Liam Norton has left Eltham for Corio Bay. With the Stingers also getting Hicks from Nunawading surely they are the team to beat in Championship?

Hearing that Bennie Lewis has left Waverley and will be at Hume City CM? Nice addition to their team if so.
Hicks is a huge pickup for Corio Bay, he will take pressure off Reardon and they should be one of the teams to beat.

Whats happening with the women in all divisions,nothing heard from Sherbrook. In Div 1 Whittlesea seem to have recruited well and Altona what will Joe bring with him.

Is that serious about Corio Bay and Norton?

What about Div 1. Has there been any big signings or import news come thru yet?

Team by the Yarra to name an import in comming days!

What about Div 1. Has there been any big signings or import news come thru yet?

NBL calibre??


Are you on crack?

Bogart-King NBL calibre? haha one of the funnier posts ive seen on here!

LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ^

From what I've heard about Hume city...
Out: Lowery, Bryar, berzdecky, gatluak gai.
In: kansak, miraflores.
Looks good.... Lol.
And there not getting Lewis, I don't know where that rumor came from.

So does Norton just push Hutchison and Rebula down the bench? Surely Rebula went there in the hope of some serous court time.

Lewis has signed at Hume.
Agree that Maybank, Bogart King and Brown are not NBL calibre!

What Stingrays have is good depth this year and players that can play a variety of positions. Team chemistry will be vital for success. Last years league MVP Eric Williams is also coming back to Stingray Stadium.

Melbourne, Sherbrook and bulleen will be battling for last spot. hume not far behind though.

Eric Williams signs with Stingrays media release
http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-7333-0-0-0&sID=143617&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=21990763

To be honest Maybank could play NBL no way Brown though.

I would argue that he does have an outside game and he's 6'4" hows that a small 2 in the NBL. (srs)

Could someone please explain to me the benefit of a Div 1 team wanting an american import. The costs would be anormous and what do they get from it. Local players miss out and when the import goes elsewhere which normally happens the club goes down hill, not only on the court but in the eyes of there local community. I see no benefit in it for a Div 1 team.

@Offseason ...

1. Cos they think they're gonna win Div I with their import.

2. Cos they can make mileage within the Club about how good they are in being able to attract imports.

3. Cos they can make their import work at the junior level to improve their junior teams.

4. All of the above.

Has been comment in the past that imports at Div I or below of Big V are a bit of a nonsense and should be banned.

I think I tend to agree ....

You only have to go to a place like Mildura and see what imports can do. They has well over 1000 people at the grand final there and as a result had a record amount of junior teams enter there summer comp this year.

If you get the right import they coach junior teams, get out to schools and businesses and just promote the game of basketball. Sometimes what they actually do on the court is only a small part of there job.

I agree with all that, country teams I understand get a benefit from imports but in saying that why don't teams like Mildura after winning Div 1 for the past 2 years have a crack at Championship.

Offseason, probably because they don't have the talent or future talent to do so.

I don't want to start a thread about the same issue again, but look at what Corio Bay have had to do, and in a much bigger catchment than Mildura.

While they seem to have earned title favouritism this year, they have over 18 months effectively had to recruit an entire team to do it.

I am not crapping on CB, merely pointing out the realities of what they faced to win at Championship level. In the end only one of their juniors was up to it last year - Osborne.

For Mildura, thats even tougher. CB have a chance of keeping their best juniors in the region, Mildura know some of their best 17 and 18 year olds are going to leave town for work or uni.

And, unlike CB, they can't just readily recruit, because that player has to give up work/study somewhere else to make that commitment.

It is funny reading how Stingrays are now so called title favourites and this time last year we didn't deserve to be in SCM. How things change.

It is a long season and plenty of games to be played. Last year demonstrated that all teams can defeat each other no matter what there record suggests. Should be a very interesting season.

Sting What? Lets treat this rationally for a minute.

The reason people gave WHY CB should not have been in Championship was never commented on (to my memory) as a reflection of your competitiveness or capacity to be competitive or win.

In fact, the reason CB have now been adorned as title favourites only reinforces what people said last year. The summary of that was, that given the talent the club had available within itself, without recruiting heavily, the club should not have been in championship. Those circumstances have not changed.

In my view, based on team strength, of course the team should be in championship. That does not change the view that on club strength, they should never have been admitted there in the first place.

Thanks Anon, but we're not talking about Waratah (please spell correctly) or other leagues, we are talking about Big V ...

Sturt signed at Bulleen

how do you know? ^

The coaching staff told the players at a training session this week....the players/support staff been telling anyone who'd listen that they are now a contender becuase they signed Sturt!

Might depend a little bit on who else is on the roster ...

Mind you, seems like there could more more player movement for 2013 than for many years ... might make some of those ranking predictions end up a little out ... or a lot out.

Don't think Bulleen will make finals even with Sturt Anon....Only one ball and Useless Qaafow not known for his passing ability! althought Mike Rose is a good pick up for Bulleen still cant see them making finals.

@TW soz, haven't seen Bulleen announce a roster, so I have no idea who is on it.

And Bulleen have hardly been mentioned in this rumours thread, so I am in the dark ...

When you have Standerfer, Yusuf, Sturt and Rose this team is going to compete.

Sturt & Standerfer can both play.....Yusuf wasn't playing a major role at the Tigers hence he left after only last a few weeks with Geeling in SEABL so one has to question him be mentioned a a player who'll make them compete.

Mike Rose can play hence his NBL & NZBL stints....still got a minor issue with depth and coaching at bulleen

@TW thought Tom Maher was looking after all the coaching at Bulleen ...

Ringwood have finally announced their import signing in Bryan Dougher and reported that Sturt won't even be returning to Melbourne (No Bulleen I assume)

http://www.maroondahweekly.com.au/story/1276896/big-v-ringwood-hawks-find-scorer-to-replace-mvp/?cs=1217

Found a highlight video on Youtube, has a very quick release.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylSIHb4PMmw

@anon - Maher has no say on the Men's side

Maher isn't invloved in the Big V mens program.....they are left to run there own show in terms on sponsorship, coaching, players & money etc.

In the Herald Sun looks like a different story with Sturt. He will be back but maybe not by the the beginning of the season. Joined last year mid way through.

Sturt will be coming home! His agent Daniel Moldovan has been shopping him around.

Well then, who is saying Bulleen has signed Sturt ?

According to #907 all of Bulleen's money is going into WNBL.

^According to @TW at #401707 he has ...

@TW seems to have the word on all happenings at Bulleen.

They annouced at training that & i quote "we have signed Sturt"

Plus few players and certain coaching staff being talking it up! so happy that the info i got is solid.

Only reason they haven;t annouced it is they are finalising issues re the shorten season and finals quals as per the above Anon mentioned

@TW well if you have the inside mail, I saw good work mate !

But from the Ringwood announcement on their new import, sounds like he hasn't told them.

And if Bulleen have signed him, at best it's only for half the season.

LOL, at least this thread is warming up a bit !

The rumours are true. Sturt to Bulleen.
http://bigv.com.au/index.php?id=755&tx_ttnews%5Byear%5D=2013&tx_ttnews%5Bmonth%5D=02&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3219&cHash=ae45bdc85bb0ed39cb79a69a7064d647

Yep rumours are true.....Beston to Waverley next week

Bulleen sign ex Melbourne Tigers import Mike Rose. On paper they are extremely big and a strong outfit. Would have to be the biggest improvers if not title favourites.
http://bigv.com.au/index.php?id=755&tx_ttnews%5Byear%5D=2013&tx_ttnews%5Bmonth%5D=02&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3234&cHash=ace82708e9b759b95714dd4b292d5832

Gee what's in the water at Bulleen this season.

They really haven't anywhere in men's champ for years, now something seems to have exploded.

I thought Corio Bay were duly annointed title favourites ... LOL ...

Bulleen haven't got anyone to play the PG which is pretty much a key spot....a a big who can guard the low block would help them as well.

Still Corio are clear faves with Waverley, Ringwood then it is still a fight between Bulleen/Hume for the 4th spot.

Mildura Heat have signed Calvin Henry and I hear they have signed Terrell Bell out of the A.C.C from Virginia Tech sounds like a good combo for Big V D1 if they are as good as they look on the highlight tapes. We have played them for the last 3 years and they seem to get lucky with the imports they pick.

Must be plenty Cha Ching around Warrandyte, Imports for both the Women and men teams.

Dont they have to find employment for them while they're here. Dont think they have to be paid any other way, unless a sponsor has put the money up to cover costs?

They put them on a working holiday or Business VISA as a work around so the "club" aren't paying them.

Really is a bit of a joke as everyone knows that the venom pay!