Hobart wary of Gunners
WHAT might appear a lopsided SEABL affair on paper tonight is shaping up very much as a danger game for Hobart, coach Anthony Stewart warns.
The Chargers (12-7) host East Conference cellar dweller Canberra (3-16) at the DEC, where the hosts boast an 8-1 record in 2017.
However, without his leading scorer and the unlikely availability of Tom Garlepp, Stewart is on high alert over what the visitors can produce.
Only a fortnight ago the Gunners shot down defending champion Bendigo, and with two wins from their past four matches they are looming as a serious threat to breach Hobart’s fortress.
Reducing the Chargers’ firepower even further will be the absence of Mathiang Muo, who is in China with the Sydney Kings Invitational squad.
And with Garlepp’s second child arriving earlier in the week — he could yet be a lastminute inclusion — Stewart is bracing for the reality that he will be without two of his leading scorers.
However, despite the potential double blow, he is confident he has the cattle to fill the void.
“I think we are fortunate we have got a lot of good players who haven’t been getting the minutes they deserve,” Stewart said.
“No. 1 there is BJ Radcliffe, he has demanded more minutes, and Tiri [Masunda] off the bench as well. Then there is ‘Browny’ [Cam Brown] and ‘Youngy’ [ Matthew Young] all wanting minutes.
“It is a great opportunity for them.
“It will give us an opportunity to watch them and gauge who should be playing in playoffs.
“They [Canberra] have some good ex-NBL players playing, we will have to play really well to win.”
After losing four-consecutive matches on the road, the Chargers finally tasted success away from Hobart by defeating the North West Thunder in Ulverstone last Saturday.
Home-court playoff advantage is firmly in the side’s own hands, but with a pair of matches still to come against powerhouse Mt Gambier — which has lost just twice all season — banking victories against outfits such as Canberra is non-negotiable.
“It was pleasing to get a win on the road obviously but we just have to string some wins together more importantly heading into finals,” Stewart said. “Certain individuals lifted, Chris [Whitehead] in particular was really good at both ends of the floor.
“If he is playing well we are pretty tough to stop as it opens up the game for Rob [Heyer] and Muo to knock down shots, which is when we have been at our best.”
Tip-off is at 8pm.