The Ballarat Miners are thrilled to announce the re-signing of center Makuei “Sugar Pete” Puondak for the upcoming 2025 Mitsubishi NBL1 South season. Puondak’s return strengthens the Miners’ frontcourt and reinforces the importance of squad depth and experienced talent heading into the 2025 season.
Upon re-signing, Puondak had this to say, “Returning to Ballarat was a no-brainer, I love the community, my teammates and the coaching staff. I’m looking forward to work with my new teammates. We were so close to our goal last year, now it’s about taking that next step to improving even more. I’m eager to get back on the court and complete with this group”
In the 2024 season, Puondak showcased his versatility and dominance on the court. His contributions were pivotal in the Miners’ competitive performance throughout the season.
Head Coach Luke Brennan was pleased in being able to bring Puondak back, saying, “Love the fact that Pete is back for another season! Our strength last year was our size and power game, and Pete was a huge part of that! With a larger role this year I am excited to see his continued growth and impact. He is an elite teammate to go with that. Pumped to have him on board!”
Ballarat Basketball CEO Nev Ivey emphasized the importance of maintaining roster continuity and retaining key athletes season after season to build a strong and competitive program, stating, “Bringing Pete back for 2025 is a big win for our squad. He played a crucial role off the bench last season, bringing energy, physicality, and reliability in key moments. His presence gives us depth in the frontcourt, and we know he’ll continue to be an integral part of our success this year.”
Pete becomes the 8th member of our Men’s squad following the re-commitment of Ned Renfree last week along with fellow returning Miners in Luke Rosendale, Majok Majok and Nick Stoddart as well as new key recruits in Aiden Krause, Clancy Bird and import Andrew Robinson with our final roster announcements to come in the coming fortnight. The Ballarat Miners kick off their season at home against arch-rival Bendigo on March 29th.