By George, United is hungry to flick switch
Geelong United men have started the NBL1 season with a 2-5 record and have another tough double-header this weekend, hosting Sandringham at home on Saturday night before a road game against Ringwood on Sunday.
Returning to the team this year following a stint in Serbia, George Blagojevic is confident Geelong United can turn the momentum back in their favour with just one win. “We’ve gotta try and come together and get that win where we can then build on certain things,” Blagojevic said.
“We’ve got a few new players (this year) and still trying to get some cohesion to really bring it all together.”
Blagojevic is averaging 16.75 points and nine rebounds per game since returning to the squad, missing the first three games of the season through injury.
“I had to come back from Serbia a little bit early, due to swelling in my knee. I got that sorted out, but I had to have a few weeks off before I could come back (to play for Geelong),” he said.
While the ultimate goal at the end of 2023 was to make another NBL roster, Blagojevic is grateful for the time he got to spend playing in his family’s homeland of Serbia.
“A couple of things didn’t work out my way to get back into the NBL,” he said.
“Luckily enough I got an opportunity to play in Serbia. I’ve always wanted to play there. When the opportunity came up, I took it with both hands and had a great time over there.”
With the sting of missing finals last year still fresh on the minds of the returning players, Blagojevic said that it was a motivating factor to get more wins on the board.
“It was quite disappointing last year, but we have a lot of confidence in the team. We just need a win to get some momentum going our way,” he said.
ROUND 6 GAME DETAILS
Saturday, May 11 – Geelong United vs. Sandringham Sabres at Geelong Arena. Women’s tip off 5pm, men’s tip off 7pm. Tickets available at geelongunitedbasketball.com.au (Youth League Men 1 curtain raiser starts at 3pm, Geelong United vs. Sherbrooke Suns).
Sunday, May 12 – Geelong United vs. Ringwood Hawks at The Rings (Ringwood). Women’s tip off 12pm, men’s tip off 2pm. Games can be streamed at nbl1.com.au
Local riders triumphed on the weekend in the Victorian Masters Challenge three-race series, amid healthy numbers for female participation.
As cyclists lined up on Sunday for the start at Paraparap, only 41 points separated the three competing clubs of Geelong & Surf Coast, Northern and Eureka – the state’s three major Masters cycling outfits with hundreds of competitors. Geelong & Surf Coast Cycling Club proved dominant over Ballarat-based Eureka and Melbourne’s Northern club. Northern had had the better results in the series’ first two events and was strongly represented in the final showdown. On Sunday, among the grazing fields west of Moriac, 123 men and women lined up in six graded scratch bunches.
Each bunch, ranging from A to F grade, comprised about 20 riders creating a spirited and competitive field.
Late autumn weather blessed the event, with occasional bursts of sunshine.
A to C grades tackled a challenging 55km course while D to F competed over 43km. Points were awarded to the top-eight riders in each bunch with an additional point for each finisher.
In this culminating third race of the 2024 series, Geelong & Surf Coast took the trophy with 385 points ahead of Northern on 307 and Eureka (284).
Geelong & Surf Coast president Tina Stenos said the three-race series, open to riders 30 years and over, aimed to increase participation among Victorian Masters riders.
“It has certainly done that,” Stenos said.
“With more than 100 riders at each event in Ballarat, Melbourne and Geelong the series has put Masters racing back on the map after the Covid lapse and this year, 10 per cent of the field was made up of women which is great for our sport.”
More info: www.gscc.net.au Bob Osburn is a Geelong & Surf Coast Cycling Club board member.