BALLARAT Miners guard Anthony Fisher is focusing on improving his strength in a bid to make a National Basketball League roster.
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Fisher is back at the Minerdome after a week-long trial with Perth Wildcats and missed claiming one of the team’s two development player spots for the upcoming season.
But the Wildcats have indicated they will keep in contact with the 19-year-old as a potential future candidate.
“Trev (Trevor Gleeson, Wildcats head coach) said my skill level was good enough but I need to get stronger,” Fisher said.
“Their strength and conditioning coach has given me some stuff to work on and is keeping track of my progress throughout the year, so I can take that to Scott Talpey (Miners’ strength and conditioning coach) and work with him to get where the Wildcats want me to be.”
Fisher has had a hectic schedule this year in the Australian Emus at the FIBA world under-19 championships, where the Emus claimed silver, a tour of China and training camps.
He also won gold with the Victorian under-20 team at the Australian Junior Championships this year.
Fisher said commitments with both representative squads limited his chance for strength training, but was confident another year’s experience with the Ballarat Subaru Miners in the South East Australian Basketball League would bolster his chances of joining the Wildcats.
In his second full season with the Miners, Fisher stepped up his game averaging 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists, and forming a strong combination with captain Shaun Bruce.
Bruce is preparing to play his first NBL season as a fully-fledged Cairns Taipan, stepping up from a season as a Taipans’ development player.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au