A’s – please have a read. The other game reports are below. 

 

When the A’s won their first A Grade title in 2007 after losing 3 in a row I was so ecstatic. Then we won back to back and I couldn’t believe it. Then we got a 3 peat and I thought that was it –we had done it all. Then we jagged the 4^th in a row and it was the sweetest one of all after the best win in the club’s history (in my opinion) in the semi against Saints (Purge will be reliving the game this week on his blog). And then last year we got our 5^th in a row … 5 in a row. Every team has been different, every team has been special in its own way, every team had its own identity and leaders. This weekend the A’s enter their 9^th straight Grand Final and go for their 6^thin a row.

 
Some of the guys in the A’s haven’t been in the club for that long – so I want them to see what came before them. Even though most of them didn’t play in the team at the start of this incredible run … I want them to see that they are part of something special, that they are part of something that is bigger than them. I have been happy with every title … and at the start of every year I think it would be nice to win another one but I am happy with the others we have … and then every Grand Final week – I forget about “nice” and I want that next one … I want it for the boys in the team – I want it for Liam so he can get his 6^th, I want it for Jack so he can get his 5^th, I want it for Phil and Hobbs so they can start to establish their own legacy and show that they are in the best players to ever put on an Old Reds jersey, I want it for Orks and Foo who have served their time in the B’s and showed that they are in the best 8 players in the club, I want it for Corey so he can make his mark on his adopted club and for Tauny who had unenviable shoes to fill. I want it for Goody, Big A, Madman and Mike who unselfishly gave up their spots in the A’s for the betterment of the club – they put something bigger than them ahead of their own wants. I want it for me and Sime and Lenny and Sean – guys who have given so much to this club … and we want more. And most of all I guess I want it for Purge and Stu – guys who had unfortunate injuries that ended their runs.

Winning this 6^th title is more than just the 8 guys who will play Saturday – it is about all the dudes that have been before them – the Dan Garretts and James Jones and Chris Donaldsons and Sean Heylens and Chris Manns.   

This isn’t about pressure or expectation – it is about an opportunity, an opportunity that may never come around again. The A’s played with a fire, a hunger and a togetherness on Saturday – they have always had talent but that last piece of team work came out on Saturday. It is an opportunity to do something special for all of the Old Reds Basketball Club and for your teammates.

Below is each of the 5 Premiership teams and this years team.

2008 – 1^st win – Finals Opponent – Beaumont A.

Purge’s first year and he bought a winning spirit, Stu was at his best, Blair was incredible, Goody and Big A were the best 2 big men in the league, Brownie was the X Factor and Madman was the selfless role player. This is my favourite A’s team ever.

Player	Games	Points	Pts Avg
Blair	17	310	18.2
MacDonald	19	201	10.6
Golding L.	17	134	7.9
Purgacz	20	100	5.0
Brown	14	94	6.7
Williams A.	20	67	3.4
Good	15	62	4.1
Williams M.	18	38	2.1
Eley	1	14	14.0
Griffiths	2	6	3.0
Yates	2	2	1.0
Orken	2	2	1.0
Jury	1	1	1.0
Harford	1	0	0.0
Collins	1	0	0.0
Totals	22	1031	46.9
	Opposition	805	36.6
	Total	Streak
Wins	17	6
Loss	4	1
Draw	1	1

2009 – 2^nd win – Final Opponent – Beaumont A.

The only real change was this was Jack’s first season. This team was not as dominant but they still got the job done. This was the final of 49 fouls – Liam made a huge 3 in the GF. This was Blair’s last season with the club.

Player	Games	Points	Pts Avg
Blair	15	283	18.9
Golding L.	18	192	10.7
MacDonald	18	189	10.5
Good	16	92	5.8
Purgacz	16	78	4.9
Harford	12	76	6.3
Williams M.	18	36	2.0
Williams A.	19	33	1.7
Darsow	1	20	20.0
Eley	1	9	9.0
Motteram	1	2	2.0
Jury	2	0	0.0
Graham	1	0	0.0
Totals	19	1010	53.2
	Opposition	752	39.6
	Total	Streak
Wins	14	4
Loss	4	1
Draw	1	1

2010 – 3^rd win – Finals Opponent – Saints A.

If 2008 was my favourite team, I think this is the best team ever. Blair left the team, Darsow came back and had some huge games. Dave Bowley came in, Mike Hill joined the team. With Blair out the scoring load was spread around, but this team was brutal defensively and then they would just roll over the top.

Player	Games	Points	Pts Avg
Darsow	15	190	12.7
Harford	17	175	10.3
Bowley	11	141	12.8
Hill M.	18	113	6.3
Golding L.	14	92	6.6
Good	17	90	5.3
MacDonald	14	84	6.0
Purgacz	15	62	4.1
Williams A.	15	23	1.5
Orken	1	16	16.0
Eley	1	13	13.0
Williams M.	1	0	0.0
Totals	19	999	52.6
	Opposition	678	35.7
	Total	Streak
Wins	16	8
Draws	0	0
Loss	3	1

2011 – 4^th win – Finals Opponent – Saints A.

The team’s offense was less potent - caused in no small part to their leading scorer Stu blowing out his knee. After this the team’s identity shifted a little and they became a defensive force and ground out wins. Mike established himself as a scorer – and everyone chipped in. They really only had 6 players and Leo and Darsow helped out when Stu went down.  

Player	Games	Points	Pts Avg
Hill M.	18	189	10.5
Harford J.	15	149	9.9
Golding L.	15	128	8.5
Good	16	95	5.9
MacDonald	7	80	11.4
Purgacz	15	71	4.7
Borges	7	41	5.9
Williams A.	16	19	1.2
Darsow	6	15	2.5
Palk	2	5	2.5
Campbell	1	2	2.0
Altmann	1	2	2.0
Lunn	1	0	0.0
Late Player		7
Totals	18	803	44.6
	Opposition	628	34.9
	Total	Streak
Wins	14	5
Loss	4	2

2012 – 5^th Win – Finals Opponent – Knightsbridge A.

You can see over the years how the team has changed ever so slightly every year – we always keep the core and then make small changes – Liam, Purge, A and Goody have been involved in all 5, Jack 4, then Mike came in … and then this season Hobbs and Phil came in. Hobbs and Phil were the team’s 2 leading scorers. Again the scoring was down but they were such a strong defensive team. The final was a scrappy affair against a feisty Knightsbridge team.

Player	Games	Points	Pts Avg
Hobbs	17	184	10.8
Golding L.	18	135	7.5
Good	19	124	6.5
Harford P.	13	105	8.1
Harford J.	16	103	6.4
Hill M.	14	98	7.0
Purgacz	16	56	3.5
Williams A.	19	9	0.5
Late Player		2
Totals	19	816	42.9
	Opposition	656	34.5
	Total	Streak
Wins	14	4
Draws	1	1
Loss	4	2

2013 – Finals Opponent – Gateway A.

And this year’s team – this was the team with the most change – 3 new players came in – Orks, Corey and Foo came in (replacing Mike, A and Goody) and then when Purge went down for the season it was a massive loss. They missed his toughness and his win at all costs attitude as well as losing one of their only 2 veteran leaders. It took them at least 2 months to recover to establish their own identity – it has been a funny year – with the team having a different line up. Slowly but surely they have come into their own – they have learnt how to work together – lead by Jack and Liam – they have bonded – playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder – it’s great to see. As I said, it took the B’s to awaken the sleeping giant.   

Player	Games	Points	Pts Avg
Josh Orken	12	131	10.9
Jack Harford	15	128	8.5
Phil Harford	12	118	9.8
Tom Hobbs	12	88	7.3
Jon Foo	11	82	7.5
Liam Golding	12	71	5.9
Corey Gaard	10	67	6.7
Tauny Schmidt	8	27	3.4
Tim Purgacz	3	15	5.0
Andrew Williams	1	2	2.0
Total	15	729	42.9
		495	33.0
	Total	Streak
Wins	14	6
Loss	4	1

E’s v Dunn A – Written by Diamond - The Es have not beaten Dunn all year, however with good reason we went into the game confident after only losing narrowly with a depleted team when we last met. Dunn were strong (and pretty cheap) all over the floor, but with Bubner typically dismissive of the fact two or three people were standing between him and the basket, we were well and truly in the game at the break. With both teams a little older than prime playing age, the game got scrappy in the second half. Dunn controlled the paint with at times questionable defensive tactics and we struggled valiantly, but never found a comfortable offensive rhythm. Ultimately, shooting was the difference and we were hurt by Dunn’s ability to score from beyond the arc despite our respectable (by the standard of the Es) foul shooting at 4 of 13.
 G’s v SPOC E – Written by Hitman - For the fourth time in five weeks, G-Force faced a team from SPOC, this time the ‘E’ version.  Looking to put last week’s disappointment behind them, G-Force resolved to play tight D, dominate the boards, and run the five-man opposition off the court.  The early going saw G-Force do the initial scoring to take a narrow lead, but the SPOC team continued to make baskets under pressure to keep in touch.  However, G-Force grabbed the majority of SPOC’s misses to trigger their running game with Reid cashing in, and when forced to play in the half-court, Sam was a dominant force inside.  At half-time they lead 18-15.  The second half, however, started poorly, conceding too many offensive rebounds and the sheer weight of possession finally told, allowing SPOC to take the lead by a point.  Regrouping after a time-out, greater vigor on the boards again unleashed G-Force’s running game, and coupled with better ball movement when in their half-court offence, the lead was quickly returned to G-Force and the margin slowly crept upwards.  Brendan stepped up to hit a couple of threes to put the game out of reach.  The final minutes saw desperate fouling from SPOC and repeated trips to the free throw line by G-Force, who added their final six points from the stripe to win 40-28.  Brendan finished with 14 points, Sam and Reid tallied 11 apiece.  Thanks to Ben for coaching, Mike for scoring, and the other Old Reds in attendance for their support.

Lady Reds v Adelaide A – The Lady Reds have come a long way this season and to see them fight so valiantly against the excellent Adelaide squad was impressive. The girls jumped out the gate with Jordy going nuts – as she go to the basket time and time again. Adelaide play physical and were able to get to the line for 16 FTs in the first half. Tracy hit a long j and Jordy hit a 3 and the Reds were down 16-14 at halftime. The 2^nd half was a grind – the girls were getting to the line – Jordy was 0 of 6 and Georgie was 4 of 6 but Adelaide scored at all the key times. Loz hit a big 3 and had a 3 to get it to one point with a minute to go but missed. Adelaide were down to 4 players but again made a clutch basket to get the lead to 6 and it was all over. Lost 32-26. Jordy had 14 and Georgie 7.    

Another great season for the girls – it has been great to have Loz, Wans and Emma join the team. It was a tough season with Jordy, Wans and Megan missing big chunks of the season. We showed so much fight and 2 greats wins against the 2 top teams showed that we are in with a shot for the title next year. Well done girls.

See you all Saturday – Palky