Mark Heron said the time is right to win another SBL championship for Geraldton.

The Geraldton Buccaneers forward and assistant coach said the team has a small two-year window to lift another championship banner.

Heron, who won championships with the Goldfields Giants in 2007 and 2008, said he can see similarities between those sides and this year’s Buccs squad.

“There is that exact same feeling when we went out to Kalgoorlie, the team had not made the finals before and the first year we were there we made a grand final,” he said.

“You need a lot of luck to win it in the end but you do not want to rely on luck, you want to give yourself every opportunity.

“DT (Daniel Thomas), Mat (Wundenberg) and Ralphy (Aaron Ralph) are leading the way at the moment and there is a lot of passion there and I can see they really want to achieve this season.”

Heron last played in the SBL during the 2010 season with the Giants.

During his six year career with the club, Goldfields played in six semifinals, four grand finals and won two championships.

Heron will be joined by Goldfields teammate Shamus Ballantyne in the Buccs’ squad this season.

He hoped the pair’s finals experience would help catapult the Buccs from ninth position in 2012 to championship contender this season.

“In Kalgoorlie we had a five or six-year window to win it but this team is different and we maybe only have a two-year window with the personnel we got,” he said.

“With the imports we have got in a think it is very important to get it done as soon as possible and not think about the future but all about this year.”

Article by Taylour Courtland (Geraldton Guardian)
Photo by Helen Theoharakis (Hoop Shots)

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