Friendly war of words ignites inaugural ‘Clash of the Coast’
GOLD Coast’s basketball heavyweights have traded friendly barbs ahead of the highly-anticipated Glitter Strip derby at Runaway Bay Indoor Stadium on Saturday night.
The first-ever ‘Clash of the Coast’ Queensland State League (QSL) meeting between the North Gold Coast Seahawks and Gold Coast Rollers promises plenty of storylines, with the two general managers wasting no time getting to the trash talk.
“There’s nothing better than a hometown rivalry to get the players and spectators fired up for a great night of basketball,” Seahawks GM Dwayne Vale said.
“(The Rollers) love to refer to us as the ‘little brother’, which is fine. We will take that underdog fighting spirit into all of our games, particularly this one.
“I just hope (Rollers GM) Joel McInnes, as well as his teams, are comfortable sitting on plastic chairs and not their white ivory towers and piles of cash they are so accustomed to.”
“I look forward to coming out to ‘The Nest’, however I haven’t seen many Seahawks at Runaway Bay – maybe an ibis or two,” was McInnes’s return serve.
In the men’s side of the draw, the Seahawks and Rollers sit equal on points alongside ladder-leaders Brisbane Capitals.
In their previous meeting this year the Rollers prevailed in a 79-77 thriller, led by a stunning shooting display from Kallum Marks (29 points, 11-19).
Meanwhile, the unbeaten Seahawks women will enter as heavy favourites against the 5-3 Rollers, following the 70-43 thumping in the previous meeting back in round 2.
It was all about veteran Seahawks Lauren Jansen that night, who finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds alongside young gun Charli Reece’s 20 points and eight rebounds.
The evening tips off at 6pm with the women’s clash, followed by the men at 8pm.