The home-grown core is combining under-18 representative duties with weekends suiting up for the Miners in the Big V Youth League. 

And they are definitely proving better for the challenge.

James Reeves is a proven match winner – he hit the clutch shots to turn around the game against Geelong in round two for the Miners’ first win, and has been a consistent inclusion.

Point guard James Hallett is relishing the increased physical challenge of testing his game against bigger-bodied opponents.

Sam Short captained the Victoria Country under-18 team at the nationals in Ballarat last month, and Tristan Fisher is ranked in the top five for three-point percentage in the youth league.

Brad Cartledge stepped up to the Miners’ youth league head coaching role this season, while also coaching the under-18s, and brought these players up with him.

The Miners have three wins on the board in division one. 

They claimed their latest victory with a three-point win on the road against Hume City on Saturday, a week after beating an undefeated Sunbury. 

Short was one point and two assists off making a triple-double in the Sunbury game.

This follows a winless season last year in the Big V Youth League championship division.

Cartledge said the team was starting to click.

“Winning is not the main objective at the moment; it’s about development,” he said.

“The guys coming up know how I want them to play – defence is something we’ve concentrated on a lot in under-18s – and they’re seeing and learning the whole time.”

Regaining Short to the squad this month and the addition of imposing tower Zachary Pell, who has averaged 11 rebounds from four games, has also bolstered the Miners youth league team.