Thursday, 3rd June, 2010

The WheelKings kick off their 2010 campaign this weekend with a double-header against Brisbane Spinning Bullets. It will be an interesting test for Wenty's young lineup which has 4 new starters compared to last year's grand finalists.

Missing from the team are Koen Jansens (retired), Jonathon Simon (retired), Bill Latham (moved back to Brisbane), Jon Pollock (returned to England), Jeremy Doyle (transferred to Wollongong) and Tina McKenzie (transferred to Dandenong). The availability of Jeremy Van Asperen is also in question depending on his work commitments.

Coach Hewson is now relying on veterans Craig Cannane and Kylie Gauci to lead a team of youngsters and rookies in what will be very much a development year for the club. NSW Juniors and second-year WheelKings players CJ Grogan, Keegan Oh-Chee and Josh Meoli will get plenty of court time to work on their skills against the best players in Australia.

There are 2 new players on the squad - Brad Grove and Woody Quilla. They'll also see plenty of the court as Coach Hewson fast-tracks their progress. Shannon Dallas returns after missing last season with a serious shoulder injury and he is fresh from representing Australia at the recent Winter Paralympics. Also, returning to the WheelKings fold after a 12 year absence is Yara Ryan. He played with the team back when they were the Sydney Comets in the mid to late 90s but he hasn't lost his shooting touch or court smarts.

Brisbane will be a tough opponent this weekend but it's believed that Australian representative Bill Latham will not be travelling with the team. They do have an import and are a very experienced team so the Wheelkings will not be taking them lightly.

Check the attached poster for game times and we hope to see you there!