Neeld excited by new era taking shape with lists at the Supercats

GEELONG United basketball chief Mark Neeld is calling it a “new era”.

The Supercats will be guided by two new coaches after the appointments last year of Justin Schueller and Matthew Paton for the next three seasons.

Schueller will lead the men and Paton will be in charge of the women.

The men’s squad is finalised and the finishing touches are being put to the women’s list with the announcement that Australian representative Stephanie Blicavs had signed.

“Matthew was appointed later in the calendar year than Justin, so we haven’t finalised the women’s roster yet, but we are really excited by the quality of marquee players who are contacting Supercats wishing to be involved,” Neeld said.

“We’re also extremely excited by … depth of local Geelong talent that Matthew and Justin will work with over their three-year tenures.

“We have an ambition to provide the opportunity for Geelong-based basketballers to hopefully represent the Supercats and the Geelong basketball region in NBL1.

“Both our new coaches will have an impact in developing pathways.”

Schueller arrives with experience as an assistant at Melbourne United, which he will continue in, and has served as head coach of Australia’s under-17 side.

Paton’s previous role was at the Centre of Excellence as an assistant women’s coach.

“If you can make certain that the senior players are enjoying what they do, they feel challenged and they feel as if they’re being developed, that is I suppose the core of a program,” Neeld said.

“If we can be as good as we possibly can in those areas, team success comes. What we want is for each one of the players to feel like they belong, they enjoy it, they’re being challenged and the team results will come.

“We’re at the start of what will be a new era — two new coaches, both committed for a minimum period of three years, and they’ll be able to put their own stamps on the style of play they want.

“There’s a fair bit of commonality with a core group of players — both men and women staying — so there is a good culture to build on.

“The teams and players will be looking to build on the culture and everything that is being learnt in previous seasons to hopefully attack 2020 as strongly as they can.”

The lists will have 15 players to juggle the 22-game season.

“We’re dealing with two coaches that their full-time profession is basketball,” Neeld said.

“Their coaching at the highest level you can in the country, which I think is wonderful.

“They’ve come through their own development pathway. They’ve come from grassroots basketball all the way through and that’s terrific.

“You can see they’ll connect with all parts of the basketball pathway.”