By Tara Murray
A win this weekend will seal a Big V finals berth for the Whittlesea Pacers youth league women’s side for the first time since 2009.
Having struggled in recent years, including finishing equal bottom in youth league division 2 last year, the Pacers have been one of the big improvers this season.
The Pacers sit fourth heading into a final round clash with bottom side Mornington Breakers.
Pacers’ coach Shannon Bodley said they weren’t getting ahead of themselves.
“Mornington are bottom and haven’t won a game,” he said.
“We spoke about it after the game against Blackburn [on the weekend]. You can’t take anyone lightly, as anyone can beat anyone.
“They will want to prove something and we have to remain focused and then worry about finals.”
Bodley, who is in his first year of coaching the side, said there was a lot of excitement in the group with their development.
He said only four or five players from last season’s team had returned this year.
“Last season we finished equal bottom with four wins. The aim was to win more than four games and then look at finals.
“With a new coach and new rules and structures, we started slowly and started to build.
“Everyone has brought into the system.”
Bodley said the biggest thing for the side this year, had been their ability to play as a team.
While Hailey Wynd has been the standout averaging nearly 17 points and 14 rebounds, other players were able to stand up when needed.
“It was solid complete team effort against Blackburn,” he said.
“Hailey had a quite night with seven and seven, but the other girls stood up.
“They’ve come together as a team.”
Boldey said if they made finals that everything else would be a bonus.
Having coached the Pacers’ senior women’s division 1 title a few years ago, he knows better than most that anything can happen come finals.
“Casey and Pakenham are the standout teams and we aren’t near them. They gave us a touch up.
“Once you’re in finals, you start again.
“It’d nice to win week one and see how far we can go from there.”
