We’re going nowhere, vow Stingrays

CORIO Bay has requested to remain in Big V’s top men’s division next season, despite winning just four games this year.

The State Championship club turned to experienced Stingray Michael Rebula for his opinion on whether the club needed to take a step down to Division 1, but ultimately decided to remain in the top flight.

Big V holds the power to drop the Stingrays down the grades, but that remains unlikely, as Whittlesea finished below Corio Bay on the State Championship table this season.

Stingrays president Cara Spangaro said the decision was made with the club’s long-term sustainability in mind.

“We’ve got some key players who are involved in our association and we feel that’s the best place for them to play and also the best place to attract imports,” she said.

“It was a number of weeks of conversation because there are a lot of things that come into it.

“We took into consider- ation where our juniors play at. We have over 20 under-20s playing in VJBL next season, so our numbers coming through are quite substantial.

“We just decided it was the best thing for the club to stay in State Champ men.”

The club will advertise for a new senior coach next week, with Tim O’Leary to take a step back in his commitment. He will remain the Youth League men’s coach as well as the club’s junior coaching director, and will play a part in deciding on his successor.

The club will also target an import for next season, with Quentin Walker to take up the club’s second import spot.

“We feel like this next 12 months will be our rebuild,” she said. “But we also feel like we’ll have some good success on the court.”