I would think teams will start practice games very early Feb and try to get 3-4 games in.

Interesting to see how the NBL1 teams will go as usually there are quite a few Big V/NBL1 practice games. But with the NBL1 season being later they might not be ready for games in Feb?

Any word on rosters?

I would imagine the only imports we will see are the ones that reside here?
- Standerfer
- Kaba
- Chuck Long
- Lemons
- Polk

anyone else that might come up from the lower divisions?

The first few rounds will be getting rust off

heard the following:

Keilor - limited numbers at practice. No tsapatolis (footy), triplett (college) who were next young ones

Chelsea - Standerfor gone, Brasser gone???

Blackburn - seem to be recruiting heavily. needed to

Hume - similar without imports. Martin back?

Sunbury - Ish gone, added Trevon Clayton

McKinnon - Coach Maybank done a runner, gone...

Casey - surely had a bunch of retirements

Keep hearing there are indeed quite a few teams in champ and d1m that will still have imports because they've stayed here through Covid somehow?

who are these rumoured players? imports?

How has Casey improved their roster?

Blackburn as championship favourites. Big call unless they have added about 4/5 quality players

Apparently fixtures will be released in couple weeks and will be final. No draft etc.

I've seen announcements from Camberwell D1M that their import Barkeley re-signed, Naaman Hightower from Los Angeles has been announced for Western Port Champ men, NE Bushrangers also posted someone as well.

Flights are the first issue, $10k+ for a lot of them.

Then getting a Visa, is this likely atm?

Very interested to see why a poster above thinks Casey has improved their roster.

Assuming core Aust contingent is the same:
- Donlan (2019 stats - 18.7ppg, 3.69rb)
- McInnes (2019 stats - 10.8ppg, 2.84rb)
- Hobba (2019 stats - 10.46ppg, 5.19rb)
- Louis (2019 stats - 8.92ppg, 5.12rb, 5.12asst)
- Chapman (2019 stats - 7.58ppg)
- Macaulay (2019 stats - 5.45ppg)
- Parker (2019 stats - 3.82ppg)

Now the 2019 import combo of Lemons and Polk average combined - 35.21ppg, 17.29rb

The 2020 import combo of Lemons and Coleman had 2019 averages combined - 39.92ppg, 16.2rb

So where are the improvements coming from???
Aust Contigent - I see Donlan could increase numbers with more opportunities and potentially Parker being a younger guy.
The rest are 18months older and at best I think they will perform to 2019 numbers. Likely they will drop.

Imports - unless they have bought imports across they are having to cover at least 35ppg and 16rb. (plus defense, go to guy etc)

I doubt that they have added Aussie players to cover the imports and decline in some of ageing players.

No doubt will be a contender but they aren't better than 2020 or 2019.

Is Chris Patton at Blackburn this year?

If that is true (No Patton) then don't see how Blackburn could have added enough players to make them contenders. Assuming no imports.

seems a fair few of the Big V imports are going to the NBL1 West

my question is if there are imports that stayed behind wouldn't their visas expire or how long does these visas last for?

Partner visas, bridging visas. Some require you to actually remain in Aus while they process it.

Any word on Corey Standerfer? Is he still at Chelsea or moved on?

Eric is a free agent again I'm hearing

Hume men and YL played Longhorns

Hume YL won by approx 10

Undermanned Hume men won by about 30.

essentially a Sudanese team from Sunshine. Think they compete in competitions in Western Suburbs and juniors in AAU tourneys

From very limited news, these are my predictions for CM:

1) Casey
2) Hume
3) Chelsea
-------------------------------------------------
4) Blackburn
5) Keilor
6) Western Port
7) Hawthorn
8) McKinnon
9) Sunbury
10) Wyndham

Why would any association want to give eric a multi-year deal at this point?
Warrnambool and North East are bold tips but I like the others ^^^

McKinnon have lost its big 3 (Stith, Tomata, Williams) which were probably at least 80% of everything they did, if not more. Without bringing in new imports this is huge.
Then they have lost their coach in Maybank, and from reports, then lost their newly appointed coach.
Therefore a ranking of 8th may be too high.

833518 You are unaware or have forgotten that the McKinnon bench players comfortably defeated a full Kielor team including Imports in the last season (4 starters did not play). They have retained virtually all of them. There is no way they will finish as low as 8th. Have you seen how much talent most of the other mens champ teams have lost? There will not be many imports in any teams.

Yeah I remember the last game of season that McKinnon bench beat Keilor.

Remembering Keilor didn't have Kaba, Bellman or Spencer who were a big part of their rotation and they were essentially done by that stage.

Great win for McKinnon.

But expecting Parkinson, Geer, Malvaso, Wilson to get 101pts, 29rbds, 15asst (Geer had a triple double) week in week out is a big ask.

Hopefully they can and they will be a contender this year.

I just don't see it.

By the sounds of it at least they will beat WP

wallan will be the suprise of d2 and a sleper to win it all!! coming down to them altona and mildura for the championship

Keilor lost to Hume over weekend by double digits.

Both teams looked rusty. Not sure if either has more players to add in.

Sist at Keilor, so interesting to see who Hawthorn have.

anyone at the practice games that can provide updates on rosters?

Seems no clubs are doing their normal announcement of team rosters.

Big 3 of Sharif Bray, Leigh Saffin and Dominic Bruno will circles around their opposition. To much speed and shooting

mentions above of Miraflores having multiple jerseys. Bruno must have collected a few by now also

Be very careful in trying to draw conclusions about future form from practice games. Coaches care very little about winning or losing in these pre season games.

I don't think the results of pre-season games will relate to the season proper, but the rosters will.

Likely that a lot of teams are still finalising rosters and working out who will actually play

Hawthorn no imports, Sist, Barry or Bogart-King. Had to cancel a practice game due to lack of players

bruno is head and shoulders above d2, him, saffin and the import are unmatched as a backcourt trio compared to anyone else. mildura has henry but not the speed to match

Sounds like Hawthorn in for a painful season.
With their YL team going 8-14 in 2019 and losing their main 3 men (Barry, Sist, Bogart-King) plus the very limited recruiting opportunities without imports etc...

Tough year ahead.

Revised CM predictions:

1) Casey
2) Hume
3) Chelsea
-------------------------------------------------
4) Keilor
5) Blackburn
6) McKinnon
7) Hawthorn
8) Western Port
9) Sunbury
10) Wyndham

It is actually top 5 this year, but I think the top 3 listed will separate themselves from the rest of the pack

My thoughts
2 horse race at the top then the rest

1) Casey
2) Chelsea

3) McKinnon
4) Hume
5) Blackburn
6) Sunbury
7) Keilor
8) Wyndham
9) Hawthorn
10) Western Port

predictions: 1 wallan, 2 mildura, 3 altona 4 sherbooke 5 craigieburn 6 rmit

any news out of werribee??

Brasser at Southern Pen right?

Definitely will be a lot more YL players in senior teams this year.

Apart from 95% of teams not having imports, there seems to be a number of players that have moved to NBL1 teams as well.

I think will can be a positive to give more opportunity to younger players or players that have been in that 7-10 position the last couple years.

I just don't see who around the league will keep up with them. Who do you think are the favorites in D2 outside of wallan and mildura? possibly altona? the goal is to score the most points and that is what wallan does best

Warrandyte, Camberwell, Sth Pen will be teams to beat in D1M

Wouldn't Bulleen CW be title favourites with Tomlinson, Gaze, and Cole... You could surround that 3 with juniors and still be dominant

Predictions 2021
Top 2 Teams
SCM - Casey and Chelsea (significantly weaker competition this year)
SCW - McKinnon and Bulleen (depending how many games Bec Cole plays)
D1M - Geelong/Corio and Warrandyte
D1W - Bellarine and Camberwell
D2M - Whittlesea and Wallan
D2W - Wallan and Altona

Bottom Teams
SCM- Hawthorn/Wyndham
SCW- Whittlesea/Hawthorn/Wyndham
D1M- Melbourne Uni/Coburg
D1W- Melbourne Uni/Western Port
D2M- Melton/Mornington
D2W- RMIT/Mornington

Besides Hawthorn, we're there any other associations that all but went bust during 2020?

How closely do your suggested placings reflect what you know about the financial health of the various associations?

My top 2 in each division
SCM - Casey, Chelsea
SCW - Bulleen, Sunbury
D1M - Corio, Shepparton
D1W - Bellarine, Warnambool
D2M - Wallan, Mornginton
D2W - Wallan, Altona

Champ Men - Casey, Chelsea
Champ Women - Bulleen, McKinnon
D1M - Camberwell, Warrandyte
D1W - Bellarine, Mildura
D2M - Mildura, RMIT
D2W - Corio, RMIT

For Big V who big is the gap between each division?

I don't think there is a big difference between the bottom of divisions compared to the top of the division below.

Generally speaking, the top of Championship would very comfortably take care of the top of Division 1 though (likewise as you move down divisions). For example, Warrandyte and Sunbury in 2019 would've got smashed by McKinnon.

State Champ will be Chelsea/broadmeadows and in SCW Bulleen to run the table

D1M Geelong United/Camberwell
D1W Warrnambool/Bellarine
D2M Mildura/ Wallan
D2W Corio/Blackburn

Rosters at a guess:

Casey - Donlan, McInnes, Louis, Chapman, Parker, Taylor, Head, Hobba?
Chelsea - Standerfer, Riggs, Watt, Kaba, Inge, Dagostino
Hume - Prendergast, Mahboobi, Puondak, Rimes, Killy, Kafritas, Martin
McKinnon - Parkinson, Malvaso, Geer, Laycock, Wilson
Keilor - Long, Sist, Spencer, Bellman, Lukey, Masunda
Hawthorn - ???
Sunbury - Clayton, Sanders?
Western Port - Corletto, ?
Blackburn - Bennet, Crees, Odigie, ?
Wyndham - Renteria, Ayilara, ?

Gulls have lost Riggs (injured) & Enge to Casey

Well if Riggs out for season injured, Enge heading to Casey that really only leaves Standerfer and couple of solid players in Watt, Kaba and Dagostino.

Kaba was shopping himself around in offseason so doesn't seem to be really bought in there.

So I would drop Chelsea down a couple spots in predictions then

If Hobba and Louis retired that is a big hit for Casey

A roster of Donlan, McInnes, Chapman, Parker, Taylor, Head, Inge is solid but no way an improvement as someone had mentioned earlier on here.

Riggs is huge for Chelsea (especially if Brasser gone) so lets hope he isn't injured for too long

Any practice games this weekend?