By Russell Bennett
ONE in, all in.
The Pakenham Warriors are moving forward into a new era they hope will deliver some real success at the Big V level for their senior men’s, youth league men’s, and youth league women’s sides.
And they’re all on the same page when it comes to their plan to get there.
Being part of one of the biggest growth corridors in Australia, and with some outstanding junior players, the Warriors have the potential to set themselves up as a legitimate basketball powerhouse.
But they won’t be taking shortcuts to get there – particularly at the expense of youth development.
Brent Russell has taken the reigns of the Warriors’ senior men’s side – in Division 2. He’s still only 26 – younger than a number of the players he’ll be coaching – but he can’t wait for the challenge.
With his playing days behind him, Russell is now forging ahead with his coaching career and his first with the Warriors’ men’s side promises to be incredibly exciting.
Brad Bridgewater will be one of the team’s big-name drawcards next season. He’s played for many years at State Championship level, and Bridgewater is also a graduate of LSU – the same US college that Shaquille O’Neal and Ben Simmons once called home.
He’s also a former Harlem Globetrotter who acquired the nickname ‘Dunk Man’ for his ability to score above the rim.
But the inclusions don’t stop there for the Warriors.
Pakenham favourite James Topp has returned to the Warriors and will provide plenty of versatility on both ends of the floor, coupled with a real desire to develop the local area’s young talent.
Nick Ross, Robin Maartens, and former Casey guard Brad Szalek are also on board, while the Warriors have retained the super-impressive Ben Gaze.
Hayden Davey is the key omission from last year’s team.
Russell knows he has big shoes to fill, stepping into the role vacated by Warriors’ favourite son Jeff Reid at the end of last season.
But he can’t wait for the challenge.
“I had to pinch myself to start with but it was a good opportunity that I didn’t think I’d get at this stage, but it was something that I wanted to do,” he said.
“It just puts you out in the spotlight now and you can see how you really are as a coach. I’m excited – I can’t wait.”
Russell raved about the versatility of the players at his disposal and said they’d be playing an up-tempo, entertaining style of play while also locking down defensively. It’s a style that all Warriors sides will hope to replicate next season.
“I think we’ve selected a really good squad this year – they just want to be one family and give back to the club,” Russell said.
“We are in it for the long-haul – the end goal is State Championship men. How we get there – that’s where we’ve sat down as a team already and discussed the steps we need to take.
“Obviously it’s not going to happen all at once – we need to keep building.
“We’ve set our overall target. Talking to the group, they all want to hang around for a good couple of years and set up a really good pathway for the juniors coming through.
“We don’t want guys playing at a high level in juniors who then have nowhere to go.
“We want to keep our kids at the club and create a better pathway.”
Keep an eye on next week’s Gazette – both in the paper, and on the website – for more on the Warriors elite juniors, both male and female.
