In welcome news for basketball fans all over the Limestone Coast, the Mount Gambier Pioneers men have returned to the court and started preparations for a big 2021.
This year was supposed to be the season the Pioneers debuted in the NBL1 South Conference, but the competition was cancelled due to COVID19.
After the disappointment, Mount Gambier now aims towards entering in 2021 and the team has just started the journey.
Coach Richard Hill is currently overseeing a training camp to assess his squad after a long winter without play.
The second of three sessions will start at the Icehouse tomorrow and each comprises of three intense days of training.
Hill said he had been impressed with how the 13-player squad had shaken off the rust. “The attitude was great when we arrived at our first camp,” he said.
“Everyone got back out there and did a lot of work. “There was a fair bit of enthusiasm, so it was brilliant.” The players have every reason to be buzzing as they have been starved of on court action in 2020.
The Pioneers have not played a competitive game since August last year and after a 15-month hiatus, Hill said it had been a challenge for his players, but hoped they would be closer to their best after the program.
“It has been difficult for the players because it has been such a long time since the last game,” he said.
“They have tried to keep themselves in reasonable shape and they are bit behind, but not far off in terms of physical conditioning. “As each camp progresses it looks more and more like basketball because we rely on the players to get into the gym at Squashbrook and run on roads in between.
“By the time we finish our third camp we will be in perfect shape.” Each session comprises a mix of on-court drills to sharpen the team’s skills and also physical testing such as time trials to regain fitness.
Outside of the three-day camps, the players have also been completing an individual program at Squashbrook.
The training squad itself is pretty similar to the outfit which reached the grand final in the 2019 Basketball SA Premier League. However, some familiar faces have made a welcome return to the Icehouse.
Kyle Tipene hoped to play for the Goldfields Giants over in the Western Australian State Basketball League, but is back in the region.
Another local export Kane de Wit is also back in the fold after he ironically played against the Pioneers in the Basketball SA Premier League during his time with Forestville.
Despite not having handed out contracts yet, Hill said the team was shaping up nicely and even hoped some imports could arrive next year.
“We have not contracted anybody in our squad yet just because there is so much uncertainty around everything, but it is a very similar squad to what we had last year,” he said.
“Sam Daly is no longer with the group and has moved back to Adelaide, but Kyle Tipene and Kane de Wit are additions to the group. “We have also brought in some young lads as part of the development squad, which will add depth and seal the long-term future for the local guys.
“Two blokes who signed to play with us this season from Adelaide had moved to Mount Gambier but went back to Adelaide when COVID started. “They were very keen to play and are now part of the camps.
“We are in the process of sorting through the team and will look to contract our players before Christmas and hopefully add some imports early in the new year.”
The squad is boosted up to 13 with youngsters Harry Mules, Jackson Logan and Ben Young onboard. The trio have joined the men’s players in the training camp as part of a development group to give them a taste of the sport at the elite level.
With an eye towards 2021, Mount Gambier fans can be optimistic they can see their team in action again. Hill said he was confident the Pioneers would hit the court competitively again.
“There are a number of options, but nothing has been confirmed,” he said. “I do not envisage there will be no Pioneers or NBL1 next year. “I think things are tracking in the right direction and believe we will be starting most likely sometime in May.”
