gee the girls are going well..NOT.....Good selection coach...your a real winner, maybe now you might pick a team of talent instead of the suck ups....

Stir

Read the top of this thread and stop being a tool

SAC Boys lost to NSW Country by 3 ("on the buzzer").

Actually if I was Damien, I would have taken a team of first years rather than the shitty second years that failed at 16s.

Missing starting guard with injury, makes a huge difference.

First loss to tassie I have seen in a while.

More excuses on the way I suppose ?

no excuses on the way just bad selections by coaches....one day they will wake up and say 'gee these coaches I have selected haven't come up with the goods' do they change coaches or stick with a losing formula? If thats an excuse then I'm sorry...

Saw the 16's at Gosford last week and they fell on their own sword in crucial games with ball errors but the coach had plays, systems and ran the team well.
This 18's coach is a limitied coach who runs run and gun, give it to the 3 or 4 and put it up. He justifies this by always saying he has a short team but they get murdered in transition and the assistant coaches are head nodders and ego supporters with nothing to add to the game.
If anyone is surprised at the results you need go no further than his inability to have a plan other than the A plan. He continually runs traps that break down at the top end and has no idea what man to man is, set plays or motion.
The team would have succeeded more without the coaching staff.

Which coach do you mean metro or country, or both????

Have the country girls still got a chance to make top 8 if they win the next 2 games?

Country boys played great O v NSW but their D was terrible.

aint i guess you are a mark supporter by the crap you just typed. 16s coach has had better teams more often than 18s. 16s coach continually fails at this level but is continually given the job because of friendships with the right people.

You guys are all being a bit harsh on your Rep teams. Winning isn't everything. These teams are packed full of talent that is developing and will grow into the next generation of basketballers. SA does extremely well considering it's size to other states. Let's try and focus on the positive's and have the negative criticism be constructive. When you state a problem, try and come up with the solution. I think the State coaches should be picked on form and should also be picked on coaching style.

Yeah lets face it the whole State program has sucked this year. Perhaps there needs to be some change in the positions at the top.

How do you explain the success of the Nwd aba team then???


They were not expected to make playoffs!!!!

He has done an exc job with them and as such should be cut some slack.

As said earlier, the players own the results as much as the coach!!!!!!

yawn......not that this will do anything but a change needs to be done NOW.....N G enough is enough pick the players that deserve to go and not the ones that 'PLAY THE POLITICAL GAME' Some parents are good at that....NG neeeds to make the decision...does he want a coach he likes as a friend or does he select a coach for the right reasons WINNING and not shaming South Australia

That is such shit! Stir

As I read it now, Sam To play Sac in the semi? 6th pool a vs 5th pool b.


Winner to play for 9/10.
Loser to play 11/12.

Is this correct?

isthat right...you seem to know everything perhaps you should coach....by the way you don't know everything I have a son that plays but its hard to escape what you hear and really that doesn't matter the records show the truth...pull your head out of that thing you sit on and look.....lets see what happens on this thread....you are a minority goose.....thank god my kids aren't involved especially with the likes of you around

I'm agreeing with the anonymouses!
After some players withdrew cos of year 12 or "sick of sasi", or injury, there didn't seem to be a real lot left!
Plus, from what I've heard, most of the opposition have outsized and out muscled our girls. And apparently some girls just "haven't played their best". I doubt it is anything that Damien and his coaching team have or haven't done. Coaching 16 & 17 year old young women is probably akin to photographing babies and animals! My bet is that Damien has done everything that is possible. How hard would it be to be in SA metro's boots right now? Damien et al will continue to work against the odds. A really great coach does some of their best work in times like this.
Not that any of that shows in the stats.
Keep going Damien!

ooops.
I didn't actually agree with the anonymouses who were bagging or sniping. Or being sarcastic!

Time for change....nothing more to say really. Results show this. Lets see if they have the balls to let go a favorite son for the sake of the game.

Surley any state appointment is not just open ended. There needs to be at least a 3-4 year time frame to get the job done.

After this you should be judged on your past efforts and the job put up for applicants to put there best case forward for another 3-4 year term.

Does this happen...I am not involved in this age group so I do not know.

correct in one Pogo....one idea offer it to the Premiership Coach from the year before as a reward....

Stir,
I suspected as such, with your statement that DW is a favourite son (I thought you were just joking on that one) but that last statement just proved you have no clue. Coaching at Nationals is nothing like coaching at club level. This is like suggesting that Bill who won the U10 champs at the local sports centre should coach an ABL team as a reward. Im also not sure you understand the motivation behind people that coach at state level either as you call it a "reward".

Stir why dont you apply for the U18 girls job and go through the process and see how you stackup against DW.... Not gonna happen is it buddy... you would be like one of those acts on Australian Idol that are terrible, think they are brilliant and end up been on some comedy hour.

In the meantime checkout my new site:
http://www.williamhung.net/

The game was set up for the 3 and 4 players. His game plan was to shoot from outside always. He effectively only used 3 shooters and the rest were instructed to run the three point line to find the 3 or 4's. If you think the points the players scored relates to playing well you have the mind set he has and remember they lost each game because of it.
No game plan. Repeat NO GAME plan.
The crap that Damien isn't to blame comes from Mars.

will hung you are a total loser.....yes I don't know him and I dont want to know him...do you read and believe everything....how you look at the world outside your window amazes me no hope with the crap you write. Perhaps this was my fault and that I should have explained myself further (shows you cant see into messages as you have made up your mind haven't you - would you jump in front of a bus if I said to?)I said Premiership coach as a reward correct I was also talking about for that age group you goose....one thing you do have right is NO you won't have u 10 coach coaching u 18...be real...or should I say get a life.....it was a good suggestion...

I agree planet of the apes by the way....Coaching should be a shared responsibility and not suffer from nepotism and a good way is to reward coaches who have achieved.

Stir, I was speaking metaphorically.

To put it simply. Coaching the age group at club level and winning a championship at that level the previous year is NOTHING like coaching at the Nationals. Winning a premiership at club level in that age group does not mean you are ready to coach at a National Championships the following year.

Speak to the players/coaches/parents that have been involved - there is no comparison between the different levels.

Your use of the word 'rewarded' earlier does demonstrate some lack of understanding. Speak to the club coaches in the age group that won the premiership and ask if they think they would want to/be able to be a state coach? What happens if they dont want to do it in a yr, then what?

and all the current state coaches have achieved success in the past AND in recent yrs.

"Why don't you just go and give DW a kiss. " Did the discussion really degenerate to this level last yr as well???

Is the system more or less stale than your inept ability to read, comprehend what is written and form a logical argument?

You know it doesnt matter what I say...it tells me change must happen to avoid nepotism and why not change the State Coach anyway. I don't really know him at all but what I do know he has had his time...don't get me wrong change for the sake of change doesn't work but in this case he has had his time now move over and let someone else have a go. He may have fresh or better ways or ideas it's called development...by the sounds of it you must be missing him dearly...you can fill up his hot water bottle when he gets home shortly and tuck him into bed.

To everyone else.....State Coaches are they reviewed, do they have a set of key guidelines and if they do not succeed what happens......

The best performer in the group is not in SASI!

Eddy are you surprisd by your claim! seems to be the way in all things Basketball in this State. There will always be kids that perform better than the SASI kids and there will always be kids that perform better than the Div 1 kids and State kids.Low and behold if a kid IS truely better though and tries to infiltrate into the group - watch the knives come out and the backstabbing begin!

This is pathetic. To the parents on here who child has not made the team, move on. The best team was picked, and your child, was not picked because they were not good enough. Can not live YOUR dreams through them forever.

Yes it does show that....good opportunity next year it would seem....it gets down to the selection process...it shows he can not select and thats obvious...need a new look

And the group that played at 16s really excelled. didn't they? Hows Damien Senior team going? For a young team that wasn't going to make the finals, I think they are.

He created two teams within one. A team of seven who were accountable and dragged for every perceived and real error and a team of three who could turn over ad naueseum and make poor decisions without being dragged.
The team obviously couldn't function in such a way and the team of 7 lost confidence, were afraid to play basketball, take chances and do the things that got them into the team in the first place because the drag was ever present.
While the team of three gained in confidence and could do no wrong.

This type of coaching destroys team morale, and should not reflect on the girls in either group but it does scream out loud that the coaching staff have to look at their methodology and take responsibility for the outcomes.
When opposition scouts are laughing and leaving after 3 or 4 minutes you have to question game structures.
Effectively he has killed off 7 kids chances in numerous ways, not used his available talent and pig headedly stuck to a game plan that doesn't work. None of the three recognised his press failed every time at the top end, or how they were being butchered in transition and for those reasons all three coaches should be encouraged to not reapply for their roles.
Ive read many times on this forum from many posters who are happy to blame Smyth and Craig etc for team failures but the same critics seem over protective of state coaches even when their performances are below par.
Players, I understand, receive post nationals feedback on their performance , I can only hope their is some honesty in the feedback on the coaching if indeed they get any.

last tango, It shows what clue you do not have. Craig, Smyth and other PROFESIONAL coaches are paid the big bucks to coach. Damien is not paid (apart from a free trip), and to be honest with people like you, it is not worth it. You are obviously a parent whos little princess is not getting a lot of time or did not make the team. I would guess that you probably have no playing or coaching experience at any level. Knowing that group of girls, it is a shitty year that has got worse as years have progressed. Damien can be judged on next years performance when they come back. I also beleive that he has coached junior Australian teams so other people in high places obviously think he can coach. I do get sick of people in all sports blaming the coaches for players not performing. The first years that are playing well are exceptional players!

Fortunately it is only too easy to coach great team and then take credit for their performance. The inability to coach shows when you have an average group and can not make it work. Good coaches have skills, attitude and program that can deal with this scenario and may not win it all, but can overachieve. This guy underachieved before, has no Plan B, favours small group and alienates all the rest, effectively having 2 teams in one. His favourites can do no wrong and all others have their confidence crashed. His trainings are 60% theory and 40% practice. He bores everyone to death, leaving kids switched off and uninterested. He can not motivate or inspire his team to do great things - I guess some people just do not have what it takes to achieve under adverse circumstances. It appears that there is no accountability for your performance in BA. Same faces, same structure same bull... year after year.

So realist, another un educated fact. BA do not chose the coaches at a State Level. BSA and Glidden do. Boring, what results has he failed at? Before you bring the 18 super team up, they failed again this year in 20s. I think their result this year was worse. Australian rep coach, and it seems no one has mentioned that his senior team has over acheived this ABA season. Whys that? I do agree that it is the same faces each year and there is no transparency, but until Glidden moves on, this will not change. Perhaps there is not enough of the better coaches out there prepared to kiss arse. Look at the 16 girls, they have not done a lot this year. Next year country will detroy metro.

Well, I am so sorry that S has escaped from BSA, however if you read the content of the post you should know what I meant. And secondly, unfortunately I have to disagree with you on your first comment as I believe that he is nothing special. Good coaches have ability to overachieve and pull through under difficult circumstances. He has mostly only achieved the result that his team was capable off, nothing more and in some cases even that has been a problem. However your second comment is spot on.

what a lot of crap.....it's about winning at that level. Yes they dedicate time for free and thanks but if they don't bring home the bacon you need to move on until you find the right formula...FACT OF LIFE. You shouldn't allow the same coach to go on for ever...change, new ideas, styles etc need to come into the equation.
Everyone on this site agrees for change...again I support this comment by the number of reads....check it out....there is the answer NG find a new coaches face and lets go back to being a basketball power....

Again - all fine & well to say that Stir... who's your suggestion for who should be replacing these so-called under performing coaches?

Yep it is easy to say.....but you have coaches out there good ones at that,why are they not being asked or is this a closed shop.

Look thats an easy thing to say WHO...but unless you open it up to all coaches how do you know the pool?

by the way I'm not being bitchy just stating the obvious. I don't even know the guy but reading these threads perhaps its time....

Stir, can I suggest that you are clearly ignorant to what it takes to coach at Nationals level, that you never played, had a child that did, or coached at this level. You admit you dont know Damien. You wrongly suggest, in your poor simple language that he is a friend of mine, which he is not. Why not approach him, or any other State Coach/Asst. Coach for that matter and find out what the week and the 6 mths leading up to it involves.

State Coaches dont grow on trees and they take time to develop. Go find out the state coaches basketball related CVs and you will see that in most cases no one in this state comes even close.

You say that club coaches that win a premiership should be 'rewarded' with a state role, that is ridiculous but I am sure if someone came along that could do the job better most state coaches would step aside and NG would gladly put them there.

What about the womens country coach? he was supposed to do well but even the metro side beat them.

He doesnt have a good track record, but he didnt have a lot to work with I suppose, they looked a very average short side with no real stand outs

Dear Will, It is surprisingly easy for you to call people names, but since you are such an expert I guess it gives you the right to assume everything about people that differ with your opinion. It is obvious that you are mistaking commitment with ability. Just because someone has ample time to spare does not make him a good coach and if this is main prerequisite for the job, then SA Bball is in real trouble. I do not know if you have noticed blinded by your DW fascination that main argument here is  Does state coach selection process is fair, selects the best people for the job and eventually delivers the goods. If the answer is NO, then maybe changes are needed to improve current situation, on the other hand if these people (one in particular has my utmost respect) are the best for the job so be it.

"...but unless you open it up to all coaches how do you know the pool?"

It *is* open. Ask around at how many applicants there were for these positions? You can't be appointed to coach if you don't apply for the position.

Stir,

You are a basketball ignoramus,please don't share your thoughts on an open forum as we are becoming a dumber basketball state with every post you produce.

YOUR OPINION IS UN-INTELLEGENT AND UN-EDUCATED.

I find your understanding of what it takes to compete at a national level is seriously lacking. If you can't see SA teams will never compete at a nationals with only 2 u14 teams each year(Forestville/Sturt).Un-compeditive comps at junior level, result in un-compeditive state teams.
Don't you ever wonder why SA teams seem to lose close cames that vic's always win.

I'm pissed at myself for even responding to your dribble, would you please crawl back under your anonymous rock and die!

regards,
someone who actually coaches.

Ditto

More people should be bagging the coaching ability of the three stooges who handled womens 18 metro team. One pass, shoot to lose games that were in the bag. He never once used the shot clock and never had a competent imbounder.
No inside game.
No transition game.
No use of the clock.
No team building.
No recognition of situations.
Selective dragging.

Final Standings for the u-18's:

Country Women 11th - defeating Qld Nth 72-58
Metro Women 10th - losing to NZ 71-75

Metro Def Country 77-71 for a chance to play in the 9/10th playoff.

For Metro: Williams had 17 & 5, Hargreaves and Boothey added 14.
For Country: Farley had 19 & 11 and Madgen had 14 & 5.

Metro Men playing for 7/8th against NSW Country
Country Men playing for 5/6th against NSW Metro

Country Def Metro 77-71 for a chance to play in the 5/6th playoff.

For Country: McGinty had 20 & 8, Lean had 13 & 13.
For Metro: McMath and Daly had 10 & 4.

Edit: I got excited with the copy and paste. In the men's the score was 67-56.

anon 994

"This is indicative of what happens a the club level too in my opinion."

Do you mean specifically at Norwood club level, or all clubs?

U18 Girls  lost for words. Is this the best SA can offer?

A side note for the Girls sides,

Metro 1-5 record for the round games, 1-2 for the finals
Country 3-4 record for the round games, 2-1 for the finals

Metro with a 2-7 record for the tourny
Country with a 5-5 record for the tourny

Round info, Finals Info

why would people want to apply when the decision is made before applications go out....I am sure your ignorant twottle would know that stupid....I'm saying be fair and get results...if your happy with a below par result you my friend do not have an idea.........where is your solution gonso...haven't seen one yet...

dont forget the last group was way ahead of this group of girls, so need to build again that takes time.Dont look at the coach look at the players too have some heart when they play.

I am really dissappointed that the selectors didnt pick the best players.....it is obvious that the best players are back home honing their bagging, sarcastic skills upon the keyboard.....I am sure that the selected girls tried their hardest...i am sure that the coach and support staff also tried their best too....maybe just maybe things just didnt turn out.....it is too easy and a cop out to just bag everyone......I apologise for bagging the people who have been doing all the bagging....therefore I bag myself!!!! Good luck evryone for next year...yes there is a next year!!!!

If stats told all the story no one would need to scout a game , they'd recruit from the stats.
Metro utilised a third of their team and the other two thirds were petrified to make a mistake.
He ran in every game,irrespective of the situation, a game plan that was one pass and shoot from the three point line,and generally the 3 and 4 players were the only ones involved.
A team plan that builds around three players means those players build stats but the plan didnt work and they won squat. Check times and Turn Overs's and you will see that they were allowed to make errors and stay on court which helps confidence.
The stats and time suggests every time one of the others made an error they were dragged.
Not an ideal way to build team spirit, confidence or find your form.
Also, the stats tell me their was one outstanding player.
It will be interesting to see what N G has to say and do and on what and whom he places blame.
Unlike a lot of the posts on here, I don't enjoy the demise of 7 players careers and don't think any South Australian should either.
Something went very wrong in Tasmania with the team and and they either got 7 players totally wrong or the coaching and tactics were flawed. Having an intimate knowledge of how basketball in this state works, I would not like to put money on them looking for honest answers.

Well, well, well - you are all turning on yourselves are you not.

Changes at the top .... needed to change the game in your state - otherwise the same old cr...... will continue.

Little boys club..... vested interest. Be intersting to see how the coach in the stand does for the 6ers.

nothing will change...it will be the same crap next year....I hope someone remembers to fire this up next year...same coaching staff, same game plan and same result....mark my words...THE SAME...Come on NG show some balls and actually do something for the better and future of this State, you have the POWWWWERRRRRRR

What and ruin the family hoiday? it will not happen.

This thread needs to be shut down

So Dr who should be accountable with the poor showing at Nationals this year? Taking away my previous comment, performances should be reveiewed in an open process. Not a bagging session, but a detailed review. As far a I can remember this would be the poorest return of State teams for quite a while.

Should not be reviewed in an open environment at all.
You can be sure there will be a review.

Miss understood me. Not so everyone can see, but a committee doing the reveiw and then a statement to clubs. Who performed well, what clubs need to do to help the process etc.

I posted this on another thread before finding this one and it seems relevant to the debate.
Just a thought.
Mark coached the majority of this years metro 18 girls to 4th spot last year in the 16's and they failed by 4 points against Vic Metro which would have put them in a Gold medal playoff.
Say what you like but the man has tactics and game plans that , wait for it , he's prepared to change as the game dictates.
This seems to have been the problem with the 18 girls this year, no plan that worked and one dimensional coaching mindsets with assistanbt clones.
So the question should be, how could Mark get the best out of virtually the same group of players, with a couple of girls starring and all contributing BUT the present coach not?

excuses not to change - under achieve year in - year out.

There is a saying that people in power or everyone for that matter reaches thier own level of incompetence - once they do they accept mediocricy.

There is no need to say anymore. Just read this post

planetoftheapes/sittingonthedockofthebay/lasttangoinparis/murderedbynorwoodnoideas/allquietonthewesternfront I think it is time you stopped all the seething anger you display on these posts and moved on with your life, if you have one - you were obviously in Tasmania and have some association with the team - the above psuedonyms are obviously from the same negative and destructive hater trying to discredit the Coaching Staff with all the name calling. I think most readers are seriously wondering what your real motivation is.
You have no idea and need to get a positive outlook on life and basketball in general and deal with your underlying anger in another manner.

I am sure the performance by the team and the coaching staff will be analysed by the State Coaching Director and some feedback will be forthcoming to the people concerned. None of the people involved deserve your disgraceful
and public display of venom - especially Damian Weeks

Could not be further from the truth

Mark is not that good of a coach and what has he acheived with the State teams he has had and the stacked local teams he had? Not much.

(mod: OK, I reckon we've probably had enough coach slagging now. This probably isn't the worst post we've had on the matter, but I don't think any more comments are necessary.)