Cairns Taipans are expected to announce GMHBA Ballarat Miner Anthony Fisher as a Development Player for the 2015/16 National Basketball League (NBL) season later this week.
Fisher who was a development player at Perth Wildcats in season 2014/15 moved back to the Ballarat Miners for the 2015 South Eastern Australia Basketball League (SEABL) season to further his chances to get back into the NBL after being let go by the Wildcats.
GMHBA Ballarat Miners Head Coach Eric Hayes said “It’s great to hear that Anthony has signed with Cairns as it is well deserved.” Hayes continued “Anthony puts in a lot of time to develop his game so it is great that he is getting rewarded for that hard work”
Fisher averaged 28 minutes per game this year for the GMHBA Ballarat Miners and combined well with American Import Roy Booker and New Zealand National player Everard Bartlett in the guard position. Fisher shot at 45% from field goal range throughout the season and 35% from 3pt range averaging 12 points a game.
Chairman of the Elite Teams Miners Program Nick Grylewicz said “Anthony provides a perfect example of the pathway that Basketball Ballarat offers to reach the elite level. Anthony, started his development with the Wildcats Basketball Club and made his way through the Ballarat Representative Program (BRP) making numerous State Teams as well as National Teams along the way, before playing with the Miners and then on to Perth as a development player and now Cairns.” Grylewicz added.
Basketball Ballarat are hopeful that Fisher will return to the MARS® MINERDOME this weekend when the NBL runners up Cairns Taipans take on Melbourne United on Saturday night. But when Cairns CEO Mark Beecroft was questioned if Fisher would return to his home town Beecroft was unable to give a definitive answer.
Basketball Ballarat’s Elite Teams Administrator Melissa Thomas said “It would be great if Anthony got to return to his home court.” Thomas went on “I think it would divide the crowd slightly as well with most of the stadium being there to support the Victorian team but if Fish was playing with Cairns a lot will be cheering him on as well as former Miner Shaun Bruce.”
If Fisher was not to return the Minerdome there will still be plenty for the Ballarat crowd to cheer about with Melbourne United bringing their recently signed import Stephan Holt and superstar Todd Blachfield. Holt scored 20 points in the first half of game one against US College team Louisiana State (LSU) as well as racking up six rebounds and five assists. While Blanchfield scored 34 points in game one and backed it up with 18 points and eight rebounds in game two.
Melbourne United will also be bringing Australian National representative Chris Goulding who played in the Oceania Olympic Qualifiers in August. Goulding was a starting five member of the team.
Full squad announcements will be made later this week for the weekend’s game but it is expected that all contracted players from both Melbourne United and Cairns Taipans will be playing in Ballarat.
Tickets for the game can still be purchased by filling out the form on Basketball Ballarat’s website and returned via email or in person to the MARS® MINERDOME.
For all enquiries about the Melbourne United, Cairns Taipans, please contact Elite Teams Administrator Melissa Thomas via 5330 7604 or Melissa.Thomas@ballaratbasketball.com