FNQ talent to defend crown
Apunipima All Stars coach Joel Khalu believes Australia have put together the most talented line-up in the history of the trans-Tasman basketball series to be played in Cairns next month. The Australians claimed the title across the ditch last year and will be looking to retain the crown in the Far North, starting on Tuesday, December 5 at Cairns Basketball.
APUNIPIMA All Stars coach Joel Khalu believes Australia have put together the most talented line-up in the history of the trans-Tasman basketball series to be played in Cairns next month.
The Australians claimed the title across the ditch last year and will be looking to retain the crown in the Far North, starting on Tuesday, December 5 at Cairns Basketball.
The Apunipima Australian Indigenous Basketball All Stars last week announced their 15-man squad that will face the New Zealand Maori National Team.
The team is stacked with Far North talent, as former Taipans Deba George and Kerry Williams join Aaron Bin Tahal, Curt Ahwang, Jacob Pilot, Jakobe Hunter, Joel Matysek and Marshall Ware in the team.
Tyson Demos, Gold Coast Blaze and Illawarra Hawks, and the Cedar brothers, Christopher and Michael (Townsville Crocodiles) will all add firepower to the squad.
“On paper, this could quite possibly be the most talented line-up we’ve ever had going into a trans-Tasman series,” Khalu said.
“We’re all aware that talent doesn’t always translate into success though, and we’ll be making sure that we’re doing all the things we need to preparation-wise, to put ourselves in a position to be successful.
“After defending our 2015 title in New Zealand last year, the goal is to make sure we can reclaim the silverware, especially playing the 2017 series with home-court advantage in Australia.
“That’s certainly not going to be easy. The New Zealand Maori side are always athletic, strong, well-coached and play extremely hard. We’ll have to be 100 per cent ready or we could quite easily find ourselves at the end of a threegame series whitewash.”
The fourth Annual transTasman Basketball Clash consists of a three-game series that will be played over consecutive nights at host venue, Cairns Basketball.
In conjunction with the men, a women’s series between the two representative sides will also be played for the very first time.
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