Craigieburn Eagles Big V men’s and women’s basketball sides are looking within for solutions as they fight back after lacklustre seasons.
Both sides missed last year’s division 1 finals, the men finishing bottom of the ladder and the women falling just short of the top four.
Club stalwart Kathy Bailey says new women’s coach Rod Sweeney is looking to rebuild using the players he has at hand.
Sweeney returned to the club this year, having previously been part of the Eagles’ coaching panel.
“There’s a whole squad training, not just a team, and everyone who wants to push their way into the team will get a chance,” Bailey said.
“Rod is keen to build with youth and give it a good shake in the next few years.”
The women will be without a couple of their biggest names from last year.
“Nicole McMahon is headed to the state championship, which will be a big loss for us,” Bailey said. “Tenille Cann is another who looks to be headed elsewhere.
“Kellie Bailey-Lynn is pregnant so she won’t take to the court and will be an assistant coach to Rod.
“Eliza Stylianou will return from having a baby and will take over as captain from Kellie.”
Despite being pregnant with her second child, this may not be the end of the road for Bailey-Lynn, who played her 300th game for the club last season.
“She’s determined that she isn’t finished on the court yet,” Bailey said.
The men’s side will play in division 2 after being relegated.
“Having no imports meant it was always going to be hard to stay up,” Bailey said.
“The top four teams last season didn’t beat them by much. The difference between us and the top teams was two imports, which most of those teams had.”
Kewal Shiels, Australia’s tallest man at 226 centimetres, is one who won’t be with the Eagles this season, having moved to the Hume City Broncos in the state championship division.
