Hume City Broncos’ season is over after just one round of the Big V men’s state championship division finals.
Playing finals for the first time since 2010, the Broncos were on the back foot early against McKinnon in their away game on Saturday night.
And the Cougars made the most of the home crowd pumping them up, leading by 11 points at quarter-time.
The Broncos got the margin below 10 several times but couldn’t peg back the Cougars’ good start, succumbing 94-80.
Broncos coach Lanard Copeland said while it was disappointing to lose, he was proud of his players’ effort. “I just told the boys that as long as they’d given their all that’s all I could ask for,” he said.
“Credit to McKinnon, their transition to offence and work on the boards was good. We played well and hung in there but were beaten by a better side.”
Lee Jeka, Jamal Brown and Jermaine Maybank all scored 20 points or more for the Broncos.
Copeland said the biggest disappointment had been not being able to secure a home final.
“In some games during the year we let ourselves down,” he said. “If we’d won a couple of those, we’d have had a home final and I think that would have made a difference.” Copeland said this year had helped build towards better things.
“Last year was disappointing and we didn’t make finals,” he said. “This year we made finals and next year we want to go for the title.”
Copeland said talks were under way to extend his contract for another two years.
“We’re working on that right now,” he said. “In the past six to seven years the coach has had two years and then gone and players have also left. The club needs stability; the good clubs have that.”
Copeland said he had already started talking to players about next season.
“I’ve spoken to a couple of the main pieces of the puzzle and they indicated they want to come back,” he said.
The Broncos women’s side will start its finals campaign this week.
After finishing on top of the ladder, the women had a bye in the first week of the finals.
They will play Ringwood for a spot in the grand final. The loser will enter the preliminary finals.
The youth league women’s side is already through to the grand final after a 48-37 win over Corio Bay.
Tara Murray
