By Tara Murray
Championship stars were among the Hume City Broncos’ players named in the club’s team of the decade announced on Saturday night.
Celebrating the Broadmeadows Basketball Association’s ruby anniversary, the club announced its teams of the decade for the senior Broncos’ sides of 2001-2010.
That period is one of the most successful in the club’s history.
The women’s side won three successive Big V state championships from 2007-09 and finished runner-up in the Australian Basketball Association Club Championships in 2007.
Sharin Milner, who went on to have a successful Women’s National Basketball League career, was named captain of the women’s team of the decade.
She captained those successive three championships, along with the 2013 championship.
Former Australian star Eylse Penaluna was the other big name in the team of the decade. She was part of two of the three championships.
Ellie McLean, Tenille Cann, Belinda Masciti, Lisa Troyahn, Anna Crosswhite, Lauren Bennett and Naomi Pedro and Kellie Burbridge, who all played in at least one of those championships, were the others named in the team.
Glen Milner, who coached the 2007 and 2008 championships, was named coach of the team.
For the men’s side, that ’01-’10 period included the club’s only men’s championship, the 2004 Big V state championship title.
Not surprisingly, many of the team of the decade were part of that championship team.
Shane Smith, who captained the 2004 side, was named captain of the team of the decade.
His teammates from 2004 – Randy Anderson, Brad Collins, Greg Smith, Mike Spears and Erik Wickstrom – were also named in the team of the decade.
Eddy Cox, Stuart Dorrington, Russell McIntosh and Brad Phelan are the other members of the team of the decade.
Kevin Fleming, who coached the 2004 side, was named coach of the team of the decade.
The club also announced three new members for its wall of fame.
The father-daughter combination of Glen and Sharin Milner have both been named.
Milner snr has coached the Broncos on and off from 1986 through to 2017 across a number of competitions.
He has also been a long-time committee member, including being president.
Sharin is one of the club’s greatest ever players having played in the club’s first under-18 Victorian Championships win and captaining four Big V championships.
She also had a long WNBL career.
Former men’s captain, Shane Smith, was the other inductee to the wall of fame. Smith played across the SEABL and Big V competitions, receiving many awards.
He captained the club’s only men’s championship.
