The Hume City Broncos are hoping to use this year to build for the future in the Big V men’s state championship.
The Broncos were knocked out in the semi final against the minor premiers, the Sunbury Jets, but it wasn’t without a fight.
After the Jets had taken game one of the best-of-three series, the Broncos came from 17 points down in game two to snatch the win and force it to a decider.
There would be no comeback in game three, with the Jets winning, 106-95.
Speaking after the game, Broncos coach Matt Foster said in the end they were beaten by a better team.
“They have lost two games all year and won 20, we knew it would be tough and we tried to give it a crack and we did and they were better really,” he said.
“They’re a great team and we showed for bits of it, that we can hang with them but we couldn’t get it done overall.”
Foster said what impressed him most about the group was their attitude and their desire to keep working.
He said there was a never die attitude was something that really impressed the coaching group.
Leading the pack for the Broncos was teenager Anthony Dell’Orso.
It was him rallying the troops and helping them get back into the game in game two. He would finish with 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals.
The next day he backed it up with 29 points, 12 rebounds and four assists before fouling out late.
Foster said they knew Dell’Orso, who is off to America to go to college, had the talent it was whether he could make the transition from junior to senior basketball.
“He has really done that and really got the job done,’ he said.
“Unfortunately it’s probably the last time we’ll ever see him play for the Broncos.
“We’re so happy for him to go to college and go and do bigger and better things, that’s what our league is about helping the young guys go somewhere.
“He has been super impressive.”
Foster said making finals and pushing the top side capped off a season he was pretty proud of.
After things didn’t go their way early, Foster said they had one eye on the future.
“We had a number of different issues… Some player turnover and stuff,” he said.
“The guys went through a bit of unsettlement which a lot of teams do. We kind of used this year as a bit of a growth year, hopefully we’ll get the core back and add pieces and give it another crack
“Elijah [Elijah-Taye Saifaleu] and Hayden [Mcintosh] who came off the bench and a couple of our younger guys got a lot of minutes, rather than adding a second import, having also lost Jake Martin through the year.
“We decided to make that decision to get some minutes and game time into some of these guys and hopefully it will help us in the years after.”
The Jets play Wyndham in the grand final series.
