Hoops

New Big V club 'Oakleigh Warriors'?

To clarify, I haven't seen Kaban play so the over rated import comment is not directed at him.

Few over rated imports in the Div 2 mens comp, but at least it is watchable unlike Div 2 womens comp, it really is a terrible standard.

Been a while.

Some quick answers to post above.

We played that game against Keysie and we then played the BIG V tournament and have been playing MMBL since, as asked by the BIG V.

Since other clubs are in the middle of their BIG V season, I don't think anybody would be interested in exhibition games while "in-season". If they are they should contact the club.

Not sure either that McKinnon would be interested due to their politics, hopefully that will happen in a BIG V season in near future. It would certainly draw a bumper crowd.

lol, some of the crap that gets put onto forums is very amusing.

Also amazing how this thread just keeps on going. No I'm not Bob Mann though I get plenty of info from him. I don't need to be that bald or fat at my age (no disrespect to Bob). I simply read the initial post and responded to a request with info about the club.

To Anoynomous, to me that proposal you are putting forward is simply stupid. Simple question would all other clubs have that restriction to their tryouts?
If not, then how can clubs compete on a level playing field when some clubs have no restrictions while other clubs do?

If you think this is "fair" then our understanding of that word is vastly different.

Not really an issue at our end anyway, as I said previously, players are being drawn from both junior ranks and open age comps conducted by Oakleigh, but the club will no doubt hold tryouts if accepted into BIG V, which is their main focus first and foremost.

We will cross the bridge of tryouts and new players then, at which time I am pretty sure Bob will want to have a pretty settled squad by then.

A laughable comment about Tom Burns and Nick Richards. Both now playing happily at Chelsea, doubt either would think about going to Oakleigh and they certainly haven't spoken to anybody at the club about it. For heavens sake the club hasn't even been accepted into the BIG V yet

As for the gimp who put "well poached". Pretty cheap shot, have the guts to name one player that you believe has been poached. Be even more gutsy and name the club you are involved with.

All our players have been developed from local ranks or rejected by other clubs and have come to Oakleigh looking for another shot.

At the same time we have certainly lost players to other clubs in dubious circumstances.

Be back in a week, to provide any more feedback if required.

To Anonymous on reply #411131, has any other club in BIG V ever had to endure such a condition. That so silly it's hard to believe you are even posting it.

If we conduct tryouts which will happen (like every other club will) and a player comes to us who isn't getting minutes at his current club and is looking for an opportunity elsewhere to further his basketball, you would seriously want that player denied that chance through us?

Or even a major player not happy with his current arrangement lobbed in on our tryouts and wanted a game, you are seriously saying we shouldn't be able to look at him for our roster?

If your club had to sign such a condition what would it say?

All a little silly.

To "The Truth", I don't spend my entire life on forums, just come back to them every week or every second week.

However, what a silly comment about poaching players.

(1) As though it doesn't happen already
(2) As Anonymous said Reply #409634 reread my
previous posts, it was pretty clear on why
we entered with such a young squad.
(3) We have plenty of older/more experienced
players set to play, some with previous BIG V
experience, some from their domestic open age
comps and none currently playing BIG V.
(4)If/When accepted and we hold tryouts and
players from other clubs come knocking on our
door because they are not happy at current
clubs, do you expect them to turn them away.
Players only leave clubs if they are looking
for greener pastures. If they are happy they
wont go. If there wasa no poaching criteria in
BIG V, there would be no BIG V. Happens every
season.

While we struggled in the tournament, the addition of more experienced players and bigger bodies will change things dramatically for us. One thing we did note was that the standard of Div 2 men's wasn't what it was even only a few seasons ago judging by what we saw.

Finally a number of our older players had all bought tickets to future for that long weekend and weren't available, that saw seven players who would normally play unavailable. A fair chunk out of any team.

There is also some murmurings of an import. Will have to wait and see on that one.

Yes was a battle, but as posted earlier, most of the side they would have liked field in this tournament were away and they were forced to play pretty much their U18 squad and nealy all of them were bottom age so turning 16 this year.

So Boys versus Men really and the results showed.

Had competitive efforts against Keillor and Coburg but really struggled against Casey and Hawthorn youth who pressed them throughout the match and the Oakleigh Guards just gave up the ball.

Had to play the tournament though to be considered for 2014, though they didn't really want to as they knew a lot of their squad would be unavailable over the weekend.

Hope that isn't held against them for their submission for 2014 as that would be a little ridiculous, considering only two and possibly three of this squad would go on to play for them at BIG V level in 2014.

Nice to see some support for the Oakleigh Warriors and Bob Mann.

However I feel the need to dampen expectations. In the game against Keysie, the Warriors had rings in to help their young squad in Ivan Platenik from Waverley and Shawn King and Darren best from Chelsea.

Those three were simply doing Bob a favour in suiting up. They are not committed to the Warriors for the next twelve months as said in a previous post. Would be nice if they were.

While entered in the BIG V tournament, the Warriors will be going in with an extremely young squad, as their older players all have other commitments over the long weekend. They are playing in the tournament apparently as they have been told this is one of the things they need to do to gain entry into BIG V. That and play in the MMBL.

Strange criteria, but you do what you have to. They will play in the tournament but the team will bear little resemblance to the team that they will enter ultimately into the BIG V.

Bob's intentions are to mix a talented young squad with some more experienced bodies and minds to build a competitive squad as he did in his years at McKinnon. So don't expect a lot form the boys this weekend, they will certainly compete hard but will probably struggle against older and stronger teams.

Anybody looking for a game should contact Bob his details are on their website at www.warriorsbasketball.org

One thing I do agree with posters above it will be great to see Bob Mann treading the boards again.

BTW who are the people from McKinnon involved in running the BIG V? If that's the case they should not be involved in assessing the Oakleigh application, it should be judged on it's merits alone.

Dont get on here too often but after post above I thought I would go straight the horses mouth and hunted down Bob for his version of events. He is always up for a talk about bball.

Oakleigh used to be known as Wolves, but the new exec chose to go with the Warriors, as all their kids who were going to play rep had warrior uniforms already.

When Bob and his crew went to the AGM nobody turned up so they were elected, there was no coup, in fact quite the opposite had Bob and his supporters not dropped in for the AGM, Oakleigh would have folded. Since then it has gone from strength to strength.

In three years they have gone fron 40 members to 850, from four rep teams to 18, have had teams qualify for VC already and have more set to do so, have secured GESAC and yes they beat Keysie by 2 points in front of a packed house of 300 people.

BIG V where are you you should be knocking on their door to replace Horsham, great venue, competitive team, great passionate supporters and a great junior program thats is just getting better. Put them in!!!!

To champ - Not sure if bringing a club back from the dead and getting them to play top level basketball is disrespecting it's past, rather than securing it's future. Do you know Bob? he is a champion bloke in my opinion who has worked miracles at two clubs now. He didn't hesitate to answer my questions.

Out of curiosity whats your beef with him?

Sorry that should have read a 2014 submission.

A few facts.

The Oakleigh Warriors have its history going back to 1995 and won't be changing the name, we are kind of attached to it.

We have plenty of juniors. In fact we have a bigger and better junior base than many current BIG V clubs. We have produced two VC teams in past 2 years, will produce another one this year and are aiming for at least three next year.

Since moving into GESAC their membership numbers have exploded with growth of 600%

They are not paying anybody and building their squad around their youth and some locals. They will enter the BIG tourney in 2013 and prepare through the MMBL for a 2012 submission.

We are club definetly on the move, that once in will develop into a force in the BIG V. Should have been granted entry this year IMO. A years more preperation won't hurt.

Being built from the ground up by Bob Mann and his coaching staff, it will be exciting when it happens.

I am not too sure in regards to the details of how the merge with D League and Big V stands. but in the latest Big V Silly Season they mentioned new clubs are only accepted at the AGM.

They could be a new club but they are only voted in at the AGM which happens in November sometime.