This might just be another week of basketball drills, gym sessions and strategising for the Ballarat Miners, but beyond the Minerdome walls player Ash Constable has noticed a change.
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Walking down the street people have been wishing him all the best for Saturday night’s South East Australian Basketball League conference grand final against Dandenong and he has found himself constantly talking about it.
“It is the first time I’ve really experienced it… and it definitely sends nerves through your spine, just because everyone is starting to know who you are as a team,” Constable said.
“There is a great vibe and all the boys are rallying right behind it, we want to be able to bring a championship back to Ballarat because the community deserves it.”
After winning their semi-final against Hobart, Ballarat GMHBA Miners earned a weekend off and home court advantage for the decider.
Constable said having the crowd behind the team was “crucial” and would play a “huge part” in trying to win the championship, while he believed the break between games had been well utilised.
“We spent a bit of time in the gym and for a couple of players who have had niggling injuries, it was probably a great opportunity for them to be able to have a light week,” he said.
Constable said a number of factors had worked in the Miners’ favour this season, including strong recruiting with the local contingent and imports complementing each other “in every way”, and the partnership between head coach Eric Hayes and assistant Nathan Cooper-Brown.
“They are completely different coaches, but at the same time complement us in every aspect… and as an assistance coach Nathan’s name gets swept under the rug a bit but he has been a vital part of the team’s success,” Constable said.
The Miners are focusing on a solid 40 minutes, while implementing what it has worked on all season – defence, athleticism, speed, getting stops early and executing plays.
“Obviously a finals game is completely different to a regular season game, so to be able to match the finals intensity earlier on in the first quarter will be very crucial for us moving forward,” Constable said.
SEABL MEN’S SOUTH CONFERENCE
GRAND FINAL
Ballarat Miners v Dandenong Rangers
at Minerdome, Saturday, 7.30pm
BALLARAT – 1st: 16 wins, 8 losses
DANDENONG – 3rd: 16 wins 8 losses
HEAD-T0-HEAD
ROUND 6 – Ballarat 95 d Dandenong 79
ROUND 15 – Ballarat 100 d Dandenong 87
FINALS PATHWAY
BALLARAT
2nd SEMI-FINAL: d Hobart 81-77
DANDENONG
1st SEMI-FINAL: d NW Tassie 92-91
PRELIMINARY FINAL: d Hobart 105-98